Magnesiums got me defeated.. ughh help

[ReeferMadness80G]

parameters are as follows for 14 gal biocube with 10 gal Sump via API test kit and Salifert Mag test
Calcium- 460
Alk/KH-9 dKH
Magnesium-1110
Phosphate-0
Nitrate-5.0
High pH-7.8
Water Temp-78F
Salinity 1.024

So I've been trying to get my calcium and alkalinity down and magnesium up!
My DT has live rock and partial bare bottom(black live sand just under rocks) and I have 10-12 frags of sps mostly milli and tenuis and various acros. 2 rbt anemones and zoas and palys , mushrooms, gonis, acan and favia brain and more.
My Sump has a refugium with live rock and about a 2 inch sand bed with chaeto. I don't have a skimmer or any reactors currently running. I usually dose Reef Grow Cal Alk and Mag but turned the doser off two days ago. And I occasionally manually dose Acropower.
I need help. I have no idea what's wrong.
My API test kit is probably a year old and my Salifert Test kit is probably 6 months old.
Since they always come to my rescue #reefsquad I need you!

 

[ReeferMadness80G]

 

[jenreefer]

parameters are as follows for 14 gal biocube with 10 gal Sump via API test kit and Salifert Mag test
Calcium- 460
Alk/KH-9 dKH
Magnesium-1110
Phosphate-0
Nitrate-5.0
High pH-7.8
Water Temp-78F
Salinity 1.024

So I've been trying to get my calcium and alkalinity down and magnesium up!
My DT has live rock and partial bare bottom(black live sand just under rocks) and I have 10-12 frags of sps mostly milli and tenuis and various acros. 2 rbt anemones and zoas and palys , mushrooms, gonis, acan and favia brain and more.
My Sump has a refugium with live rock and about a 2 inch sand bed with chaeto. I don't have a skimmer or any reactors currently running. I usually dose Reef Grow Cal Alk and Mag but turned the doser off two days ago. And I occasionally manually dose Acropower.
I need help. I have no idea what's wrong.
My API test kit is probably a year old and my Salifert Test kit is probably 6 months old.
Since they always come to my rescue #reefsquad I need you!

I do not see anything wrong with your ca or alk??? explain where you want them. To get mag up, dose it in small amounts until you get it where you want it.

 

[ReeferMadness80G]

Well, I guess my Cal and alk are ok, they just aren't being utilized like I thought they should be. I haven't dosed anything in 2 days or done a water change in 1 week.
I figured they weren't going down because my magnesium was low?

 

[jenreefer]

Spend a week monitoring them while doing no dosing so you can see what your use is. Then you will know what you need to dose weekly to keep them stable. Your tank looks amazing, so I would not get all bent about the values. Also remember, with all test kits, look at trends not the numbers as they can be off.

 

[ReeferMadness80G]

Spend a week monitoring them while doing no dosing so you can see what your use is. Then you will know what you need to dose weekly to keep them stable. Your tank looks amazing, so I would not get all bent about the values. Also remember, with all test kits, look at trends not the numbers as they can be off.

Thank you for the compliment! I will do what you recommend. However, why can't I get my magnesium up to around 1300, I've dosed as much as 36 milliliter a day with no increase?! Maybe it's the Reef Grow Magnesium? Maybe the test kit? I just tested Nutrisea water straight out the jug and according to the Salifert Mag test, it's reading was off the chart, I had to refill my syringe and dump about 2-3 more mills to get my final result color.

 

[jenreefer]

Thank you for the compliment! I will do what you recommend. However, why can't I get my magnesium up to around 1300, I've dosed as much as 36 milliliter a day with no increase?! Maybe it's the Reef Grow Magnesium? Maybe the test kit? I just tested Nutrisea water straight out the jug and according to the Salifert Mag test, it's reading was off the chart, I had to refill my syringe and dump about 2-3 more mills to get my final result color.

Hmmm, that is strange, I would tend to stop dosing Mag and find out what is going on. It will be used instead of Ca if it is high, thus making it seem like Ca is not being used. try a different test kit and a different mag supplement. do you have coralline growing in the tank? if so, then your numbers are fine IMO.

 

[ReeferMadness80G]

Hmmm, that is strange, I would tend to stop dosing Mag and find out what is going on. It will be used instead of Ca if it is high, thus making it seem like Ca is not being used. try a different test kit and a different mag supplement. do you have coralline growing in the tank? if so, then your numbers are fine IMO.

The coralline that you can see is old dead algae, I had coralline growing early this year and my tank crashed, I have recently noticed what looks like small specs of coralline growing on the bottom of the tank. I'll try and get a pic

 

[ReeferMadness80G]

Now with flash

They are tiny specs but I believe it is coralline

 

[jenreefer]

Now with flash

They are tiny specs but I believe it is coralline

yup, looks like it to me also. I suspect you have high Mag instead of low. Just my thought. who knows. try testing the mag supplement and see what that comes out with Salifert. maybe supplement is no good.

 

[Sabellafella]

parameters are as follows for 14 gal biocube with 10 gal Sump via API test kit and Salifert Mag test
Calcium- 460
Alk/KH-9 dKH
Magnesium-1110
Phosphate-0
Nitrate-5.0
High pH-7.8
Water Temp-78F
Salinity 1.024

So I've been trying to get my calcium and alkalinity down and magnesium up!
My DT has live rock and partial bare bottom(black live sand just under rocks) and I have 10-12 frags of sps mostly milli and tenuis and various acros. 2 rbt anemones and zoas and palys , mushrooms, gonis, acan and favia brain and more.
My Sump has a refugium with live rock and about a 2 inch sand bed with chaeto. I don't have a skimmer or any reactors currently running. I usually dose Reef Grow Cal Alk and Mag but turned the doser off two days ago. And I occasionally manually dose Acropower.
I need help. I have no idea what's wrong.
My API test kit is probably a year old and my Salifert Test kit is probably 6 months old.
Since they always come to my rescue #reefsquad I need you!

Do you happen to do frequent water changes?

 

[ReeferMadness80G]

Do you happen to do frequent water changes?

I do 10% a week water change, sometimes 25% every two weeks if I forget or get busy.

 

[Sabellafella]

I do 10% a week water change, sometimes 25% every two weeks if I forget or get busy.

What salt mix are you using? Or are you using the nutrisea water?

 

[stevo01]

Verify your Mg value. If you are low you can dose up to 100ppm safely per day, and up to 2000ppm. For my 17g of water in the 20g tank 100ppm = 80ml's of kents or BA.

Isnt the Ph a little low?

 

[ReeferMadness80G]

What salt mix are you using? Or are you using the nutrisea water?

Mostly nutrisea water. I do on occasion use a local coral farmers salt mix. He's very successful growing coral so I know he doesn't have an issue.

 

[ReeferMadness80G]

Verify your Mg value. If you are low you can dose up to 100ppm safely per day, and up to 2000ppm. For my 17g of water in the 20g tank 100ppm = 80ml's of kents or BA.

Isnt the Ph a little low?

Is it? What should it be? Thanks

 

[stevo01]

I believe Randy says 8.0-8.3 is natural sea water.

 

[stevo01]

Kents doesnt not effect ph btw.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

If you added enough magnesium to make a substantial boost (say, 100 ppm) and did not see it soon after dosing, the only two possibilities are test error, or you didn't add what you thought. There's no mechanism for it to not rise when added.

 

[ReeferMadness80G]

Kents doesnt not effect ph btw.

How long after dosing kents should I test again?