There's something fishy about this build...

[Goaway]

Yeah
Can’t believe people complain about wrasse and sand. That thing is second only to my old diamond goby

Probably why i stopped keeping maroons as well as any jawfish. Wont even try engineer gobies.

 

[JoJosReef]

Yeah
Can’t believe people complain about wrasse and sand. That thing is second only to my old diamond goby

My female ocellaris would kick up sand when I would target feed the yasha goby. I'd load her up with pellets first, but no, try to give the goby some food and it's tail slaps on the pipette and raising hell on the sand bed.

 

[Slocke]

I was thinking of buying that exact same case. Let me knoywhat you think of it!

It works. My only complaint is it is massive, so if you have a normal-sized phone like me, you might want to find one that specializes in that size phone.

 

[fishguy242]

Not sure what it is , but is doing really good...even the lil tips ,just tossed on bare bottom are growing !...

 

[Slocke]

Not sure what it is , but is doing really good...even the lil tips ,just tossed on bare bottom are growing !...

It’s an electric lemonade anacropora. It’s supposed to be green

 

[Slocke]

 

[JoJosReef]

Haha, that rubeus is a fatty!

 

[Goaway]

That tile fish is flipping cool!

 

[Slocke]

Ph- 0.27
N - 30.4
Alk- 13.5
Ca - 410
Mg - 1190

Why isn’t my magnesium going up?? I’ve put like a whole bottle in in the last few weeks. @Miami Reef ?

 

[JoJosReef]

Ph- 0.27
N - 30.4
Alk- 13.5
Ca - 410
Mg - 1190

Why isn’t my magnesium going up?? I’ve put like a whole bottle in in the last few weeks. @Miami Reef ?

Inaccurate test? They are said to be quite poor.

 

[Miami Reef]

Inaccurate test? They are said to be quite poor.

Bingo. Magnesium tests don’t work well. The new method is to add magnesium in ratio with calcium and never test it. It will take a LONG time, if at all, to see changes to magnesium.

Just say NO to magnesium testing: RMM is born

OK, this thread has been many years in the making, and I'm posting it here since folks in the chem forum are probably already tired of all the threads relating to problematic magnesium testing. I'm going to propose a method, let's call it the Randy Magnesium Method, or RMM for short. All good...

www.reef2reef.com

 

[Slocke]

Bingo. Magnesium tests don’t work well. The new method is to add magnesium in ratio with calcium and never test it. It will take a LONG time, if at all, to see changes to magnesium.

Just say NO to magnesium testing: RMM is born

OK, this thread has been many years in the making, and I'm posting it here since folks in the chem forum are probably already tired of all the threads relating to problematic magnesium testing. I'm going to propose a method, let's call it the Randy Magnesium Method, or RMM for short. All good...

www.reef2reef.com

Uggh
I’ve just been assuming mag has been my issue. Now I have no idea.

 

[Miami Reef]

Uggh
I’ve just been assuming mag has been my issue. Now I have no idea.

What issues are you experiencing? I enjoy problem solving.

 

[tbrown]

Ph- 0.27
N - 30.4
Alk- 13.5
Ca - 410
Mg - 1190

Why isn’t my magnesium going up?? I’ve put like a whole bottle in in the last few weeks. @Miami Reef ?

Because magnesium takes a WHOLE pile of bottles to go up. Mine went from 1050 to 1190 using about 250 grams of dry Magnesium Sulfate/Magnesium Chloride mixed to the Randy ratio. Depending on the bottle (I liked Kent's) it only raises it like 18.7 ppm per ml per gallon...

500 ml bottle will raise a 500 gallon tank 18.7 ppm

Assuming a 100 gallon total volume for your tank you should have seen a rise of just under 100 ppm if you used a 500 ml bottle.

Although, you should listen to @Miami Reef since he's actually smarter than me and gives better advice.

 

[Miami Reef]

How does magnesium even get to 1050ppm in the first place?

Most salt mixes are around 1250-1300ppm.

Coralline algae, the biggest possible consumer of magnesium, uses magnesium in this ratio:

Even coralline uses them in a ratio of about 2.8 dKH of alk, 18-19 ppm calcium, and 1-2 ppm magnesium.

Using up 10dKH would only deplete magnesium about 3-4ppm magnesium. That’s only if you never supplement any magnesium as part of a balanced additive, never change any water, and have coralline algae as the main consumer.

Otherwise, the amount of magnesium declining is insignificant. That’s why it’s mind boggling to see magnesium dropping 50ppm. That means you had to dose 70-140dKH of alk.

It’s more logical to accept that magnesium kits suck.

 

[Miami Reef]

Because magnesium takes a WHOLE pile of bottles to go up.

This is true. It takes a lot to raise it. My shtick is that the kits aren’t accurate. I agree with everything you said.

 

[tbrown]

This is true. It takes a lot to raise it. My shtick is that the kits aren’t accurate. I agree with everything you said.

Understandable.

 

[Slocke]

What issues are you experiencing? I enjoy problem solving.

It started with all of my RFA’s then losing zoas. Then other similar softies. Corals would look healthy then suddenly close. LPS were next. For some reason would lose half a colony while the rest looked healthy. Last were SPS which had RTN just before moving to the new tank. Probably lost 70% of all my corals. Though some were completely unaffected. Like all my pavonas, mushrooms, favias even my acros were completely unaffected. Some corals went to the brink and then bounced back.

My parameters seemed stable but I was definitely not doing many water changes compared to previously.

This Duncan is a good example. Was growing like crazy then one day lost like 10 heads out of nowhere. Now looks totally fine again except the head heads

 

[Slocke]

Also I was using tons of kalkwasser and adding some magnesium powder but probably or enough mag.

Edit: back on AFR now

 

[Miami Reef]

Also I was using tons of kalkwasser and adding some magnesium powder but probably or enough mag.

Edit: back on AFR now

Have you considered sending an ICP test? Just to make sure there aren’t any heavy metal build ups?

Activated carbon is my go-to when I get some coral deaths. It helps ensure toxins get removed and it can also remove organics and metals bound to organics.

Other than that, I would look out for predators or parasites. Besides for the magnesium issue (ICP is better at testing it), I don’t see anything else wrong parameter wise. The nutrients and all is OK. You can bring the alk around 7-11dKH, but 13 shouldn’t cause much death if it was raised gradually.

Oh, also test salinity and recalibrate the method of testing. Also watch for hidden temp swings. Too high can hurt corals IME.