High magnesium

USMA36 · Jan 10, 2018

I think I am having a high magnesium issue. I started dosing core 7 other methods about 2 months ago. Tank is doing great until recently. I noticed my snails lethargic and or dying off. I first figured it was the hermits harassing them. Now my birds nest corals have lost most of their flesh and my pocilipora is starting to lose flesh as well. For the life of me I couldn’t figure out my issue. Today I tested my dosing pump. It turns out bottle 1 of the core 7 other methods is dosing about 70% more than it should be. I do not have a mag test kit. Local lfs is sold out I will have one by Friday. I am going to do a 40% water change today. Would high mag cause this? My ph is 7.9-8.1 No3 2.5-5 Po4.02 salt 1.026

saltyfilmfolks · Jan 10, 2018

I belive there is a possibility yes.
In Randy’s article on mag it does say some organisms may not react well to to larger almounts manually dosed.

USMA36 · Jan 10, 2018

Just did a 25% water change will do another tomorrow. How long do you think it will take for corals to recover once magnesium is back at a normal level?

Apotack · Jan 10, 2018

A magnesium and other test kits might be helpful instead of guessing.

USMA36 · Jan 10, 2018

I have all other test kits. Ever bought a magnesium one because they are more often than not, inaccurate. I just ordered one but it’ll be a few days. I’m trying to circumvent any other damage before the test comes. My other levels are all right where they should be.

USMA36 · Jan 11, 2018

Ok I was able to pick up a magnesium test kit. I’m not sure Whatthe level was before a 25% water change but I think I am now at 1650. I say I think because using the salifert kit the scale only goes to 1500. I refilled the syringe with titrant and calculated what I used which got me to 1650. Does anyone know if this is an acceptable way to use the kit? My first birdsnest colony is pretty much wiped out and my other smaller one is alive but not extending polyps. My pocilipora and my branching montipora are now both losing flesh and generally don’t look as good. These were both grown from frags. They grew really quick and always appeared thick with great polyp extension. Now they still extend the polyps but they look skinny. I’m at a loss. I don’t know what s causing my issues. I have raised my ATI Sunpower by 4” my all is 8.3, Nitrates are 2.5 to 5 maintained by dosing stump remover once every 4 days or so. My Po3 is .02 with GFO my salt is 1.026, temp 78, pH 7.9-8.15 It’s a 90 gallon tank with 110 gallons total water volume with a refugium growing chaeto. I dose 1ml core 7 other methods 8x a day for about 3 months now. I also run 1 cup carbon changed every 10 days or so. Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated.

nigelmansell · Jan 11, 2018

I don't know if that's okay, I can say I have diluted the sample 50% with RO and doubled the reading and that seemed to give the correct result. This may even be in the instructions, thinking about it.

Randy Holmes-Farley · Jan 11, 2018

USMA36 said:
Ok I was able to pick up a magnesium test kit. I’m not sure Whatthe level was before a 25% water change but I think I am now at 1650. I say I think because using the salifert kit the scale only goes to 1500. I refilled the syringe with titrant and calculated what I used which got me to 1650. Does anyone know if this is an acceptable way to use the kit?

Yes, that's fine.

USMA36 · Jan 11, 2018

Any other ideas of what could be causing this or how I can stop it?

Randy Holmes-Farley · Jan 11, 2018

USMA36 said:
Any other ideas of what could be causing this or how I can stop it?

Stop what, exactly?

USMA36 · Jan 11, 2018

Randy Holmes-Farley said:
Stop what, exactly?

USMA36 said:
Ok I was able to pick up a magnesium test kit. I’m not sure Whatthe level was before a 25% water change but I think I am now at 1650. I say I think because using the salifert kit the scale only goes to 1500. I refilled the syringe with titrant and calculated what I used which got me to 1650. Does anyone know if this is an acceptable way to use the kit? My first birdsnest colony is pretty much wiped out and my other smaller one is alive but not extending polyps. My pocilipora and my branching montipora are now both losing flesh and generally don’t look as good. These were both grown from frags. They grew really quick and always appeared thick with great polyp extension. Now they still extend the polyps but they look skinny. I’m at a loss. I don’t know what s causing my issues. I have raised my ATI Sunpower by 4” my all is 8.3, Nitrates are 2.5 to 5 maintained by dosing stump remover once every 4 days or so. My Po3 is .02 with GFO my salt is 1.026, temp 78, pH 7.9-8.15 It’s a 90 gallon tank with 110 gallons total water volume with a refugium growing chaeto. I dose 1ml core 7 other methods 8x a day for about 3 months now. I also run 1 cup carbon changed every 10 days or so. Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated.

My corals from disappearing before my eyes. My Birdsnest was the first to die. Now my branching Montipora and pocilipora are both losing flesh. They were growing like weeds but now polyp extension is minimal and no more growth. They’re skinny and getting bald spots. One of My hammer corals is alive but no longer opening up. Soft corals and zoas are doing fine. I have tried everything I can think of.

Randy Holmes-Farley · Jan 11, 2018

I do not know if the magnesium is accurate, but at 1650 ppm, I don't expect it to be killing corals. Many people ahve boosted it to that level to treat for bryopsis and didn't lost corals.

I don't see any measure of alkalinity?

USMA36 · Jan 11, 2018

Randy Holmes-Farley said:
I do not know if the magnesium is accurate, but at 1650 ppm, I don't expect it to be killing corals. Many people ahve boosted it to that level to treat for bryopsis and didn't lost corals.

I don't see any measure of alkalinity?

Sorry that was all in my previous post. My dosing pump malfunctioned (not sure how long ago) and was dosing double the amount of bottle 1 on the Triton core 7. According to Triton that’s magnesium and trace elements. About a month ago snails just started dying, I thought it was from the hermit crabs or natural causes. Last week I noticed corals weren’t doing too hot. I started researching which led me to check my dosing pump. I didn’t have a magnesium test until last night after I had already done a water change. My mag level was 1650 after a 25% water change. I’m not sure if the mag is a coincidence or if something else is going on. Temp 78 alk 8.3 (Salifert) pH 7.9-8.2 Phophates .02 (Hannah) with GFO running, Nitrates (Salifert) were 0 but I started dosing stump remover once every four days to bring up Nitrates between 2.5-5. I started with the stump remover as a first trouble shooting step for the corals about a week ago. I was hoping my issue was from 0 Nitrates. Thanks for taking the time.

Randy Holmes-Farley · Jan 11, 2018

I’m not convinced. It should take a very long time and a VERY large amount of liquid to boost magnesium by hundreds of ppm. Real magnesium depletion’s should be on the order of 1-2 ppm per day. Adding double that is not going to lead to 1650 ppm any time soon.

Randy Holmes-Farley · Jan 11, 2018

What size is your tank?
In a 100 gallon tank, it takes 1.1 kg of dry magnesium chloride hexahydrate (the usual dry additive) to boost magnesium by 350 ppm. A solution would take far more.

USMA36 · Jan 11, 2018

Total water volume is 100 gallons. If not magnesium what else could be casing my issues?

Randy Holmes-Farley · Jan 11, 2018

High magnesium can seemingly make snails lethargic, but maybe it is in your salt mix. What mix and have you measured it?

How much extra of the magnesium part got dosed?