Super Low Mag causes?

[TheDude208]

Hey Doc!

I was talking with a buddy of mine and he was telling me how he just purchased a Red Sea Magnesium test kit to test his magnesium for the first time. He said his mag came in around 300!?? I didn't see his tests but he swears his calcium was close at 400 and his Alk was sitting right around 8.4. How is it possible that his Calcium and Alk could be where they are with such low Mag levels? Also what in your opinion could have dropped his Mag so low? I'm not sure if it matters but I know he is running an Algae scrubber but he said he basically gets no algae on that whatsoever.. ;Pompus

Thanks for the help!

 

[Rybren]

I'm not the Doc, but I did stay at a Holiday Inn last night. ;Blackeye My first thought would be testing error. Of all the tests, Mag seems to be the one that most folks have difficulty with.

 

[Mical]

+1 testing error

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Definitely test error. Maybe reading the syringe backward.

 

[TheDude208]

Thanks for the feedback guys! I will let him know to try testing again or I might just do the testing for him lol

 

[ScottR]

My friend had an issue with the RS mag test kit as well. He got salifert and got a normal reading.

 

[Dal-Reef]

I'm not the Doc, but I did stay at a Holiday Inn last night. ;Blackeye My first thought would be testing error. Of all the tests, Mag seems to be the one that most folks have difficulty with.

"I'm not the Doc, but I did stay at a Holiday Inn last night". Now that there made me laugh.. That's all

 

[shred5]

Definitely test error. Maybe reading the syringe backward.

Yea Redsea kits read the opposite of Salifert so I am guessing that is it.
You read how much was used not what the plunger ends at. A little math.

 

[AZMSGT]

Go salifart

 

[TheDude208]

*Edit* I was mistaken, he has the Salifert test and was reading it like the red sea test lol.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

*Edit* I was mistaken, he has the Salifert test and was reading it like the red sea test lol.

The way to always get these right for calcium or magnesium kits is that the more fluid you need to add to get to the color change, the higher the measured values will be.