Quote:
Originally Posted by Madreefer
Thanks! So you still have to mix it with epsom salts? Stupid questions I know, but when it comes to "chemistry" I'm a little on the retarded side. So that would be 7lbs of melt down/1lb of epsom?
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Down near the bottom of the article this is what it says:
"3. A certain mixture of magnesium chloride and magnesium sulfate has no net effect on seawater's major anions (chloride and sulfate). All that is necessary for such a recipe is to add these two ingredients in such a ratio that they add chloride and sulfate in the ratio naturally present in seawater (which is 7.1 to 1 on a weight basis and 9.6 to 1 on a per ion basis).
To perfect such a recipe, it's imperative to know the amounts of sulfate in Epsom salts (39%), the amount of chloride in magnesium chloride hexahydrate (34.9%), and their bulk densities, because most aquarists will use a volume based measurement (1.05 g/cm3 for Epsom salts and 0.85 g/cm3 for magnesium chloride hexahydrate solids). Taking all these factors into account, the desired volume ratio is 10:1, MAG flake to Epsom salts, as a supplement; for instance, 10 cups MAG flake and 1 cup Epsom salts."
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-07/rhf/index.php
However Littlesilvermax uses an 8.5:1 ratio based on direct recommendations from Randy.
http://www.canreef.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=26590
Pick a ratio and just mix the two salts together. I personally prefer to then add it to my new water change water at only 1 cup per 27 gallon garbage can and use it that way. If you dissolve it into your top off water like you said you were doing and then pump your top off water through a kalk reactor like you were you might be creating problems for yourself. Kalkwasser reacts with and dissolves into pure freshwater not saltwater so if you add magnesium salts to that fresh water it probably affects the kalkwasser's ability to then dissolve into it.