Higher mag lower algae?

[Heres_doe_]

Does keeping mag levels bigger at 1400+ keep algae at minimum when all other nutrients are good? By good i mean
Po4: .06
No3 15-20

 

[Dan_P]

Does keeping mag levels bigger at 1400+ keep algae at minimum when all other nutrients are good? By good i mean
Po4: .06
No3 15-20

That used to be a popular idea. i don’t know where it went or why it petered out.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I do not believe it is generally true. It is not an approach I'd use to try to deal with algae.

The nugget of truth is that long ago, Kent Tech M did seem to kill bryopsis (only bryopsis) if it was used to raise magnesium substantially, but other magnesium additives were not usually successful, hence the hypothesis that it was an impurity in the Tech M.

 

[KimG]

I seem to have opposite experience. When my mag is low (below 1200) my ATS produces less turf algae. When i bump it up to 1350/1450 i get more growth (all else being equal). Not really sure why. Can't find a biological reason.
But it has happen twice now.
Having said that, caulerpa grew great in all mag levels

 

[Nonya]

Epsom salts (mag sulfate) worked great for me. I suspect Kent is using a combination of mag chloride and sulfate. I can't find the MSDS, though.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Epsom salts (mag sulfate) worked great for me.

To do what?

 

[Nonya]

To do what?

To eliminate bryopsis.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

That’s interesting since that did not work for many folks. How much did you boost magnesium with the Epsom salt?

 

[Nonya]

That’s interesting since that did not work for many folks. How much did you boost magnesium with the Epsom salt?

I stopped at 1600. Mag chloride did not help.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I stopped at 1600. Mag chloride did not help.

Thanks for the info.

 

[Treefer32]

My magnesium consistently stays at 1500. And despite high phosphates and nitrates, I can't get algae to grow anywhere (not even in my turf scrubber). It used to be so full after 6-7 days that the primary drain was plugged. Now it takes 20-30 days to get that full. I don't know if it's the lights or something to do with my tank chemistry.

I have noticed and it's probably coincidental. But, when I dose manganese 2-3 times a week, my ATS growth appears to grow faster. Not at the rate it used to, but, better.

I think the ATS growth is inhibited by my vodka dosing. Using both ATS to try to control Phosphates and Vodka to control nitrates, is leading them both to fighting each other.

After 4 years, I'm still trying to figure out how people with larger tanks maintain nutrients or if they simply stopped caring about them and only kept corals that tolerated higher nutrients?

 

[Nonya]

Thanks for the info.

Maybe the sulfate played a part?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Maybe the sulfate played a part?

I don’t think that likely, but I can’t prove it. Lots of people tried it in the era when Kent magnesium seemed to work for bryopsis.

I personally think an impurity is the most likely explanation for the old Kent effect, anyway.