Magnesium supplement & test kit

[basser1]

My LFS uses the test kits from Seachem. They do free water testing and the results seem to be pretty consistent.

[bird]

The $12 kit is on the page you linked but they do quantity discounts so instead of saying 11.99 it says "from 9.60". While it doesn't show it in the pic it does include magnesium. Note that recipe 1 is twice as strong as recipe 2 but they sell them for the same price, make sure to get recipe 1.

 

http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/store/produc...nity-kit-1.html

 

 

Also epsom salt is magnesium sulfate, not sulfide (big difference). Sulfate is not a big deal and water changes will keep it from building up. Sulfide would nuke your tank and smells like ass.

Sorry, go the names mixed up. Still, that is what I read, not to use epsom salts as the only magnesium additive.

Probably not a problem in larger tank with good water changes. I have no experience with it myself. Just pointing out what the article says.

Here is the article

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-07/rhf/index.php

and the text

1. Epsom salts (USP grade magnesium sulfate heptahydrate) is readily available in drug stores and is fairly inexpensive. The problem is that if this were used to raise magnesium by a large amount (or a small amount several times) the aquarium water would become enriched in sulfate. This enrichment may not be a problem for some aquaria, especially those using salt mixes already deficient in sulfate, or those that employ frequent water changes. Nevertheless, Epsom salts alone is not an ideal magnesium supplement.

 

Table 4 shows the effect on an aquarium's sulfate level over time of using only Epsom salts to supplement magnesium, and when no water changes are employed. Clearly, the sulfate rises quite substantially over time. Figures 1-6 show the effect graphically with different water change amounts including 0%, 10%, 20% and 30% monthly, and 1% daily. In these cases, sulfate rises, but water changes can help mitigate the rise. If at least 30% is changed monthly, or 1% daily, using Epsom salts alone as a magnesium supplement may be acceptable; otherwise the sulfate buildup is likely too large to be optimal.

[TriggerHappyDude]

The $12 kit is on the page you linked but they do quantity discounts so instead of saying 11.99 it says "from 9.60". While it doesn't show it in the pic it does include magnesium. Note that recipe 1 is twice as strong as recipe 2 but they sell them for the same price, make sure to get recipe 1.

 

http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/store/produc...nity-kit-1.html

 

 

Also epsom salt is magnesium sulfate, not sulfide (big difference). Sulfate is not a big deal and water changes will keep it from building up. Sulfide would nuke your tank and smells like ass.

 

Link isn't working...see if I can find kit 1 or recipe 1.

[nemmy]

Link isn't working...see if I can find kit 1 or recipe 1.

 

Small Kit

 

Large kit

 

Recipe 1 RAISES Ph

Recipe 2 LOWERS Ph

 

As for recipe one being "stronger" than two, i have no idea

[cptbjorn]

The kits that BRS sells are the two recipes from this website:

 

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-02/rhf/index.php

 

Recipe two is half as strong because sodium bicarbonate isn't as soluble as sodium carbonate; it takes twice as much of the recipe two to get the same change in calcium/alk. Since they charge the same price for both then recipe 1 is a better deal assuming your pH isn't on the high end already.

[TriggerHappyDude]

Ok, so I tested my water with the Salifert Magnesium test kit and my levels look good...

 

Mag in ppm 1470 - 1440

 

So Mag is not an issue right now. I won't be adding the supplement I bought, right now.

 

Its funny though the Salifert Mag kit says natural sea water has a mag concentrate of approx. 1300 - 1500 ppm, and the Brightwell Aquatics supplement says keeping a mag level between 1290 - 1320 ppm will maintain a desired balance.

 

I have red coraline algae growing, so that means some good right? But even then that stuff can be taking nutrients away from my corals, which don't seem to be growing much? I'm lost at what I should be doing to help these corals thrive?

[timdanger]

Oh yeah I was going to say that too, looks like caulerpa not bryopsis. It can be a PITA to get rid of too though, if you don't like it you should carefully tear it out piece by piece trying to get as much of the roots up as you can.

 

agreed, looks much more like caulerpa.

 

Ok, so I tested my water with the Salifert Magnesium test kit and my levels look good...

 

Mag in ppm 1470 - 1440

 

So Mag is not an issue right now. I won't be adding the supplement I bought, right now.

 

Its funny though the Salifert Mag kit says natural sea water has a mag concentrate of approx. 1300 - 1500 ppm, and the Brightwell Aquatics supplement says keeping a mag level between 1290 - 1320 ppm will maintain a desired balance.

 

I have red coraline algae growing, so that means some good right? But even then that stuff can be taking nutrients away from my corals, which don't seem to be growing much? I'm lost at what I should be doing to help these corals thrive?

 

I wouldn't worry about the range of Mg given on the side of the box. Most people maintain Mg between 1280-1350, IME. However, I don't remember ever reading that anyone's ever been able to point to an elevated Mg level up to even 1600 as being the cause of any kind of issue. Mg's role, basically, seems to be less a direct elemental requirement for calcification (though it is to some extent) but more as a stabilizer to reduce/prevent the precipitation of calcium carbonate (causing Ca and Alk levels to drop).

 

coralline does suck up calcium. "nutrients" are typically phosphate and nitrate, which you don't want for your corals.

 

as far as why your corals aren't thriving, i'm not sure what your question is?

[TriggerHappyDude]

agreed, looks much more like caulerpa.

 

 

 

I wouldn't worry about the range of Mg given on the side of the box. Most people maintain Mg between 1280-1350, IME. However, I don't remember ever reading that anyone's ever been able to point to an elevated Mg level up to even 1600 as being the cause of any kind of issue. Mg's role, basically, seems to be less a direct elemental requirement for calcification (though it is to some extent) but more as a stabilizer to reduce/prevent the precipitation of calcium carbonate (causing Ca and Alk levels to drop).

 

coralline does suck up calcium. "nutrients" are typically phosphate and nitrate, which you don't want for your corals.

 

as far as why your corals aren't thriving, i'm not sure what your question is?

 

Yeah I'm not sure either...I guess I started testing my water with the API saltwater and reef test kits, and all looked good there, the only thing left as Mag, so I got one of those as well, and all looks good too.

 

So I'm wondering why my corals aren't thriving I guess when all seems to be in good range?

Is there something else I can do to help them grow? Raise something or dose something?

 

Just looking for some direction on what to do to get these frags to start growing or does it take years?