Is high magnesium bad?

[JAMSOURY]

My readings are showing magnesium at about 1900. I guess I put in a little too much. Does this have a big negative effect on the coral?

Should I just let it ride out or do a water change to get it down?

 

[Whipples]

Are you dosing anything that would cause magnesium to go up? New bucket of salt mixing too high?

My tank has been sitting at 1500 or so for quite some time despite water changes and no longer adding magnesium to my balling method and I have not seen any direct, negative impact. I know at one point elevated magnesium levels were used to combat a nuisance algae/bacteria, cyano i think, but am not sure of any long-term impacts running that high. Hopefully some of our chemistry-inclined folks can respond to that question

 

[JAMSOURY]

More like I didn't read the instructions correctly and accidentally put in too much haha I just wonder if it'll affect their health or if I can let it be and they'll just eat it all up over time.

 

[Whipples]

You can do a series of 10-20% water changes to bring it down, too. That will be faster as MG is one of the slowest uptakes of the big 3

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

You're fine. Watch the corals. Some don't like it.


https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/magnesium-got-too-high.231902/

 

[JAMSOURY]

Cool thanks guys!!

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

More like I didn't read the instructions correctly and accidentally put in too much haha I just wonder if it'll affect their health or if I can let it be and they'll just eat it all up over time.

FWIW, it would take incredible amounts of dosing to hit that value. Not sure what size your tank is, but in a 100 gallon tank, it would take more than a gallon of my DIY magnesium additive (e.g., as sold by BRS) to boost magnesium by 500 ppm.

Errors in magnesium testing are very common, and folks often find the Red Sea kit reads high.

 

[mwilk19]

Anyone have any suggestions on an accurate magnesium test kit? I'm currently using Red Sea.

 

[Whipples]

Salifert is widely regarded as a good test kit, and if you are willing to splash the cash you can go for a Triton or ATI ICP test kit.

 

[mwilk19]

Salifert is widely regarded as a good test kit, and if you are willing to splash the cash you can go for a Triton or ATI ICP test kit.

I just got my ATI test back on Monday. Mg was a little high.

 

[Neptune1707]

I also noticed what I thought was high Mg from Red Sea test kit...coming in around 1460 to 1480. Got a salifert kit and it's showing 1400....much better and only about 50 off from Red Sea Mix Reef Recipe info.

 

[JAMSOURY]

I also noticed what I thought was high Mg from Red Sea test kit...coming in around 1460 to 1480. Got a salifert kit and it's showing 1400....much better and only about 50 off from Red Sea Mix Reef Recipe info.

Same here. I have the Red Sea kit. Is that about how much of a range higher Red Sea is compared to salifert?

So Red Sea is confirmed to be higher? Or what if, salifert is just lower and people just like the numbers better? Haha