Instant ocean salt parameter

[mikellini]

Originally Posted by Aquattro

You know what I don't understand? How people had successful reef tanks 8 years ago when Mg didn't exist in the hobby...it's weird.

I don't understand how people had successful reef tanks in the 90's... but they did. Not sure what that has to do with magnesium.

The point of raising magnesium to close to natural sea water levels is to limit the abiotic precipitation of calcium carbonate. You can leave it lower, but you'll have to add much more calcium and carbonates to maintain a given level. Particularly if you're trying to maintain a level of calcium or alkalinity that's higher than natural sea water levels.

[Aquattro]

Originally Posted by mikellini

Not sure what that has to do with magnesium.

Sorry, I thought it was obvious. The point is, that until recently, Mg was not a factor. You couldn't buy it, there were no test kits for it. But we all had nice tanks and no problems keeping Ca and alk levels constant. We didn't have abiotic build up of anything, just SPS that grew fine. Just like now.

Jump forward to today, I see no difference in my tank with Mg @ 1250ppm vs last year when it was 1050ppm.

So, not saying it's good or bad, just saying that it might be over-rated.

[daplatapus]

This kinda gets away from the OP's original ? and into a Mg chemistry deal, but anyway...
All I have is my own personal experience, absolutely no real knowledge of the real facts or science behind it
I fought for over a year to get any kind of SPS growth, or really any growth to happen in my tank. I struggled to keep the big 3 parameters anywhere near optimal, usually one was always way out of whack. Then I read Sk8ters thread on RC and figured it couldn't hurt to scrap everything I'd been doing. I stopped dosing everything. I looked up BRS's dosing calculator and brought my Mg to 1400 over the period of a couple days. Then did nothing for a week but watch how that number fell and figured out my daily consumption. Dosed the tank again to get it back to 1400 and dialled in my 1.1ml doser and watched it for another week. Mg stayed rock solid. Then I did the exact same procedure for my Ca. After that I found my alk just dropped in line and followed everything except for just a minor dosing daily dosing to keep it topped up.
I've since moved to a Calcium reactor and have stopped dosing alk altogether. Been almost 2 years now and my numbers don't fluctuate at all.
I do top up my Ca in my water change water before I do it.
I fought and fought and fought to get good growth in my tank, but in my experience, it was only once my Mg was up, was I able to get any sort of stability in my tank.

[Aquattro]

Originally Posted by daplatapus

I fought and fought and fought to get good growth in my tank, but in my experience, it was only once my Mg was up, was I able to get any sort of stability in my tank.

Dom, I hear that all the time, which is what makes me wonder why. I never dosed Mg (because there was none) and never had a problem. It's just one of those things that confuses me. I tried to believe, and added Mg, no difference in my tank. But really, for the cost of Mg, I don't see anything wrong with "just in case" application

P.S. Figured the OP got his answer already

[mikellini]

Originally Posted by Aquattro

Dom, I hear that all the time, which is what makes me wonder why. I never dosed Mg (because there was none) and never had a problem. It's just one of those things that confuses me. I tried to believe, and added Mg, no difference in my tank. But really, for the cost of Mg, I don't see anything wrong with "just in case" application

P.S. Figured the OP got his answer already

Brad, did you notice any difference in the amount of calcium and alkalinity you had to add after raising magnesium? What do you run them at?

Again, it's not necessarily that it's a problem to have your mag a little low, just that it can be a little harder to maintain levels of other elements. Whether or not this has a noticeable effect in your tank will depend on a variety of other factors... I'm sure many people won't notice a difference.

[Aquattro]

my numbers have always been around 420/8dKh. This is with reactor or with kalk. Since I've never used a doser, I cant say that I used 4ml extra Ca with/without. But again, if I did, do I want to save 4ml Ca by using 20ml Mg (numbers made up, no idea what people use).

I can't/won't offer an opinion saying you need or don't, I just find it odd that so many tanks did so well for all the years before Mg came along. Maybe more do better now? I was kind of disappointed that after starting to use it, I didn't see any change in anything. I guess I was hoping for magical growth or something. But for the cost of the ice melt I'm using, I figure I'll just keep adding, mostly because Randy knows more chem than I do

[daplatapus]

Ya see, I couldn't get my Ca above 380ish until I boosted my Mg

[gregzz4]

Welcome to the dark side David

I would suggest the same as Bblinks did. Having your mag in that range makes it much easier to balance the other 2 while using less. Lower mag levels will give you a seesaw effect when adding the other 2 making stability difficult.

Many of us use IO Sea Salt. It's pretty normal for it to be high Alk, slightly low Ca and lowish Mag.

I dose mag and then ca to my new water before adding it to my tank. Some dose it after adding, and some don't bother at all. So it's up to you where you want your tank parameters to be.

As for what products to use there's the expensive, easy to use liquids and there's the inexpensive powders. Any one you choose is fine.
For now I'm using bulk powders and following Randy's 2-part. If I had the money I'd get a Calcium Reactor and dose mag accordingly.

If you haven't moved in the last 3 years you should walk over sometime for a chat and check out my system

[hondas3000]

Thanks everyone for getting into the topic. Like many mention here Mg need to be in check before adding cal or alk as I also notice I add lots of A and B dose and calcium liquid as well but still couldn't get Cal to increase pass 370 from 340ppm. Alk in other hand I see it increase so let me get Mg in range and dose cal after see if I can bring it up to 420ppm.

[hondas3000]

Originally Posted by gregzz4

Welcome to the dark side David

I would suggest the same as Bblinks did. Having your mag in that range makes it much easier to balance the other 2 while using less. Lower mag levels will give you a seesaw effect when adding the other 2 making stability difficult.

Many of us use IO Sea Salt. It's pretty normal for it to be high Alk, slightly low Ca and lowish Mag.

I dose mag and then ca to my new water before adding it to my tank. Some dose it after adding, and some don't bother at all. So it's up to you where you want your tank parameters to be.

As for what products to use there's the expensive, easy to use liquids and there's the inexpensive powders. Any one you choose is fine.
For now I'm using bulk powders and following Randy's 2-part. If I had the money I'd get a Calcium Reactor and dose mag accordingly.

If you haven't moved in the last 3 years you should walk over sometime for a chat and check out my system

Hi Greg, good to see you here as well. No I haven't move anywhere yet just more busy with life only. I am still in debate of getting a doser or the calcium reactor for my 180G. I have no problem dosing it just need to get something that cost effective and easy to maintains and more time to enjoy the tank. Don't want to turn it into a part time job just to keep up with the tank. Maybe my next topic would be reactor or doser for 180G tank?