What can influence a tank's Mg reading

Delphinus · #1 04-09-2009, 05:25 AM

Ah ok just checked, Salifert's resolution is 30 and I forgot you don't count drops but add drops and then compare the 0.01ml's strappings ..

Myka · #2 04-09-2009, 05:29 AM

I edited that one above like 50 times...lol. I'm bad for that. Oh, on second thought...oh and third thought...oh and 46th thought...

Salifert is 30? Huh...thought it was less than that, but still 30 is better than 75.

04scoobysti · #3 04-09-2009, 05:29 AM

Elos is in increments of 50, my MG seems to drop pretty quick to if i don't monitor it and dose.

Delphinus · #4 04-09-2009, 05:29 AM

I guess if I have the Salifert test kit I can use it to see if I have a reading of <900 in that tank. Tomorrow.

Even still though, if it was, it's surprising because it's only a 40g so I do bigger water changes (percentage wise) and I've been using RBS salt which I thought was supposed to be the foshizzlenizzle or something. Seems disappointing to spend a premium on salt and then add Mg like it's going out of style to compensate for a low reading. And just in case anyone asks, I did pour the bag of salt into a bucket and shook it up for 5 minutes before using just in case it's a "you're not mixing your salt enough" type thing...

Delphinus · #5 04-09-2009, 05:33 AM

MY Elos is increments of 75. I hate it because the math isn't straightforward. It's a total afterthought too. The detailed instructions say 100, the inset card has a little sticker over the 100 that says 75. If I use 75 then I get a reading that matches the Salifert. To be honest I'm using the Elos because I want to use it up. I'm not a big fan of Elos with their this's and that's and their oops we really meant this not that but boy oh boy are we ever the best, pardon us for saying. Salifert is a little fussier but a) cheaper and b) a little more consistent from batch to batch??? At least has been in my experience.

Myka · #6 04-09-2009, 05:34 AM

You don't mix your salt for 24 hours? Maybe you aren't mixing good enough...

That's why I never bother with a premium salt. Every once in awhile I get lured in, and buy a bucket or two, but I always end up going back to the IO because I see no difference in my tank, and I don't find dosing to be very expensive. I worked it out that using (expensive) liquid supplements, supplementing an entire bucket of IO costs me less than $16.

Delphinus · #7 04-09-2009, 05:42 AM

Yeah, I got suckered again. I read post after post about how great a salt is and I think "I want to join this party! Please be my friend! I'm so lonely." It never works out. I kind of think a salt is just a salt. I dunno.

JDigital · #8 04-09-2009, 05:53 AM

I've been fighting to get my CA, Alk, and Mag up for that past 2 weeks.. Dosing every night any numbers just won't increase to the numbers I want... I don't have a packed SPS tank, so I don't know where all this could be going..

03/24/2009 Ca: 380-390 Alk: 6.4 Mag: 1155
03/25/2009 Ca: 370-380 Alk: 6.4 Mag: 1260
03/27/2009 Ca: 370-380 Alk : 6.4 Mag: 1110 NO3: Undectable
03/29/2009 Ca: 330-340 Alk: 7.4 Mag: 1230
04/01/2009 Ca: 380-390 Alk: 6.7 Mag: 1260

Delphinus · #9 04-09-2009, 06:21 AM

Could it be going out the skimmer? How's your skimmate production? The skimmer on this tank needs to be emptied everyday whereas my other 2 it's only once per week.

Sebae again · #10 04-09-2009, 06:43 AM

It could be going out the skimmer if you are not dosing to make up what you throw out. The big assumption with doing regular water changes is that water changes will make up for what is lost,so if you had a fish only tank it would work out as long as the fish never drank any water. The water changes only,with a good salt, make the new water on par with natural salt water. It you do only a ,10-20% water change it does nothing for the other 80-90% so every day our values become less and less. Unless we dose or do 100% water changes we will never win.