I tried the Salifert kit a while back and got the opposite levels. Plus I found the Elos to be an easier test.

Hey Greg,

Tony is right, once you get it up to 1350-1400, then it is much easier to maintain.

I don't think you should increase more than 100 per day. Since you are so low, I would probably do 50 per day, and spread it out over the week.

I use Seachem dry mag, as it is cheap... There are other ones as well, but don't use anything that is premixed. you will go BROKE!!!

Was i correct on how to figure out the amount of mag to add per day in my warier post? What do you think Rick? Tony?


I hear ya on the premixed, after ChemMaster shut it down I was hoping who ever he sold his info to here on CanReef that they would start up selling. I tried to get it but was to late as I would have started where hevleft off.

Hey Greg, in the first few months of getting my tank up and running I dumped close to 80 lbs of Mg from Chem Master into my tank. I've come to the point where I don't even premix in RO water anymore. I just dump a few cups of Mg from Chem Master right into the sump.

Thanks Dez, so would 4 cups a day be to much at once? I was think of doing that but was not sure if it would be safe.

I personally use this site:

http://reef.diesyst.com/chemcalc/chemcalc.html

It is a great site, and will tell you exactly what to dose.

That's the same one Tai linked me to and how I came up with the 14 cups.

I love and hate Reef Crystals. I never need to bring my Calcium or Alk up with new water but man...you gotta dump that mag in like there's no tomorrow. I use the BRS reef calculator which is rad for dosing their chemicals. So easy to use:

http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/store/reef-calculator

Sorry for the slow reply.

I use IO if for not other reason that it's been the most consistent salt for params in the 13 years I've been buying salt and it's cheap and I really have no cause for complaint with it overall. The #'s are on the low side for Ca and Mg but I know where they mix to, and they're not really THAT low. I add about 30ml CaCl (2 tablespoons) to my 24g water change water and about 240ml (16 tablespoons) of Mag mix (5:3 ratio so really 10 tablespoons Mg Cl and 6 tablespoons Mg sulfate).

Now this is going back a few years so I don't remember the details but I used a premium salt that was supposed to have high Mg, but didn't. When I finally figured out it was the salt pulling Mg down I tested a batch and it was like 700ppm. I had use cup after cup after cup for like 10 days straight to raise it 100ppm per day to get back to 1300ish. I forget how many cups it was in 100gallons of tank volume to raise it 100 but it was a LOT. I was sure I was making my saltwater tank into pure brine but it didn't. (It did raise the SG though, watch out for that. I'm still not clear on the concept if 1.025 with added Mg 1.027 should be compensated for down to 1.023 and added Mg to 1.025 or leave it at 1.027).

When adding Mg I just use whatever amount of RO it takes to dissolve whatever I'm adding. Around half gallon maybe? Something like that.

I think the salt you're thinking of is "Seachem Salinity". Heard good things about it.

Is there a Univar in Red Deer? If there is that might be a good place to get your bulk chems..

What I've done so far is add my brs magnesium solution to my 10g ro/di and then add enough salt mix to hit 1.026.