Dosing is hard

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Magnesium testing can be greatly fraught with error, and I do not believe it is necessarily the "fault" users. Some magnesium its are just way off for whatever reason.

I believe the magnesium in the tank is in a kind of equlibirium with the content in the stones.

There is the potential for binding of some magnesium to the surface of calcium carbonate (forming a high magnesian calcite), by replacing a small amount of the calcium in the solid surface with magnesium. I do not believe that that amount of magnesium depleted this way is going to be substantial. Moreover, to drop magnesium this way by 150 ppm, you'd need to boost calcium by 250 ppm.

That just is not reported.

 

[Susan Edwards]

I'm just starting with the auto dosing using the B-Ionic 2 part, plus mag. I like to aim for 9 alk, 420 ca, 1350 mg. I don't dose alk and ca equal as the needs are not always equal. I just set the doser to dose:
Alk 2 ml 2x's day--all iwth lights out
CA 2 ml 3 x's day
Mg 5 ml 3x's a day as it went too low.

Testing every few days until I get a good dose set up. I hope I'm doing it right....

 

[Brand00995576]

Thank you all for you help my favorite lfs store helped me out the dosing stuff I had before was from a closer but way crappier place I bougt mg and part a and b dosing from Kent tech m all paraments are up to speed and everthings fine thank you for your help

 

[Stigigemla]

Calcium do not deplete in the new tanks with the new stone. Just the magnesium.