Dosing Magnesium

[Austintylerl]

So I have been using BRS Calc and Alk dosing mixes for a few years. Dosing mag has become a problem for me. It seems that most bottled products require you to shake it before adding, not going to work for me with using auto dosers. My recent try is Magnesion-P from Brightwell but that is a pain because it requires so much material daily, making the mix melts my dosing container!

 

What do you guys use for a dosing mix with the least amount of grief?

Also, considering All for Reef, but how can it magically maintain all three elements at appropriate levels for my particular system? what happens after water changes?

 

 

Thank you

[mcarroll]

Dissolving Mg is exothermic, so just add slowly while you're mixing so the heat doesn't build up too quickly.  

 

Magnesion-P is a very good product.  

 

You might consider ESV B-IONIC two part, since it also contains the Mg (as well as trace elements) in just two parts.

 

1 hour ago, Austintylerl said:

how can it magically maintain all three elements at appropriate levels for my particular system?

Any of the products on the market like this pretty much target the aragonite ratio....other demand sources (eg extreme coralline algae growth) won't be accounted for.  

 

Mg-supply in seawater is huge tho, and consumption is small, even considering all possible sources. If you at least account for coral growth, it's pretty easy to keep up with the other things manually or with water changes.

 

1 hour ago, Austintylerl said:

what happens after water changes?

If you're using salt that has the numbers you are targeting with dosing – and you should be – then nothing happens after water changes.  (Just remember that water changes have a negative effect on some things, like nutrients, so there is not an unlimited capacity to do water changes on every system.)

[TheKleinReef]

I use ATI elements, that helps maintain magnesium but it does require infrequent supplemental dosing. for that i use brightwells magnision. I mix ~6tsp in 1/2 gallon RODI and dump it in. usually that takes me from 1300 to 1340. I wouldn't auto dose magnesium, it's a waste of a dosing pump imo.

 

 

edit. i also am not a fan of BRS's supplements. but i'm probably an outliar

[Spencer7]

I don't dose Magnesium and my levels stay at ~1400 with SPS. 

RS170 with biweekly 5gal WCs

[geekreef_05]

So ive used both lab stirrers and bubblers, when a stirrer doesnt fit. 

 

Just put the stirrer on a timer, that gives it a good mix before dosing and done. 

 

Bubblers (airline bubbler) dont do as good of a job. But it still better than no mixing. 

 

Example: 

 

Under my brine feeding dosing box (left) is a basic magnetic stirring device. And beside that is my phyto dosing, which is mixed via air bubbler.

 

Personally I use All for Reef as well as Red Sea Mg. 

 

Ive got both in powder form. But for the Mg, i recommend just buying the premix. Its not a cost savings to buy the powder. 

 

Hope that helps!