Recommend a liquid Magnesium

OceanMinded · Mar 14, 2012

So for a while I sort of neglected my tank and watched a lot of coral die. The handful of SPS and polyps that survived are doing a lot better and ive been on the road to recovery. Ive built a new LED light, new pump, clean the tank, added a CUC, and started regular dosing.

Im dosing 1 drop of Lugols Iodine, 6ml of ESV 2-part, and 5ml of Microbacter7. Now I just need to add Magnesium to the dosing regiment to make sure everything is level. Im not interested in any of the powders, I think thats what made me "lazy" when having to dose seachem products.

Mixed reviews on Brightwells stuff, what do you all think?

rafy_pr · Mar 14, 2012

I personally don’t buy any liquid magnesium, I just order from any bulk supplier Magnesium Chloride and Magnesium Sulfate and prepare my own magnesium. This saves me some $ and I can maintain my Mag around 1450

1Snapple · Mar 14, 2012

i do Tech M, its the best stuff, and it kills hair algea

Aquaph8 · Mar 14, 2012

I use the DIY kit from BRS

pciscott · Mar 14, 2012

Kent Marine Tech M, Magic in a bottle for algae, buy the gallon as it does not go as far as you think.

1Snapple · Mar 14, 2012

pciscott said:
Kent Marine Tech M, Magic in a bottle for algae, buy the gallon as it does not go as far as you think.

I have the large bottle for like 3-4 months now and its not gone, i dont regularly dose though either. i keep my mag at like 1600 too, need to get it lower though

OceanMinded · Mar 14, 2012

awesome thanks, Ill look into the Kent stuff. I actually think I used Kent when I first started reefing..

beaslbob · Mar 14, 2012

Before you do anything first measure magnesium. Then use the on line calculator to determine how must to dose.

After years of running with IO salt my mag was like 700-800 and required huge amounts of epsom salts to raise to 1350ppm. Epsom salts are not actually recommended because of the sulfate. Mag chloride is much less expensive then LFS stuff but still more expensive the epaom salts and much harder to find. But it does not add the sulfate compared to epsom salts.

We had another in our local club years ago that had a similiar experience when he finally measured magnesium. But with both of us after the initial huge correction only small amounts were needed to keep it up.

Of course I recommend you do the diy two part to keep cal/alk/mag in line. With that method you produce your own liquid suppliments and just use the simple alk meaurement to determine when to dose.

my .02

CJO · Mar 14, 2012

Also, if you are dosing iodine, be sure that you also test for it.

CJ

ReeferEric · Mar 14, 2012

Another recommendation on the BRS stuff. Works great and mixing it is easy, everything gets saturated. Nothing left over, no residue...nothing!

lpslover · Mar 18, 2012

I use the bulk reef supply 2 part solution and mix the included magnesium (mostly magnesium chloride with some magnesium sulfate) to be a gallon also (even though the instructions say 20 oz). Works fabulously. I dose the same amount of each every day (because I diluted the magnesium). If I do need to make adjustments they have a very handy online reef calculator (just specify gallon of magnesium solution). Dirt cheap and dead simple once you spend a half hour or so mixing the stock solutions.

You can buy just the magnesium to make 1 gallon of stock solution here:

Replacement Magnesium pack (20oz) Recipe 1 - English

You'll need a gallon jug and a gallon of RO/DI water but the pouch is only $3.49. Can't beat the price.