vegasgundog Posted August 1, 2016 Share Posted August 1, 2016 I was trying to balance alk in the rsm by bringing mag up from 1100. I wanted to get up towards 1300ish. I ran out of Kent after the first dose. The Lfs only had Red Sea that I have never used but I followed the instructions, red sea confuses the hell out of me. The amount used to get levels up seemed to be larger than what I was used to with Kent. I tested every other day while dosing mg and it seemed to be creeping up. I didnt dose mg the last two days, mainly because the Red Sea mg is almost gone. I went to work yesterday and my rbt seemed very stressed out. Its been a strange kritter so not to unusual.This afternoon I noticed it is still very stressed out. I was worried it was having a bad reaction to the NoPox Ive been dosing too to bring down nitrate Ive been battling. Absolutely nothing else in the tank is bothered. I checked all parameters with Red Sea Pro kits. Nitrate was at 5, down from 20 but mag which I twice is at 3600! I swear I was shaking the bottle before adding it, I feel so bad. Either I totally screwed up in my measurements of I didnt shake the bottle and when I got towards the bottom I dumped pure mag in. With nothing else in distress should I be concerned? The rbt mouth is closed, its just shrunk up. Im making up 20g salt water now, but with mag in the mix, short of a full water change how fast will it really go down and how fast? Im also going to take water to lfs and have them test it in the morning. If this dosnt nuke my aquarium, someone is soooooo looking out for me. Link to comment
seabass Posted August 1, 2016 Share Posted August 1, 2016 It'll probably be alright. However, I wouldn't make sudden changes. I'd stick to 20% water changes until your parameters come back in line. Link to comment
vegasgundog Posted August 2, 2016 Author Share Posted August 2, 2016 SO.......I did a 15g water change and used the Red Sea Pro test kit hat I have been using for 2 months. It showed my mag went from 3560 down to 3280. I worried that such high mag could be pushing down my alk. The Red Sea Pro kit said it dropped from 9 to 4.5 and I almost went in a panic. But I pulled out the Red Sea reef care test kit that has the alk test and used it which came back at 10!!! I went to my odds and ends box and found my Salifert Mg kit that has enough for a couple more tests and mag came back at 1380!!!!! WTH IS UP WITH THE RED SEA TEST KITS????? My mag was never at 3600!!!!! AND I just used all my salt mix on another 20g of rodi water...... Link to comment
seabass Posted August 2, 2016 Share Posted August 2, 2016 Yeah, ditch that kit (something is up with that). Magnesium won't reduce calcium or alkalinity. However, alkalinity can push out calcium and vice versa (whenever magnesium is low). Link to comment
vegasgundog Posted August 2, 2016 Author Share Posted August 2, 2016 Yeah, ditch that kit (something is up with that). Magnesium won't reduce calcium or alkalinity. However, alkalinity can push out calcium and vice versa (whenever magnesium is low). Thanks for clearing up the confusion, I thought to high mag could push the balance out of wack. Ya I realy dont understand the test kit and why it went all crazy. Link to comment
Tamberav Posted August 6, 2016 Share Posted August 6, 2016 My red sea Mg test kit gives me all sorts of wacky values. Going back to Salifert for Mg, but that is mostly because that one is faster to use. Link to comment
Cencalfishguy56 Posted August 6, 2016 Share Posted August 6, 2016 My red sea Mg test kit gives me all sorts of wacky values. Going back to Salifert for Mg, but that is mostly because that one is faster to use. i have a bunch of Red Sea but I hate how difficult they are to use, how are salifert? Link to comment
vegasgundog Posted August 6, 2016 Author Share Posted August 6, 2016 Red sea are the same concept without the titration holder and less steps for the most part. Think I'm going back to Salifert. I think I'll stay with red sea foe the ammonia and nitrate rather than api. Link to comment
Tamberav Posted August 6, 2016 Share Posted August 6, 2016 i have a bunch of Red Sea but I hate how difficult they are to use, how are salifert? The Salifert Mg one is less steps for sure. I can't remember for the others. I use Hanna for Alk and PO4. Red sea are the same concept without the titration holder and less steps for the most part. Think I'm going back to Salifert. I think I'll stay with red sea foe the ammonia and nitrate rather than api. I think you meant to say Salifert has less steps and no titration holder. Link to comment
