What Ca and Mg should I keep at kH 8?

[MiZuboov]

Hi!
Salt mix TM Pro reef at 8 dKh has Ca 460 and Mg 1400.
Salt mix Red Sea blue bucket at 8 dKh has Ca 430, Mg 1310.
Which Ca and Mg should I keep at 8 dKh in my aquarium?
Thanks!

 

[ryanjohn1]

Sorta depends on what you’re trying to grow coral wise. Personally I run nyos salt mix

 

[Nano_Man]

Most people buy salt that is as close as what they want for their reef saves on dosing lots of other things . My calcium sits at 420 my mag 1290 and alkalinity 8 but I can not say witch brand because I use natural sea water. But just read the tubs and see what’s close to what you want . Some salts have high alkalinity some have less calcium you just need to weed through them to find the perfect fit

 

[gbroadbridge]

Hi!
Salt mix TM Pro reef at 8 dKh has Ca 460 and Mg 1400.
Salt mix Red Sea blue bucket at 8 dKh has Ca 430, Mg 1310.
Which Ca and Mg should I keep at 8 dKh in my aquarium?
Thanks!

Choose a salt and keep the values at those levels.

 

[kevgib67]

Hi!
Salt mix TM Pro reef at 8 dKh has Ca 460 and Mg 1400.
Salt mix Red Sea blue bucket at 8 dKh has Ca 430, Mg 1310.
Which Ca and Mg should I keep at 8 dKh in my aquarium?
Thanks!

I’d say those levels are perfect. I have to dose to reach those levels.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Regardless of your preferred alkalinity, I recommend 400-550 ppm calcium and I don’t think there’s any evidence that the calcium level matters much in that range. I generally recommend about 1300 ppm magnesium, which is close to natural levels for 35 ppt seawater.

 

[MiZuboov]

Regardless of your preferred alkalinity, I recommend 400-550 ppm calcium and I don’t think there’s any evidence that the calcium level matters much in that range. I generally recommend about 1300 ppm magnesium, which is close to natural levels for 35 ppt seawater.

I am confused by the fact that there is a bunch of "Low nutrients - low kH". Hence, if NO3 = 1 (for example) and PO4 is about 0.05, then it is better to keep kH at 8 and no more. But if the kH is higher, it is better to keep NO3 = 5-10 and phosphate, respectively, higher. That's why I had a question about Calcium and Magnesium. If, there is depending on the amount of nutrients, it is necessary to maintain a certain alkalinity, then is there any connection between the value of kH, Calcium and Magnesium? Or is there no difference at all how much Calcium and Magnesium there will be, but the main thing is that they should be in the ranges 400-450 and 1300-1400, respectively? In this case, no difference the kH are 7-12? Thank you.

 

[MiZuboov]

Choose a salt and keep the values at those levels.

Now I would like to do my choice between Red sea blue bucket and Tropic Marin.
But Red Sea has Ca and Mg some lower than Tropic Marin. I would like to know, is there a difference or not difference.

 

[jda]

Don't worry about low dKh and having to keep low waste products like no3 and po4. This is only really an issue if you keep the waste products at ocean-levels then you want to keep the dKh around there too. Calcification is greater/faster with lower waste products and you can sometimes have coral skeletons grow faster than the organic tissue can keep up - this leads to what many call burnt tips or the skeleton literally growing out of the tissue. The seawater level of dKh will have less building blocks for coral skeletons and also carbon for energy than if the dKh level was higher. For many people, this will never be any problem bit it gets tossed about as a reason for issues when it is not. It is also no problem to keep dKh around seawater levels if you so desire.

Any of those salts are going to be fine. The salt mix matters little once you have stuff growing. Your supplementation of calcium, mag and carbonate will keep the tank where you want it. Water changes matter little where even a 20% water change at 12 dKh won't move an 8 dKh tank much anyway.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I am confused by the fact that there is a bunch of "Low nutrients - low kH". Hence, if NO3 = 1 (for example) and PO4 is about 0.05, then it is better to keep kH at 8 and no more. But if the kH is higher, it is better to keep NO3 = 5-10 and phosphate, respectively, higher. That's why I had a question about Calcium and Magnesium. If, there is depending on the amount of nutrients, it is necessary to maintain a certain alkalinity, then is there any connection between the value of kH, Calcium and Magnesium? Or is there no difference at all how much Calcium and Magnesium there will be, but the main thing is that they should be in the ranges 400-450 and 1300-1400, respectively? In this case, no difference the kH are 7-12? Thank you.

That isn’t quite right. High alk and very low nutrients may cause burnt tips in some SPS corals. All other combos are fine.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Don't worry about low dKh and having to keep low waste products like no3 and po4. This is only really an issue if you keep the waste products at ocean-levels then you want to keep the dKh around there too.

A little semantic propaganda? Ammonia is not a waste product? lol

 

[gbroadbridge]

Now I would like to do my choice between Red sea blue bucket and Tropic Marin.
But Red Sea has Ca and Mg some lower than Tropic Marin. I would like to know, is there a difference or not difference.

I don't believe it will make any practical difference.

However I'm sure that there are others who will claim all sorts of magical properties of their favorite salt.

 

[jda]

A little semantic propaganda? Ammonia is not a waste product? lol

I guess that nearly everything on the planet is a waste product in some sort to something or other.

I have pretty much decided that the reefing world would be better off if we called no3 and po4 waste products or end products instead of nutrients... you know, because nobody asked me. We should call N and P nutrients. There are better ways to get nutrition to corals than to pick the peanuts out of the dung piles.

Which do you think is better? End or waste?

Ok, I am only partly serious... but not completely unserious. I figure that if major manufacturers and their employees can just rename throw stuff at the wall to see if it sticks, then why not us?

 

[gbroadbridge]

I guess that nearly everything on the planet is a waste product in some sort to something or other.

I have pretty much decided that the reefing world would be better off if we called no3 and po4 waste products or end products instead of nutrients... you know, because nobody asked me. We should call N and P nutrients. There are better ways to get nutrition to corals than to pick the peanuts out of the dung piles.

Which do you think is better? End or waste?

Ok, I am only partly serious... but not completely unserious. I figure that if major manufacturers and their employees can just rename throw stuff at the wall to see if it sticks, then why not us?

I've been fighting the trend to call them nutrients for a while.
Most of the time when I post I call them waste products

 

[MiZuboov]

That isn’t quite right. High alk and very low nutrients may cause burnt tips in some SPS corals. All other combos are fine.

What kind of salt mix would you recommend?
Freshly made mix parameters are:
8 dKh Ca 460 Mg 1400.
8 dKh Ca 430 Mg 1310.

 

[MiZuboov]

Calcification is greater/faster with lower waste products and you can sometimes have coral skeletons grow faster than the organic tissue can keep up - this leads to what many call burnt tips or the skeleton literally growing out of the tissue.

Where Can I read about it more?
Thanks a lot!

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

What kind of salt mix would you recommend?
Freshly made mix parameters are:
8 dKh Ca 460 Mg 1400.
8 dKh Ca 430 Mg 1310.

Most any salt mix is fine. I’m not as concerned about the salt mix matching the desired tank parameters as many folks are. Unless you do large individual water changes, it won’t matter.