Intentionally Elevated Magnesium?

[DaddyDaughterNano]

Hi all.

The magnesium in my LPS/Softy tank tends to stay pretty stable around 1300-1350, but in a number of Fragbox videos I've seen, March describes this as the absolute lowest he'd go and recommends elevating it to 1500. He says LPS will look puffier and happier with mag around 1500.

Before I commit to trying it, I was wondering if any of you have had similar experiences with bringing your magnesium up that high?

 

[SaltySqueeble]

Yes, I have had good experience with mine. It’s always been about 1500. But if your corals have been stable at that lower range, maybe not necessary. You can do very small additions and see how it reacts over several weeks.

 

[Outlaw Corals]

Yes, I keep mine between 1400 and 1500

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I’m not convinced there is evidence to claim it is beneficial, but it might be. Beware of rapid effects, pro or con, if raising magnesium by large amounts due to impurities/trace elements/ammonia that may be in it.

 

[Salty_Northerner]

I’m not convinced there is evidence to claim it is beneficial, but it might be. Beware of rapid effects, pro or con, if raising magnesium by large amounts due to impurities/trace elements/ammonia that may be in it.

Makes me wonder why my lsf guy tells me he was told by the Toronto suppliers that supply fragbox, and a number of other retailers to raise their magnesium levels to 1600 when the lsf sell frags? I typically run my magnesium at 1400. I test monthly and only loose around 30 points. I could just leave it as is, but I don't see any issues raising it back to the 1400 mark.

I wonder why they TELL their shops they sell to that its best to run 1600?

Maybe some secret behind the madness perhaps?

 

[Salty_Northerner]

Hi all.

The magnesium in my LPS/Softy tank tends to stay pretty stable around 1300-1350, but in a number of Fragbox videos I've seen, March describes this as the absolute lowest he'd go and recommends elevating it to 1500. He says LPS will look puffier and happier with mag around 1500.

Before I commit to trying it, I was wondering if any of you have had similar experiences with bringing your magnesium up that high?

Dig deeper down fragboxs hole and you'll hear him saying 1600. He probably runs that high since he's always changing the systems salt brand and his instant ocean salt he's now using probably has really elevated mag but then again I believe mag is pretty pricey to add to salt. Who knows!

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I wonder why they TELL their shops they sell to that its best to run 1600?

Maybe some secret behind the madness perhaps?

If you think they discovered a secret that decades of reefers and coral farmers didn’t, even when boosting magnesium to that level for other reasons (such as Kent Tech M to kill bryopsis), then yes, that seems likely.

 

[DaddyDaughterNano]

Thanks, everyone! I’m introducing carbon dosing to my tank with Tropic Marin Elimi-NP. I think once things have evened out in a few weeks I’m going to try bringing the magnesium up just to see! I don’t have a dosing pump, so every time I think about something new I need to ask myself if it’s something I’m OK doing and worth doing every day.