Getting my Mag levels up to par....finally got it!!l

[The Grizz]

Originally Posted by Delphinus

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..

As a matter of fact the phone book says there is a Univar here.

Originally Posted by lastlight

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.

Thats a good to Brett