Magnesium issue
 

I can't seem to get my magnesium level past 1200!
Everything else is fine
Alk:8.36 (Hanna test kit)
Calcium:430(Hanna test kit)
Mag:1200 (Nyos test kit)

I have been adding seachem advance mag on a weekly basis.
I do not use kalk as I read that it can affect the magnesium.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Test kit issue? Not adding enough quantity? Just my thoughts.

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Add more, or don't worry about it. 2 options.

It takes lots to raise mag

You probably aren't adding enough. Use a reef calculator (Google has lots of 'em).

Seachem has their own on their site. I always choke when I see the amount :)

IMO Mg is dumb anyway, my tanks have always run at 1150 or less. Couldn't even buy Mg when I started in the hobby, everyone's tank did fine. Buy beer instead.

Patpare,

Did you recently do a water change?

Yes I did at 12.5% (5gallon) 4hrs befor I tested my water.
I have been adding up to 1 1/4cups of seachem advance mag per week for the past month.
I should mention that my tank is sps dominant.

What's the volume of your tank? Which salt are you using?

For example; IO is around 1100 ppm, so every time you do a water change you're going backwards unless you add Mg to the freshly mixed saltwater.

My system has a total volume of 40gallons.
I use reef crystal for my salt!
I used to use reefers best salt,best salt I've ever used but now I'm on a tight budget.

When I make saltwater for a w/c I test it for alk, Cal, and mg. If anything is out of whack, I just top it up using a reef calculator and chems from my dosing containers.

Ya think I should start doing this.it would make it a lot easier to get everything inline that way.
Thanks

" ditto" seems to work well.

IO is only 1100ppm still? based on my test it's around 1200ppm, based on my expired Salifert anyway.

My tank sat at 1140 for years with IO, so somewhere in that range.

Your parameters are fine. Just leave it as is.

Sorry...typo! 1200 or a little less is what I've been seeing.

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that's my vote too.

I guess I will not dose to the main tank but instead I will test my new water for wc and adjust my level then,eventually the main tank should balance out to 1350.

Yea only problem having low mag is if you Alk and Calcium are also low it will be harder for them to raise, but if your alk and calcium are where you want them then not as big of deal

So today I tested a fresh batch of reef crystal salt, it's been mixing for 24hrs now.
Alk 7.82 Dkh (Hanna)
Calcium 415ppm (Hanna)
Mag 980

So I guess that's why I'm having a hard time getting my mag up to 1350

Woah. That's really, really low. Did you roll the bucket before you opened it? RC has lots of room to allow the salt to settle out, but it also has lots of room to roll it. If that isn't the problem, that's gotta be a bad batch/bucket, or a bunk test kit.

Really , roll the bucket before you open it ?

Urban legend :)

Magnesium issue
 

Interesting! I ran into something similar but in the opposite direction.....mag tested approx 2000.

Rolling the bucket didn't affect the readings for me.

Manufacturer did replace the bucket after I sent them a sample to test.

I'm in the why worry camp, although I don't have a lot of valuable sps either. I haven't been testing for anything for quite some time, something I did more regularly when I was new in the hobby & so was my tank. With the passing years, my best test is observing how the livestock & coral I have are doing on a daily basis. Haven't had a major crash, some critters including coral have died, but in my case, chasing numbers has never really solved anything in that regard. Every once in a while I will throw some baked baking soda, epsom salt or calcium into my top off container.

I understand testing for Potassium is the latest gig?

I don't test, but take potassium every day. And MG. And Zn. :)

I'm exactly same. I don't even have any test kits.

Rolling salt buckets has been talked/laughed about lots on here. Don't bother:lol:

Unless you're at the top of a very big hill :) Could be fun!

You guys are dorks. For one, IO clumps up, so rolling it makes it easier to get it out. Usually, the chemicals don't separate out, but sometimes it is an issue. I test every single bucket top and bottom for the last 10 years or so. I've had a handful of buckets of IO with high Mg at the top and low Mg on the bottom - it's really happened! Furreals! :eek: IO and IORC are the only ones I roll. H2Ocean and Tropic Marin are packed tightly in bags, and I've never tested a bucket with settling issues. I only test the "big three" though.

Never once in all my years have I had IO clump. Maybe you got counterfeit IO?? That's a thing. :)

Thank you.

inappropriate -b

Here's the thing. "IF" salt settled during transport over thousands of miles due to vibration in trucking, rolling it across the room still wouldn't mix it back up to any state worth the effort. The inside of the bucket is conducive to laminar flow and the entire mass of salt is simply going to slide around as mostly a single mass. If you got 5% mixing, you have a long room.

Next time I buy a bucket, I'll dump a pack of red powder on top, close it and roll it across the room. Betting the top of the bucket is still mostly red.

If you don't exercise much, you may get some extra calories burned rolling salt. Otherwise, it's just pointless.
If you want to mix it, drive it up to Home Depot and get them to throw it in the paint shaker for a few minutes.
There are so many other pointless things to worry about, like Mg levels, to worry about rolling salt.

Omg Brad, you can't even roll a bucket properly.

http://sacraparental.com.oak.arvixe....504-195434.jpg

Wouldn't even try to roll one, because, you know, its dumb. Just make water, add to tank, take 500mg Mg daily, be happy.

It sounds like you're overdosing Mg. I think it's poisoning your brain.

No, that was long ago with drugs. Mg just keeps minerals up.

Don't forget an apple a day, keeps doc away.... also a banana to keep that potassium level where it should be, otherwise the muscles will cramp up.

Always legs, dunno why :)