Question about magnesium and stability

[MERKEY]

What’s yours at ?

Just did a water change and I use fritz blue bucket.

A 40g change in my 220 keeps it right around 8.7-9.5

That's the largest swing I have seen

 

[MERKEY]

My alk is reading 143 ppm

What device?

 

[elcapitan1993]

I've had magnesium down to 900 without noticing any problems. It wouldn't be a bad idea to bring it back up to 1350 or so with some magnesium chloride but I really doubt it's the cause of your corals not doing well.

I've increased Mg 300ppm in one go with no problem.

I just wanted to be sure because I have been having issues with keeping soft corals and have lost over 900$ worth of soft corals because of it, my alk and calcium are stable though even with the low mag

 

[Rmckoy]

What device?

Before you replied I already calculated the dkh .
9.184dkh

Hanna measures in ppm

 

[elcapitan1993]

What device?

I am using the Hanna alkalinity checker

 

[MERKEY]

Before you replied I already calculated the dkh .
9.184dkh

Hanna measures in ppm

Ah yes Hannah

We use a spin touch so we multiply by .056

 

[elcapitan1993]

Before you replied I already calculated the dkh .
9.184dkh

Hanna measures in ppm

143ppm= 7.9 dkh

 

[elcapitan1993]

Ah yes Hannah

We use a spin touch so we multiply by .056

Ah yes Hannah

We use a spin touch so we multiply by .056

My Hanna uses parts per million instead of dkh

 

[Rmckoy]

143ppm= 7.9 dkh

Oops ... 143x.056 = 8.008

 

[MERKEY]

Before you replied I already calculated the dkh .
9.184dkh

Hanna measures in ppm

With 3 devices we use we get 3 different levels.

The main thing is to not chase but keep stable and consistent.

 

[Reef.]

Red Sea blue bucket is what I am using, when I checked using check my batch from Red Sea it correlates with the readings of magnesium I am getting, should I retest to double check though?

Its not far off, And as you say it's correct according to the batch number, I wouldn't go increasing it, the tests all have a margin of error anyway, it's probably correct.

If you want higher mag, I would change salt, no point using a salt that has the stated mag on the label and you go increasing it as you think it's too low...just find a salt where you are happy with the parameters, then you just have to dose to keep them there.

 

[mistb2002]

I just purchased a Red Sea kit and I am having a hard time reading the levels. Does this mean my magnesia 1440 and is that too high. My salinity is 0.126 calcium is low 360, phosphate are zero nitrate is also good reading at zero ammonia also zero. I use fritz salt and haven’t had to do a water change in a while.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Is there a chart stating at ex: 1300 ppm calcium and alkalinity can be at ?

No, it doesn't work that way.

It's like climbing a mountain and knowing it will likely get cooler as you go up, but one cannot say in general what temp you will experience at 10,000 ft.

It's just a clear known trend to get cooler, as it is a clear known trend to precipitate more calcium carbonate at lower magnesium.