Dosing Magnesium -- Which Brand Do You Prefer?

[kittenbritches]

It's time for another bottle of magnesium and I'm wondering -- are some of you brand-loyal (e.g. Red Sea only) or do you go for the best price? If you've tried a few brands, have you found one to be better quality, more accurate, or to have created miracles before your eyes?

Is the dosing the same across the brands? 1mL (in 100L/25g) = 1ppm?

It looks like the best deal on Amazon is a gallon of Fritz ($30). Next cheapest is ESV's gallon ($36), Brightwell's 2L ($25), and Red Sea's 1L ($25).

 

[Shooter6]

It's time for another bottle of magnesium and I'm wondering -- are some of you brand-loyal (e.g. Red Sea only) or do you go for the best price? If you've tried a few brands, have you found one to be better quality, more accurate, or to have created miracles before your eyes?

Is the dosing the same across the brands? 1mL (of 100L/25g) = 1ppm?

It looks like the best deal on Amazon is a gallon of Fritz ($30). Next cheapest is ESV's gallon ($36), Brightwell's 2L ($25), and Red Sea's 1L ($25).

Redsea has the powder form you mix to water, I believe it makes about 3.5 gal.

 

[Darren in Tacoma]

I use the Tropic Marin. I find their products to be consistent and available.

 

[dmy535]

Bulk reef supply

 

[blaxsun]

Nyos powder.

 

[NowGlazeIT]

Esv but not for 36, I got it for $18-20. I haven’t gotten a new gallon in a few months and I see brs raised the price to 25

 

[Gtinnel]

I use magnesium chloride from BRS and magnesium sulfate (epsom salt) that I buy at Walmart to make a solution to dose per Randy's recipe. I've never used anything else and honestly I rarely have to add magnesium, my AWC mostly maintains my levels for it.

 

[DazAquariums]

I always end up using bulkreefsupply additives. Never had any sort of issues with them so I trust them.

 

[homer1475]

BRS is the cheapest, and more then likely the cleanest by far of the commercially available products(pharmaceutical grade).

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

There are ONLY three issues to consider when selecting a magnesium supplement. There is no magic to them.

1. Cost

2. The balance of the other ions that must be in it (e.g., chloride and sulfate), and whether they are appropriate for the intended use (meaning what else you dose changes what is optimal)

3. Purity, meaning lack of unwanted ions in it (say, ammonia). A percent number (99% pure, etc.) is not the answer here. Purity grading or better yet, a full detailed analysis is best.

 

[Placenta89]

Following, I just started dosing with seachem as it's the only one available at my lfs, just ordered the liquid mag from bulk reef. Had no negative effects so far with this that's visible to me.

 

[kittenbritches]

Can anyone kindly point me to Randy's mag recipe?

 

[Tumey]

Can anyone kindly point me to Randy's mag recipe?

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-07/rhf/index.php

 

[kittenbritches]

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-07/rhf/index.php

Thank you!!

 

[MONTANTK]

I use ESV for Mag/Ca/Alk

 

[Semisonyx]

Did you decide to go with Randy’s formula?

 

[kittenbritches]

Did you decide to go with Randy’s formula?

I wound up snagging a gallon of ESV from Amazon, and am following Red Sea's dosing recommendations.