Dosing Mag through kalk stirrer

[Alchameth]

So my Mag has been on the decline for the past 3-4 weeks and is now just over 1200. Picked up some Seachem Mag to dose it and the directions tell you to dose the ATO. That's easy enough, but my ATO feeds through a kalk stirrer so I wanted to see if putting water saturated with Mag into the kalk stirrer would be ok or if I should mix it in another container and manually add a cup every so often to dose the Mag.

 

[Cory]

Iirc all magnesium supplements precipitate in kalkwasser. So no you cannot unfortunately.

 

[Alchameth]

Thanks!
Given that, what's a good way to manually do it? Directions say do not exceed 25g/80L per day, so 1 tsp in a cup of water 6 times a day should get me to where I want to be over a 10-14 day period using their calculator.

 

[Cory]

You can probably dose more than that, but the concern is usually ammonia that comes with magneisum chloride. But if not in a hurry dose slowly.

 

[Alchameth]

You can probably dose more than that, but the concern is usually ammonia that comes with magneisum chloride. But if not in a hurry dose slowly.

Did not know that... Thanks for the heads up. Since it's still over 1200 a few weeks doesn't bother me so slow and steady it is.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Are you sure it really is that low?

have you used the same test kit on some new salt water?

 

[Alchameth]

Are you sure it really is that low?

have you used the same test kit on some new salt water?

Pretty sure, it was slowly going down when I was testing with my Salifert test and the Trident has the same trend. I just went back and checked my test logs and it has dropped around 50 over the past 5-6 weeks. The tank has only had corals in it since September, my 6 fish ended their QT timeout last week so did a 40G water change (20G/day X 2 days) to refill my QTs when they moved in. Now that more than corals are in it I will start doing my 15G water changes every 1-2weeks so sure that will help keep it in rang without dosing. Just wanted to help it back up to better ranges.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Pretty sure, it was slowly going down when I was testing with my Salifert test and the Trident has the same trend. I just went back and checked my test logs and it has dropped around 50 over the past 5-6 weeks. The tank has only had corals in it since September, my 6 fish ended their QT timeout last week so did a 40G water change (20G/day X 2 days) to refill my QTs when they moved in. Now that more than corals are in it I will start doing my 15G water changes every 1-2weeks so sure that will help keep it in rang without dosing. Just wanted to help it back up to better ranges.

50 ppm magnesium in six weeks is not unreasonable if you are adding substantial calcium and alk without any magnesium. That is why most two parts include it.

That rate (about 1 ppm per day) will not take much to replace.

 

[Alchameth]

50 ppm magnesium in six weeks is not unreasonable if you are adding substantial calcium and alk without any magnesium. That is why most two parts include it.

That rate (about 1 ppm per day) will not take much to replace.

Ok so if 2 parts include it, and the Seachem stuff says dose mag and carbonate on alternating days or at least 30 minutes apart. So guessing that's a difference in what 2-part vs kalk uses as the calcium source?

Man I hate chemistry... ;Facepalm

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Ok so if 2 parts include it, and the Seachem stuff says dose mag and carbonate on alternating days or at least 30 minutes apart. So guessing that's a difference in what 2-part vs kalk uses as the calcium source?

Man I hate chemistry... ;Facepalm

The Seachem comment about alternate days is not ever needed.

Limewater (kalkwasser) is dosed very slowly, partly for the reason that you separate the two parts in time: you do not want high alk and high calcium in the same place as it mixes in.