High Calcium / Low(ish) Alk / Low Magnesium

[goettemm]

Hi All - I just started dosing ESV two part a few months ago (in equal parts) and below are my parameters after recent testing. I just bought ESV magnesium. I would like to keep alk around 8.5dkh and have mostly soft / lps corals with a few sps frags in a 120 gallon tank with a fairly high bio load. I thought supposed to dose ESV in equal parts? Any recommendations on target parameters / how to achieve? Run my tank at 77degrees / 1.025 salinity. I run 4 T5 actinics / 3 AI primes across a 40" long tank / 22" width / 28" deep. Soft corals / LPS grow like weeds for the most part (besides certain favia which seem to grow well and then will randomly bleach out) and SPS showing minimal growth. My tank has a fairly heavy bioload and has been running for 3 years this month. Any thoughts greatly appreciated! Will try and get pics of tank after I clean the tank sides Ohh, and my PH is consistently 7.8 - 7.9. Thanks!

Ammonia (NH3-4)	0.05
Nitrite (NO2)	0.027
Phosphate (PO4)	0
Nitrate (NO3)	7
Silica (Sio2-3)	0.6
Potassium (K)	400
Boron (B)	NA
Molybdenum (Mo)	0.4
Strontium (Sr)	8.58
Magnesium (Mg)	1060
Iodine (I)	0.13
Copper (Cu)	0.06
Alkalinity (meq/L)	2.89
Iron (Fe)	NA
Calcium (Ca)	505

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I'm suspicious that the magnesium result is so low. Maybe a test kit issue.

Try the kit on some new salt water before boosting it.

 

[goettemm]

I'm suspicious that the magnesium result is so low. Maybe a test kit issue.

Try the kit on some new salt water before boosting it.

These results are from a test lab - aquariumwatertesting.com. I try testing manually with redsea, but my results are all over the map (I was not meant to be a chemist)!

 

[goettemm]

These results are from a test lab - aquariumwatertesting.com. I try testing manually with redsea, but my results are all over the map (I was not meant to be a chemist)!

I just used red sea to measure calcium and magnesium and hanna to measure alk. Alk came in at 8.2dkh, calcium at 490 and magnesium at 1440. So alk and calc in line with the test, magnesium high unless I am doing something wrong. I did add 10ml of ESV magnesium last evening, but no way that bumped it all the way up.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

The magnesium you measured is fine.

I am not sure I would trust magnesium from AWT if it read that low. It would take a long time to get a normal salt mix that low. It might be right, but I'd want verification before boosting it that much.

I'd try the kit you have on new salt water (what brand?), and if that reads roughly correct, I'd hold off on dosing. If it reads a lot higher than the tank, then maybe the dosing is in order.

 

[goettemm]

The magnesium you measured is fine.

I am not sure I would trust magnesium from AWT if it read that low. It would take a long time to get a normal salt mix that low. It might be right, but I'd want verification before boosting it that much.

I'd try the kit you have on new salt water (what brand?), and if that reads roughly correct, I'd hold off on dosing. If it reads a lot higher than the tank, then maybe the dosing is in order.

Well noted. Used to use Instant Ocean, have flipped to Tropic Marine salt. Will hold off on dosing magnesium Thoughts on Alk at 8.2 dhk and calcium around 500?

Thanks!

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Well noted. Used to use Instant Ocean, have flipped to Tropic Marine salt. Will hold off on dosing magnesium Thoughts on Alk at 8.2 dhk and calcium around 500?

Thanks!

The alk and calcium, are fine.