Why is my mag and calc so high?

JosephM · Jan 20, 2021

So I’m about ready to add my first fish and coral so I thought I’d start testing outside of normal parameters. My salinity read at about 1.0266, alkalinity 10.1 (Hanna), calcium 530 (Red Sea), and magnesium 1860 (salifert). I tested both of these last night for the first time and they maxed out the first vial and I was tired and thought I was doing something wrong so I had a second go today and this is what I got. I’m using IO sea salt. Any reason they’re this high? I’m not dosing anything other then iron (2ml weekly)

Randy Holmes-Farley · Jan 20, 2021

I doubt the magnesium is really that high.

You sure you are reading the syringe correctly and doing any dilution multiplication correctly?

What does maxed out the vial mean? You mean the syringe?

JosephM · Jan 20, 2021

Randy Holmes-Farley said:
I doubt the magnesium is really that high.

You sure you are reading the syringe correctly and doing any dilution multiplication correctly?

What does maxed out the vial mean? You mean the syringe?

Yeah I meant the whole syringe in. I re-read the directions multiple times. It says change from blue-gray or vice versa but when it starts out it's pink, I don't know if that's normal. Even if I'm not doing my multiplication correctly which I think I am it would still be over 1500 with using a whole syringe.

Randy Holmes-Farley · Jan 20, 2021

JosephM said:
Yeah I meant the whole syringe in. I re-read the directions multiple times. It says change from blue-gray or vice versa but when it starts out it's pink, I don't know if that's normal. Even if I'm not doing my multiplication correctly which I think I am it would still be over 1500 with using a whole syringe.

Its unlikely that you can get that high using IO unless salinity is way, way off,.

Are you sure you used the correct volume of tank water in the Salifert test?

In any case, there's nothing to do about it except water changes, and that's how the value rose (if real), so that won't help until you get a new batch of salt.

JosephM · Jan 20, 2021

Randy Holmes-Farley said:
Its unlikely that you can get that high using IO unless salinity is way, way off,.

Are you sure you used the correct volume of tank water in the Salifert test?

In any case, there's nothing to do about it except water changes, and that's how the value rose (if real), so that won't help until you get a new batch of salt.

Yeah I just don't understand. I just purchased a big box of IO salt it's brand new and the testing kit doesn't expire until 2024. I'll bring some water to my LFS when I go in the next day or two and see what they say and I'll run another test myself sometime.