Red Sea Test kit - Magnesium showing 1600

[fg_aquariums]

Hi everyone,

I’m new, and new to reefing recently. Ive kept a saltwater fish only tank for 6 years and decided to give reef tank a try.

I have a 75 gallon tank.
I am currently doing water test my 3rd week now. I’m using a Red Sea magnesium test kit and I seem to keep having high reading.

my first test I showed a 1520.
Second test then showed 1600.
This week I tested again, got a 1600 again yesterday. Did a 20gallon water change today and tested again after a few hours. And again I got another 1600.

I watched the videos on YouTube and followed step by step instruction multiple times today and keep getting the same reading.

Does anyone have any idea or suggestions please. Would greatly appreciate it a lot.

by the way my other reading today were:
Calcium 411 (doses up to 420)
Alkalinity 9.0 (doses up to 10)
Salinity is 35ppt
PH 8.04
Temperature 78
Using FritzPRO R.P.M. Salt (blue box)

 

[Bluenote]

Sorry, what exactly are you asking? How to reduce your magnesium?

 

[fg_aquariums]

Sorry, what exactly are you asking? How to reduce your magnesium?

Hi, yes how to reduce. From what I read it’s high and should be lower. Not sure if having it this high is bad. I’m new to reefing.

 

[Bluenote]

This might not be too high. Are you having any problems in particular? Although a magnesium around 1300 is a recommended amount, your other parameters (Alk and Ca) are in good amounts. If I were you, i wouldnt do anything to remove it but just wait for it to decrease over time from consumption and water changes at a lower magnesium concentration.

 

[Mr.Z]

I would double check your testing. Measuring the 2ml of water accurately is the hardest part. When pulling in the water to the syringe, the edge of the plunger that connects with the walls of the syringe should meet the 2ml line, not the bottom tip of the plunger. If you measure from the tip, you’ll take too much water in your sample and that’ll cause you to overstate your magnesium levels in testing.

 

[fg_aquariums]

This might not be too high. Are you having any problems in particular? Although a magnesium around 1300 is a recommended amount, your other parameters (Alk and Ca) are in good amounts. If I were you, i wouldnt do anything to remove it but just wait for it to decrease over time from consumption and water changes at a lower magnesium concentration.

No problems that I can notice but I don’t want to take any risk so I asked.
do you think it’s the salt mix? I’ve seen other threads here speaking of the same issue with the same brand of salt. Not sure.

 

[fg_aquariums]

I would double check your testing. Measuring the 2ml of water accurately is the hardest part. When pulling in the water to the syringe, the edge of the plunger that connects with the walls of the syringe should meet the 2ml line, not the bottom tip of the plunger. If you measure from the tip, you’ll take too much water in your sample and that’ll cause you to overstate your magnesium levels in testing.

Hey, yeah I measured it accordingly multiple times. Even watched videos step by step. Not sure if it can be the salt batch.