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Though I'm not as concerned with maintaining a specific level, I do test regulariliy and never let my levels drop below 1200ppm.

I notice right away that if my MG levels are low, I have a hard time keeping my Ca and Alk up too. Corals will usually become dull when MG is out of whack.

See post #2 for my experiences with magnesium:

http://www.canreef.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=26590

Everytime I have tested Mg its been pretty much spot on. I have the ring around my tank but I think its more from my dosing Kalk almost 24/7 that causes it.

Hey Jim. How’s it goin’?

Okay. Well…I’m not sure how to answer this without making a total fool of myself. I do not claim to have a chemically inclined mind and quite honestly find that part of the hobby the most difficult to grasp and consequently the least interesting. I prefer the biological aspect. (I dropped out of Chem 11 after two days). I suppose I may have jumped into this thread a little too hastily, as I have been stagnant and despondent with the hobby for a spell due to space logistics, and need to re-educate myself about some aspects of it. ( Read: I’m not sure that I know what the hell I’m talking about when it comes to chemistry).

The short answer is the conflicting advice is the 325 vs. 350 ppm Ca. The reason for the conflicting advice is…… simple maintenance vs. actual growth.

A bit of history…. (and I hope I’m not hijacking this thread as that is not my intent)….I was in the LFS the other day (one guess only as to which one) chinwaggin’ with an employee (one guess only as to who). I was in need of a new Mg test kit as the one I had was dead. I forget how the conversation went, but it basically led to me being told that the LFS’ tanks were basically at 325 ppm Ca and that Mg wasn’t really a concern in those tanks as it was generally a given that they are always at least 1150-1200 ppm. Now, one thing that easily escapes me, and is becoming increasingly more apparent when consulting this source for advice, is that this source is a retailer, not a hobbyist (per se). So the short and dirty is that the LFS I speak of is concerned simply with maintaining the organisms while the average hobbyist is looking for growth. Hence the conflicting advice. While an LFS’ advice may be well intended, it’s not necessarily accurate for the hobbyist. So that takes care of the Ca part. The Mg part.....well, I walked out of that store without buying a new Mg kit, not so much because the LFS doesn't test for Mg, but rather, I recalled that when I was first reading up on the hobby 2 years ago, none of the reference books that I purchased and read hardly mentioned Mg at all, let alone suggested testing for it. The only reason I did start testing for it was out of curiousity and that lead to dosing and hitting a target parameter due to "unsatisfactory" results.

Hope this answers your question......?:redface:,

Heya Mark! I'm doing great! Thanks for asking! :mrgreen:

Allright... Mr or Ms. LFS has a different agenda than us reef geeks... they gotta maintain an organism for a short time... We need to do it long term... AND make them thrive and prosper... If your Mag is at 1100 and your Ca+ is at 350... then that just means that your animals will wither away a little slower than if the levels are at 900 and 250... :lol:

And lookit... I ain't no expert here... but what I do know is that 1250 - 1400 ppm Mag, 380 - 440 ppm Calcium and 8 - 11 dKH Alk is what NSW values are around a natural reef and what the animals grow and calcify at optimal rates that are equally as tied to current, lighting etc etc etc etc... there are almost too many variables which is why there is no ONE way to do this right... but these chemical elements are well within our grasp to control, so we might as well do it right? :smile:

It's taken me a few years to get as much figured out as I have which probably doesn't amount to much more than a pile of coonsh*t, but what the hey... I just can't help sharing... :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

Well, I couldn't help myself and tested Mg today. Ha ha. :lol:.
Um....can I change my vote? Yes, I bother. Yes, I test. Sometimes it's okay, other times I need to dose. Today it's okay.

Cheers:smile:,

It wasn't an option in the Vote, but I dose with Mg, and don't test. Adding the right amount to the WC water is all I do, with great results so far.

Like my plan?

It has worked for me for over 2 years now (have not tested yet) and I still get insane growth!!!!!!!!!!

Using your recipe has saved me from dealing with alot headaches. If I hadn't started using it, I'd be struggling with one parameter or another, and trying to figure all the chemistry out on my own. Many thanks from a newbie!

I think your plan is close to whats advised in this thread.Good call

http://forum.marinedepot.com/Topic45341-13-1.aspx