No matter what I do....

[timnem70]

I can not get my Magnesium below 1500. Ca is also elevated 480. Alk. Is always stable with no swimgs of more than 1.5 and never in more than a week. 7.9-9.0. I have a mixed tank but predominantly softies. Not a heavy load either. Just spme acans, duncan, lots of Zoas, mushrooms and an elegance coral. No matter how many water changes or what salt I use it doesn't lower. Why? One tank is all softies and the other the one described above. One is 5 years old the other 1year. I don't want to change too much water at once since I know elevated mag has not shown any benefit or detriment but I am just stumped and all corals are doing fine.
Please help.

 

[krausean]

Are you positive your test kit is accurate?

 

[Jason mack]

Hi , may I ask what test kits your using .. ??
also is your tank happy ??
If your tank is happy I wouldn’t worry about it too much high mag is not such a problem or your calc ..

 

[BigJohnny]

Has to be the test kit or the tester ; )

Water changes with a normal salt would bring it down

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

What salt mix? Some are very high.

What salinity and measured how? Higher salinity means higher magnesium.

FWIW, many folks fine the Red Sea Magnesium kit reads high.

 

[timnem70]

IO since Fritz amd Red Sea pro are elevated. I am sure if i drained the tank itd come down but with regular5 gallon changes it never has.
All kits are newish and are Red Sea for Alk. And Calcium and Salifert for Mag simce I have heard the same about Red Sea reading higher mag. However above 1500 it is negligible at best with a plus of about 100ppm. I even tried the Giesemann kits but only use them for Phospahates.
I also measure my SG with a refractometer and it is 34-35.
Again I know that elevated levels of that Ion dont really harm anything and it has kept any nuisance algaes away so there's that. If I do change like half the water will it mess anything up? As long as I use a comparable salt mix with similar DKH? What about a calcium drop of that level? I dont and never have chased numbers (at least not since i began years ago) and do not dose other that An Alk. Buffer of needed.
Alk is 9.0dkh
Ca is 500
1.025 SG
78 degrees
Nitrates undetected
Phospates .02

 

[timnem70]

Has to be the test kit or the tester ; )

Water changes with a normal salt would bring it down

Except in a 25 cube my weekly or bi weekly changes are only 4 or 5 gallons. If I changed out like half or more volume would that hurt my animals?

 

[Jason mack]

Except in a 25 cube my weekly or bi weekly changes are only 4 or 5 gallons. If I changed out like half or more volume would that hurt my animals?

No it would be fine !

 

[timnem70]

Thanks

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Have you tried your magnesium kit on the new water? It may partly or mostly testing error.