How to raise Magnesium?

Chris-tico · Jan 12, 2016

hi R2R.

i just finished my cycle in the new tank. so now i want to add corals.
my parameter are.

salinity: 1.025
Kh. 10.1 dKH
Ca. 390 ppm
Mg. 1200 ppm

in the nano (where my corals are right now) the parameters are:

1.025
Kh: 9.1
Ca. 410 ppm
Mg. 1350 ppm

i raise the Kh easily, the calcium is raising 0.5 per day. but the Mg is way too dificult.

what can i do.

CodyRVA · Jan 12, 2016

Dose for MG directly...

http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/brs-bulk-magnesium-sulfate-aquarium-supplement.html
http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/brs-bulk-magnesium-chloride-aquarium-supplement.html

Josh King · Jan 12, 2016

I use Seachem Magnesium.

Chris-tico · Jan 20, 2016

how it that working for you? i just bought that.

Randy Holmes-Farley · Jan 20, 2016

Chris-tico said:
hi R2R.

i just finished my cycle in the new tank. so now i want to add corals.
my parameter are.

salinity: 1.025
Kh. 10.1 dKH
Ca. 390 ppm
Mg. 1200 ppm

in the nano (where my corals are right now) the parameters are:

1.025
Kh: 9.1
Ca. 410 ppm
Mg. 1350 ppm

i raise the Kh easily, the calcium is raising 0.5 per day. but the Mg is way too dificult.

what can i do.

Raising the salinity to 35 ppt (sg = 1.0264) will boost both calcium and magnesium, but magnesium supplements may be needed, depending on how high you want the magnesium. It takes a lot of any brand or DIY. This calculator shows how much:

http://reef.diesyst.com/chemcalc/chem_calc3.html

I discuss DIY recipes here:

Do-It-Yourself Magnesium Supplements for the Reef Aquarium by Randy Holmes-Farley - Reefkeeping.com
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-07/rhf/index.php

Randy Holmes-Farley · Jan 20, 2016

Chris-tico said:
how it that working for you? i just bought that.

All brands should work essentially similarly, as long as you add an appropriate amount. There's nothing special about magnesium supplements.

Chris-tico · Jan 20, 2016

Thanks @Randy Holmes-Farley

that calculator will make it easier for me. it is also in spanish

haha

i want to raise it to 1350ppm.. the same level as my actual nano.

now i have 2 questions.
is 1200ppm really low?
if i pass the corals to the new tank with 1200ppm.. what could happen? die?

Josh King · Jan 20, 2016

Chris-tico said:
how it that working for you? i just bought that.

If that was directed at me. I like Seachem Reef Advantage Magnesium. It is a blend of both sulfate and chloride. I have never used anything else so really can't comment on versus something else. I dose TLF Kalk on a peristaltic pump 99ml per hr. I change 15 gallons with reef crystals every 2 weeks. I believe the Kalk is depleting Mag. It tests out to around 1200ppm before my water change. So I have been adding 4tsp on the second week when I believe it is depleted the most. And no, I don't test every day or anything like that. - Aint nobody got time for that! lol

Randy Holmes-Farley · Jan 20, 2016

Chris-tico said:
Thanks @Randy Holmes-Farley

that calculator will make it easier for me. it is also in spanish haha

i want to raise it to 1350ppm.. the same level as my actual nano.

now i have 2 questions.
is 1200ppm really low?
if i pass the corals to the new tank with 1200ppm.. what could happen? die?

If it really is 1200 ppm, I'd raise it (or raise the salinity if it is lower than 35 ppt).

That said, some folks have problems with faulty readings with magnesium kits, so it may not be low anyway.

What salt mix are you using and what salinity?

Josh King · Jan 20, 2016

Randy Holmes-Farley said:
Raising the salinity to 35 ppt (sg = 1.0264) will boost both calcium and magnesium, but magnesium supplements may be needed, depending on how high you want the magnesium. It takes a lot of any brand or DIY. This calculator shows how much:

http://reef.diesyst.com/chemcalc/chem_calc3.html

I discuss DIY recipes here:

Do-It-Yourself Magnesium Supplements for the Reef Aquarium by Randy Holmes-Farley - Reefkeeping.com
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-07/rhf/index.php

I just checked this calculator. 77 gallons, from 1200ppm to 1350ppm is 109 tsp!! Holy moly that's alot!

So what I have been adding is really not increasing it much at all.

Josh King · Jan 20, 2016

Or as you said Randy, I may have a faulty test kit. I change 20% of volume every two weeks with IO Reef Crystals religiously. So I don't see how it could be depleting that much.

Randy Holmes-Farley · Jan 20, 2016

Try the kit on the Reef Crystals.

FWIW, here's the sort of issue folks might have with testing:

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/dosing-mg-and-ca.228613/#post-2656787

Josh King · Jan 20, 2016

Randy Holmes-Farley said:
Try the kit of the Reef Crystals.

FWIW, here's the sort of issue folks might have with testing:

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/dosing-mg-and-ca.228613/#post-2656787

Thank you for the link. I may have tested incorrectly. I have only used it a few times and it is indeed the Red Sea kit.

Randy Holmes-Farley · Jan 20, 2016

Josh King said:
Thank you for the link. I may have tested incorrectly. I have only used it a few times and it is indeed the Red Sea kit.

For some reason that kit seems to be the cause of more issues than most other mag kits. I've never used it so I can't really say much about it other than to report other folks experiences with it.

Chris-tico · Jan 20, 2016

Randy Holmes-Farley said:
If it really is 1200 ppm, I'd raise it (or raise the salinity if it is lower than 35 ppt).

That said, some folks have problems with faulty readings with magnesium kits, so it may not be low anyway.

What salt mix are you using and what salinity?

im using the red sea coral pro salt. (i've never had problems with parameters. untill now)
the salinity is 1.025. i use a refractometer for this.

my test are Salifert.

i'll start using the seachem Reef Advantage Magnesium to raise it..

Randy Holmes-Farley · Jan 20, 2016

Chris-tico said:
im using the red sea coral pro salt. (i've never had problems with parameters. untill now)
the salinity is 1.025. i use a refractometer for this.

my test are Salifert.

i'll start using the seachem Reef Advantage Magnesium to raise it..

FWIW, I'm skeptical of that magnesium result given your salt and salinity (if accurate) unless you have been dosing a lot of calcium and alkalinity for a substantial period with no magnesium additions.

The salt mix ought to have close to 1400 ppm magnesium at that specific gravity, and it would take quite a while to deplete magnesium that much.

Since this is a new tank, I can't see it very likely to be this low.

Maybe try your test kit on some new salt water.

Chris-tico · Jan 20, 2016

i know. i don´t know how the Mg got that low.! i have not even corals in there.

i'm about to make a water change. to see how that result.. im thinking to change 30-40g.

Randy Holmes-Farley · Jan 20, 2016

Chris-tico said:
i know. i don´t know how the Mg got that low.! i have not even corals in there.

i'm about to make a water change. to see how that result.. im thinking to change 30-40g.

Test the new water. I think a kit error may be more likely than a water problem.

Chris-tico · Jan 26, 2016

hey @Randy Holmes-Farley
i made a WC this weekend. it was a 35g change.

i was able to raise de Mg to 1260, kind of disappointed with that.!

i forgot to test the new water. im going to do that this weekend.

Randy Holmes-Farley · Jan 26, 2016

Chris-tico said:
hey @Randy Holmes-Farley
i made a WC this weekend. it was a 35g change.

i was able to raise de Mg to 1260, kind of disappointed with that.!

i forgot to test the new water. im going to do that this weekend.

Did you measure the new water before the change?