Magnesium Chloride and Sulfate ratio

[hawkinsrgk]

Approximately 2 1/2 months ago I stopped using BRS 2 part and started using Kalkwasser via a stirrer. I didn't think about the BRS Magnesium mixture needing to be changed and I continued to dose in the standard 5:3 ratio of Mag Chloride/Sulfate. I just found out that the Magnesium ratio should have changed to a 7.25 : .75 Chloride/Sulfate ratio. I am currently dosing 55ml a day of this solution every 2 hours with a dosing pump. Also I do a 8-10% water change every week using Reef Crystals salt. Water volume is around 380 gallons.

How much of a problem is this? My corals seem to be ok and getting good polyp extension. I plan to start using the other ratio, but don't know how big of a problem this is.

Thanks
Randy

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

It is not any sort of big problem, and you likely will not ever notice any difference, but when you switched to limewater, the optimal magnesium product switches to 10 parts chloride to 1 part sulfate (the 7.25 to 7.5).

The reason is that you are no longer getting the big slug of chloride that comes with calcium chloride, so the magnesium needs to provide chloride and sulfate in the NSW ratio.

 

[hawkinsrgk]

Thank you Randy for all of your help.