vegasgundog Posted August 6, 2016 Author Share Posted August 6, 2016 I think you meant to say Salifert has less steps and no titration holder. Ya I must have been half asleep on break at that moment. Link to comment
Cencalfishguy56 Posted August 7, 2016 Share Posted August 7, 2016 The Salifert Mg one is less steps for sure. I can't remember for the others. I use Hanna for Alk and PO4. I think you meant to say Salifert has less steps and no titration holder. im buying salifert and ditching Red Sea, the steps thing kills me but I have Hanna for alk Link to comment
dvr6 Posted August 15, 2016 Share Posted August 15, 2016 I like salifert for calcium, mg, and alk. Red Sea for nitrate and phosphate. Link to comment
vegasgundog Posted August 15, 2016 Author Share Posted August 15, 2016 That sounds about right for me now. Switching back to salifert but staying with red sea over api. Link to comment
squamptonbc Posted August 15, 2016 Share Posted August 15, 2016 I find the red sea I have for calcium and Alk fine, but the mg one is a total pain to use, does not seem accurate or consistent, and I do it exactly as their directions say. Link to comment
vegasgundog Posted August 15, 2016 Author Share Posted August 15, 2016 The cool thing is I now have any awesome black box and a titration holder for my Salifert test kits. I find the red sea I have for calcium and Alk fine, but the mg one is a total pain to use, does not seem accurate or consistent, and I do it exactly as their directions say. The Red sea marine care kit alk works perfectly. Link to comment
vegasgundog Posted August 15, 2016 Author Share Posted August 15, 2016 For giggles, I cleaned the syringe, titrator and vial really well and gave it a go again. When adding MG B reagent it stopped dropping after four drops. Gave a larger squeeze and a clott broke out and another two drops of regent. I would assume the problem then lies in the regent. On a side note, it was really awesome using the titration holder with my Salifert MG kit. Link to comment
crawdads57 Posted August 27, 2016 Share Posted August 27, 2016 My experience is that the RedSea and Salifert Mg tests gave me very similar readings but the Salifert test is way easier. My Salifert Ca test kit reads a good 60-70 ppm higher than my RedSea Ca test, and the RedSea Ca numbers make way more sense, so I've ditched my Salifert Ca test. But it sounds like I just got unlucky on that kit somehow. I'm curious how you got a test of 3600 on a RedSea Mg test. Wouldn't you have to fill up the 1mL titrant like more than twice to get a number so high? And even then it would just be an inference because the chart only goes up to what, like 1600? Regardless, I have to hand it to you for not absolutely freaking out! Lol, I would have had palpitations if I tested Mg at 3600! And I agree that using the RedSea "shaker" for the Salifert tests is a huge upgrade. If I had it to do all over again I would still buy the RedSea 3 test kit just so I could have that shaker and the 3 bottles for the Salifert kits, not to mention it's nice to doublecheck the two brands against each other sometimes. Link to comment
vegasgundog Posted August 28, 2016 Author Share Posted August 28, 2016 I'm curious how you got a test of 3600 on a RedSea Mg test. Wouldn't you have to fill up the 1mL titrant like more than twice to get a number so high? And even then it would just be an inference because the chart only goes up to what, like 1600? Regardless, I have to hand it to you for not absolutely freaking out! Lol, I would have had palpitations if I tested Mg at 3600! Yes, that's how you test for ultra high mag and such, as when treating byprosis with techM. You go through one syringe, fill it back up and add the 2 together. And yes, I was truly fit to be tied when the test came back that high. Luckily I saw no adverse effects other than a po'd rbt and decided to double check. Otherwise I would have really went nuts. Link to comment
patback Posted August 28, 2016 Share Posted August 28, 2016 I didn't read through the whole thread but did read your full first post. If you are having issues with nitrates and issues with your important reef-building levels, why aren't you just doing water changes? Link to comment
vegasgundog Posted September 2, 2016 Author Share Posted September 2, 2016 I guess I was trying to get bi-weekly water changes going. I'm still trying to get used to the larger volume of water. I also was believing the big sponges in back are nitrate factories. Now that I have it sumped and a better filtration system going, I'm hoping this will all balance out. Link to comment
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