SeeDemTails Posted January 11, 2008 Share Posted January 11, 2008 I just recently started testing my Mg levels as I have started to use esv b-ionic with the mag part as well. My mag levels are at around 1450ppm. Is this too high? I have never dosed any mg in my tank, only water changes. Any suggestions? -Christel Mei Link to comment
spanko Posted January 11, 2008 Share Posted January 11, 2008 Natural seawater is between 1250 and 1350. Yours is a little high, but with your water change it should come down. How is the calcium and alkalinity? Kind of a rule of thumb in Mg should be about 3 time Ca. So if you Ca is about 485 or so you are at least in balance. You can bring them both down some with water changes. Then start testing to see when you have to dose. Link to comment
SeeDemTails Posted January 11, 2008 Author Share Posted January 11, 2008 I dont understand how it would get that hight though, without me ever dosing anything. I will do another water change in the next few days. My Ca is 350 ppm, but I am bringing it up with the ESV. My sps really started to grow lately, so I am just starting to catch up. Alk is at 2.86. I figured I would not add any MG, just keep adding ca and alk until they balance themselves out. Link to comment
autoponicz Posted January 11, 2008 Share Posted January 11, 2008 check your salt.......what kind of test kit.? try to use another test kit to make sure its accurate... Link to comment
SeeDemTails Posted January 11, 2008 Author Share Posted January 11, 2008 I use Tropic Marin salt mixed with RO/DI, and the test kit is a salifert. I may try the other test kit route. Seems to be the only logical option. Link to comment
spanko Posted January 11, 2008 Share Posted January 11, 2008 Yeah Tropic Marin has tested higher in Calcium levels than other salt mixes. You are on the right path though. Stop the Mg dosing if you are doing it, get the calcium up to 420-450, the Alk up to 3-4 and the Mg around 1350. Then you are balanced and you can test to see what and how much you must dose to keep it that way. Good job Tails. Link to comment
Weetabix7 Posted January 11, 2008 Share Posted January 11, 2008 If it helps any, the last batch of Tropic Marin that BibleSue mixed up she tested for a couple of things. Here are the results she got: PH- 8.1 Ca- 380 Alk- 4 meq/l She didn't have a Mag. test kit to test for that, but I do. I have to mix up a fresh batch tonight, so I'll test it for Mg for you. If I don't post the result for that test here tonight or tomorrow afternoon, remind me. Link to comment
Greenstar Posted January 12, 2008 Share Posted January 12, 2008 While that is definitely an elevated level for magnesium, I have heard of people keeping SPS dominant tanks in the 1500 range. Link to comment
shaggydoo541 Posted January 12, 2008 Share Posted January 12, 2008 I had my tank above 1500 for quite some time and no harm to any of my corals. Now that my sps have all grown I struggle to keep it above 1300. Link to comment
SeeDemTails Posted January 12, 2008 Author Share Posted January 12, 2008 Yeah I guessed 1500 wasnt too much, but a little higher than normal. I havent seen any ill effects but I am going to postpone any MG dosing until the levels come down. Link to comment
Weetabix7 Posted January 12, 2008 Share Posted January 12, 2008 Haven't mixed the new Tropic Marin SW yet, sorry. Will try to post Mg test results later tonight. You mentioned that you use b-ionic with the magnesium component. What is this exactly? I dose with b-ionic and thought there was just one version. Mine is a two part additive. One is an Alk component, on is a Ca component and there is Mg in my Ca component. Link to comment
SeeDemTails Posted January 12, 2008 Author Share Posted January 12, 2008 Yeah I use the two part system, the ca and alk, but I also have the B-ionic Magnesium as well. It is designed to be used with the b-ionic CA/ALK system without messing up the balance. I havent dosed any of it yet, but after another dose of the b-ionic, my mg levels tested even higher, right at 1500 from the 1420 they were at yesterday. Also, my CA is still low, I have been able to increase my alk but not my CA....can I keep adding just CA until I get it up to 420?......That is as long as I watch my alk closely and do it slowly? Link to comment
Weetabix7 Posted January 12, 2008 Share Posted January 12, 2008 I asked some of those same questions on this thread, you might be able to find some of the answers you're looking for there: http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?...t=0&start=0 Also, the reason your Mg probably went up again is because there's Mg in the Calcium additive part of B-Ionic. Link to comment
SeeDemTails Posted January 12, 2008 Author Share Posted January 12, 2008 Yeah, I just read that. I am gonna dose some ca and just watch the alk close. Link to comment
Rubicon06 Posted January 13, 2008 Share Posted January 13, 2008 I just tested Mg Yesterday with an Elos kit, and I'm at 1600 Link to comment
Weetabix7 Posted January 13, 2008 Share Posted January 13, 2008 Okay, I just tested a freshly mixed batch of SW made with Tropic Marin salt. Here are the results: Temp- 80 deg. SG- 1.025 PH- 8.25 (halfway between 8.2 and 8.3) Alk- 3.5 meq/l Ca- 360 Mg- 1425 Link to comment
SeeDemTails Posted January 14, 2008 Author Share Posted January 14, 2008 Have you been able to get your CA up yet? I have been adding a ton more of the CA part than the Alk part, but no real increase in CA yet. Alk is still stable though. Link to comment
Weetabix7 Posted January 14, 2008 Share Posted January 14, 2008 Well I thought I was until today. My Ca level today is lower than my level yesterday, even though I added plenty of Ca. I'm still figuring this out a bit. I just started a B-Ionic log today to better track Ca and Alk consuption and dosing, etc. How much sps do you have in your tank? What size tank? I'm dosing on a 10g prop tank that is about 40-50% sps, around 30 frags. Link to comment
SeeDemTails Posted January 14, 2008 Author Share Posted January 14, 2008 My tank is a 37 gal, it has three montipora caps in it, one of which is over 10" across. I also have a couple acros and a few other digitatas and encrusting montis. The big cap grows 1/4" in a month, sometime more in some spots. The other sps grow too, but not as fast as the big cap. I suspect it is the main consumer of ca. Link to comment
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