High Magnesium Usage

[mike.b]

Hey Guys,

I have had consistent high magnesium usage since getting my display tank setup(3 months ago). I have no idea why I have such high usage, but I hand dose magnesium(along with alk, cal) everyday and it shows no signs of requiring any less. I have been doing this for months and my test results drop as soon as I try to stop or reduce it.

Here is what I am using for dosing mixtures:

- Seachem Reef Advantage Calcium – 3 Cups mixed in 1 Gallon – Fully Dissolved

- Seachem Reef Advantage Magnesium – 4 Cups mixed in 1 Gallon –Fully Dissolved

- Baking Soda (Cooked) – 2 Cups mixed in 1 Gallon – Fully Dissolved

Below is a link to a screenshot from my aquarium log. All testing is done using a brand new Salifert magnesium test kit.

https://imgur.com/Rg6apXU
https://imgur.com/5IBTdoU

Below is a shot of the display tank.

 

[GoVols]

Hello, Mike

Welcome to Reef 2 Reef , and hope you feel at home!!

That's some nice log files that you have. It is diluted and it maybe spot on. Salifert has always been good to me when it comes to testing mag.

You could always raise it to about 1400ppm (and see if it holds), but do it slow and it will take a lot of the Seachem "Advantage" Mag Crystals to do that.

I have seen mag intake go up when coralline kicks in too.

Also:
Make sure that you test at the same time, each day.

Again:
Thanks for signing up!!

Freddie

 

[GoVols]

FWIW

If you use Seachem Reef Advantage Cal and Reef Builder Alk / the (one time) dose for the Reef Advantage Mag crystals always takes a lot more when using Seachem's calculators.

So, you may not be in-taking as much mag as you think.

Just tossing it out there.

 

[mike.b]

Thanks! Happy to have finally signed up!

I thought that by now dosing everyday like I have been it should have creeped up. I could increase my dosage to double (80-100ml a day) and see if that way I can get it up to 1350-1400. This should work, but won’t it likely fall once I hit that if I stop dosing?

It feels weird adding about 2TSP daily(3785ml/192Teaspoons=19.71ml) to basically be maintaining when my tank is fairly new with low demands. Seems like most don’t dose or test for magnesium for weeks at a time and levels are almost untouched.

Coralline is definitely coming in fast on the back wall.

 

[GoVols]

This should work, but won’t it likely fall once I hit that if I stop dosing?

I would think that it fall slow (or stable out), but not all at one time.

It's worth a shot to bump it up over several days.

Just use the mag crystals with RO/DI and use Seachem's calculator

https://www.seachem.com/calculators.php

What ever you do:
Don't dose over the daily limit, or your #'s will drop...

 

[mike.b]

Ok fair enough.

Using the calculator it does take a ton of product to raise it up even that small amount. I will start adding a half cup a day (170g) over the next 5 days and by Friday I should be very close to the 1350 mark.

Let me know if this doesnt make sense. Thanks for the help.

 

[GoVols]

Ok fair enough.

Using the calculator it does take a ton of product to raise it up even that small amount. I will start adding a half cup a day (170g) over the next 5 days and by Friday I should be very close to the 1350 mark.

Let me know if this doesnt make sense. Thanks for the help.

Looks good from here.

It's shows the max dose / of 25 grams per 20 gallons, per day too.

If it over shoots what you thought, then your not holding 210 gallons, but alk would be a better test to find out how many gallons that your tank is really holding.

I'm rated at 110 gallons, but after displacement, I'm really at and dose to 80 gallons.

Good luck and have a great evening.

 

[mike.b]

Well that worked perfectly. Brought it up to 1350.

I'm still surprised at the amount of Reef Magnesium it takes to bring it up.

Should I contiue to does magnesium daily to keep it up or not worry about it and add larger portions weekly or monthly?

Thanks for the help!

 

[i_declare_bankruptcy]

Careful increasing your alk that quickly -- 7.7 -> 8.6 is a pretty big change for one day.

 

[mike.b]

Careful increasing your alk that quickly -- 7.7 -> 8.6 is a pretty big change for one day.

Fair enough, some of my SPS were and still are not extending polyps as much as they were about a week ago - probably from exactly this. Noted to adjust slower. Thanks!

 

[i_declare_bankruptcy]

No prob, glad you were able to get things back on track