Dosing Magnesium

[Mike Yaniz]

Hi Everyone,
I had a question re: mag dosing. I am at 1200 and wanted to raise it to 1350. I used the BRS calculator and after dosing the required dose for 4 days I stopped. My levels are still at 1200. Do I keep dosing until I reach that 1350 or do I stop. I would think that the corals are consuming the mag, cal and alk. Btw my levels on cal-430 alk-9. Be kind to me i just got into dosing. On the bright side i check my parameters often.

 

[GBRsouth]

@Randy Holmes-Farley can help you in the reef chemistry forum. How big is your system? Is there anything potentially absorbing the magnesium? I'm sure he will be able to work it out with you.

 

[CodyRVA]

What test kit are you using? Validate your results before getting too crazy. Are you doing water changes and if so what salt mix are you using?

 

[Mike Yaniz]

I am using salifert test kits. I do 25gal wc every 3 weeks. I believe it is instant ocean (I buy it delivered to me). I have been testing the past week every day. I added a large dose of mag, it was 25mL 12 times a day totaling about 300mL a day. Did that for 3 days and checked after and nothing no change. Remained at 1200.

 

[Mike Yaniz]

i uploaded a new picture. everything seems to be happy. just want to get the dosing aspect of the hobby down pack.

 

[CodyRVA]

What's your salinity? Could be a precipitation issue.

 

[Mike Yaniz]

1.025-26
The mag just drips into my sump in the last chamber before being taken up by the return pump. I do not have anything mixing it per say into the water. Could that be an issue??? i doubt it?

 

[Mike Yaniz]

Thanks btw for your help cody

 

[CodyRVA]

You're welcome!

My doser drips into my sump, very low to the water level, but yea i doubt that's an issue, but I can't say for certain.

What's the order of operations in regards to your water changes and dosing? What salt are using? Your salt could have low MG content and performing water changes is removing the MG you're dosing. What size is your system, gallons?

 

[jsker]

Are you dosing any alk at the same time as the Mg? Tank look great BTW

 

[Mike Yaniz]

You're welcome!

My doser drips into my sump, very low to the water level, but yea i doubt that's an issue, but I can't say for certain.

What's the order of operations in regards to your water changes and dosing? What salt are using? Your salt could have low MG content and performing water changes is removing the MG you're dosing. What size is your system, gallons?

I change 25gal every 3-4 weeks. The guy i get my water from uses Instant ocean. My tank is a 90 gal front bow.
So i want to say i dosed the system (2 part magnesium mixed in 1 gal of ro/di water) 904ml throughout 4 days, so i set my doser to dose 25mL every 2 hours throughout the day to acheive this dose. Checked it after the 3 days and no change still at 1200ppm. So i decided to turn back on the doser at the same dosage. i will check today to see if there is a change. I want to say that 904mLs seems like alot to me but then again i am a newbe trying to learn.

Thanks for the compliment I have been in the hobby for almost a year. Martin Moes book really has helped me to this point.

 

[Mike Yaniz]

Are you dosing any alk at the same time as the Mg? Tank look great BTW

no i do not. i dose one during day the other at night.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

The dosing calculator said you were dosing how much, in total ppm?

It is not being consumed. It is either test error, dosing the wrong thing, or not dosing enough.

 

[Mike Yaniz]

it told me to dose 904mLs to increase from 1200ppm to 1350ppm. i did that and there was no change. ?? thanks for your help

 

[jsker]

it told me to dose 904mLs to increase from 1200ppm to 1350ppm. i did that and there was no change. ?? thanks for your help

That sounds about right. I use @Randy Holmes-Farley recipe for dosing mg when mine used to fall. I now dose the Balling Method and still add mg via an extra dose and now my mg stay where is should be for 80g water volume.

 

[beaslbob]

FWIW years and years ago I and another club member both had extremely low magnesium after years of using instant ocean. like 700-800ppm or so. We were both surprised at how much magnesium it took to get it up to 1300-1500ppm. In both cases it was on the order of pounds of Epsom salts. (and magnesium chloride if you have that.) that was for a 55g size tank. But it worked with no side effects.

For me it was the first step in: http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-02/rhf/index.php

my .02

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

it told me to dose 904mLs to increase from 1200ppm to 1350ppm. i did that and there was no change. ?? thanks for your help

Then you used a different product than you think, or the testing is in error.

Do not give any thought to the possibility that it went somewhere like a precipitate. It cannot and did not.

 

[beaslbob]

Then you used a different product than you think, or the testing is in error.

Do not give any thought to the possibility that it went somewhere like a precipitate. It cannot and did not.

LOL

I used to give away calcium chloride and magnesium chloride. Once I got the two mixed up in one container. So the next meeting I put a target on my back.

 

[CodyRVA]

Do not give any thought to the possibility that it went somewhere like a precipitate. It cannot and did not.

Why is this?

 

[xjiang7]

I only dose kh and ca with dosing pump. I test mg once per week or two weeks. If it is low I make big adjustments hand dosing, and my livestocks seem not care about mg swing