Use only Magnesium chloride to raise mg?

[Thumbster]

Sooo just so I don’t blow something up…can I use ONLY the mag flakes (100% pure magnesium chloride) to raise my mg level?

Not sure if it’s required to mix it with epsom salt or not.

I’m dosing ESV alk and mag but need to raise mg a little bit.

 

[blaxsun]

Not sure how large your tank is or how much you need to increase your level, but you can probably just buy some in powder form (BRS, etc.) and mix up a small batch.

 

[Thumbster]

Not sure how large your tank is or how much you need to increase your level, but you can probably just buy some in powder form (BRS, etc.) and mix up a small batch.

It’s only a 40 gallon tank and I only have to raise it a hundred or so.

I like to “diy” stuff probably more than I should. I also like knowing, as much as I can, exactly what I’m putting into my tank. It takes some of the mystery out of all this.

I wasn’t sure if I needed the magnesium sulfate (epsom salt) to go along with the magnesium chloride or why.

I read that sulfate equals bad but I’m probably wrong.

 

[gbroadbridge]

It’s only a 40 gallon tank and I only have to raise it a hundred or so.

I like to “diy” stuff probably more than I should. I also like knowing, as much as I can, exactly what I’m putting into my tank. It takes some of the mystery out of all this.

I wasn’t sure if I needed the magnesium sulfate (epsom salt) to go along with the magnesium chloride or why.

I read that sulfate equals bad but I’m probably wrong.

I just use MgCl3 most of the time. Maybe 1 time out of 5 I'll use MgSO4.
In my tank at least that keeps everything pretty close on the 6 monthly ICP

edit: I don't mix them because I end up with some funky sediment if I do.

 

[Thumbster]

I believe I found the answer to my question (I can dose mag flake only) and I think the reason for combining the epsom salt and the mag flake is to keep the salinity from getting too high if dosing calcium. It might also replicate natural sea water too if I’m reading it right.

Here’s a copy and paste from a Mr. Holmes-Farley article.

2. Using MAG flake only, dissolve 8 cups magnesium chloride hexahydrate in one gallon of water, and use that to supplement magnesium in amounts determined using this linked online calculator, with the entry "Randy's Recipes 1 and 2 Versions A and B," and ignore for this purpose what those designations mean. This recipe is adequate, but not quite as balanced as #3 below. This choice is not a good way to go if calcium is supplemented by calcium chloride, because together they will force chloride excessively high.

3. Using both Epsom salts and MAG flake, dissolve 7¼ cups MAG flakeand ¾ cup Epsom salts in one gallon of water, and use that to supplement magnesium in amounts determined using this linked online calculator, with the entry "Randy's Recipes 1 and 2 Versions A and B," and ignore for this purpose what those designations mean. This recipe is preferred, but its advantage over recipe #2 is minimal in most cases.