Calcium/Alk High Mag Low questions

[BanditMan15]

Hey yall
My tank has been up and running for about 10 years and I have been dosing All for Reef. I have noticed now my tanks Params are 9.9 Alk 490 Calcium and 1200 Mag. I just recently started adding more MAG to 2nd pump head. I was dosing 30ml every 3 days of Mag but still not seeing a big difference. Would it be ok to change pump to every day dos say at 15ml but just check water Params every 3 days? I also lowered my dosing on the All for reef to get more stable with Alk and Cal.

 

[blaxsun]

Yes, you can certainly change your daily allotment. Just test more frequently to ensure your magnesium level isn't climbing faster than you want.

 

[BanditMan15]

Yes, you can certainly change your daily allotment. Just test more frequently to ensure your magnesium level isn't climbing faster than you want.

Ok that's what I thought I just wanted to be certain because I have been 2nd guessing myself.

 

[blaxsun]

Ok that's what I thought I just wanted to be certain because I have been 2nd guessing myself.

Going from 10-15ml isn't a huge difference, especially when you spread that out over 24 hours (that's like ~0.25ml per hour). I probably dose 24-26ml daily on my 200-gallon system to keep it around 1450ppm magnesium, and the Trident automatically adjusts that by +/-25% to maintain this level.

 

[BanditMan15]

Going from 10-15ml isn't a huge difference, especially when you spread that out over 24 hours (that's like ~0.25ml per hour). I probably dose 24-26ml daily on my 200-gallon system to keep it around 1450ppm magnesium, and the Trident automatically adjusts that by +/-25% to maintain this level.

I'm telling you what I have got to get an Apex system. I have been holding out for so many years but I think it's time.

 

[Wasabiroot]

Getting your mag closer to NSW levels will certainly help with your alk and calcium stability. Magnesium has a "regulating" effect and helps buffer larger swings. You can also dose a large amount at once to bring it to the level you want, but if you're doing that, do it slowly in the sump (avoid more than about 100 ppm mag at once) in case there are impurities in the magnesium solution and to reduce stress to the animals.

 

[blaxsun]

I'm telling you what I have got to get an Apex system. I have been holding out for so many years but I think it's time.

There are a lot of advantages with an Apex system - not just the automated testing and controlled dosing. With the right setup and programming it can also take care of many of the day-to-day worries and tedious tasks.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Getting your mag closer to NSW levels will certainly help with your alk and calcium stability. Magnesium has a "regulating" effect and helps buffer larger swings.

Just to clarify a bit, the effect of magnesium in this context is to reduce the tendency for precipitation of calcium carbonate. It's doesn't do anything to buffer against a rise in calcium.

 

[Wasabiroot]

Just to clarify a bit, the effect of magnesium in this context is to reduce the tendency for precipitation of calcium carbonate. It's doesn't do anything to buffer against a rise in calcium.

Thanks for correcting me. In retrospect, buffer was a poor choice of words as it has a more chemistry-related connotation.