Problem raising magnesium.

SaltwaterGuruNeeded

Well-Known Member
View Badges
Joined
Jun 29, 2021
Messages
630
Reaction score
276
Location
Tom's River
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I can't seem to raise magnesium, I am worried that if I put anymore in that maybe the levels will come up overnight for some reason? Pls help not sure if I am wasting my 2 part magnesium mix. My levels at the start of the day was 1140 magnesium, it is now at 1185. Can't seem to get it to 1200.
16259537455007679580893611950600.jpg
16259537889601016845117324966109.jpg
 

Randy Holmes-Farley

Reef Chemist
View Badges
Joined
Sep 5, 2014
Messages
72,100
Reaction score
69,741
Location
Massachusetts, United States
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Did you use the calculator to know how much to add? Use the entry for Randy's recipe.

FWIW, magnesium that low is most often from low salinity and can be fixed by raising it 9assuming it is not the most common issue test error).

 
OP
OP
SaltwaterGuruNeeded

SaltwaterGuruNeeded

Well-Known Member
View Badges
Joined
Jun 29, 2021
Messages
630
Reaction score
276
Location
Tom's River
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Did you use the calculator to know how much to add? Use the entry for Randy's recipe.

FWIW, magnesium that low is most often from low salinity and can be fixed by raising it 9assuming it is not the most common issue test error).

My salinity is 1.024 and used a calibrated refractometer.
 

Randy Holmes-Farley

Reef Chemist
View Badges
Joined
Sep 5, 2014
Messages
72,100
Reaction score
69,741
Location
Massachusetts, United States
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
My salinity is 1.024 and used a calibrated refractometer.

That's a big part of the problem then.

The expected value for magnesium in seawater at that low salinity is only 1164 ppm.

Raise that to 35 ppt (sg = 1.0264) and magnesium will rise by over 100 ppm.
 

homer1475

Figuring out the hobby one coral at a time.
View Badges
Joined
Apr 24, 2018
Messages
11,820
Reaction score
18,897
Location
Way upstate NY
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
According to the reef calc, assuming displacement of sand and rock, I extimated you at 100G total water volume(just a guess).

It would take 524ml to go from 1185 to 1250.

It takes quite a bit of mag to raise levels.
 

Randy Holmes-Farley

Reef Chemist
View Badges
Joined
Sep 5, 2014
Messages
72,100
Reaction score
69,741
Location
Massachusetts, United States
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
But clownfish salinity isn't supposed to be in that range.

OMG, tell all those clownfish in the ocean to run for their lives!!!!!

Sarcasm aside, whatever you heard about clowns needing low salinity is not correct. The ocean is, on average, 35 ppt, and there's no reason to target anything else in a reef tank.
 

Randy Holmes-Farley

Reef Chemist
View Badges
Joined
Sep 5, 2014
Messages
72,100
Reaction score
69,741
Location
Massachusetts, United States
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
What about cerith Snails?

Unless you keep creatures from a brackish environment, there's no accepted rationale to target anything but 35 ppt, unless you are trying to match a supplier to cause less salinity change when you buy things.
 
OP
OP
SaltwaterGuruNeeded

SaltwaterGuruNeeded

Well-Known Member
View Badges
Joined
Jun 29, 2021
Messages
630
Reaction score
276
Location
Tom's River
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Unless you keep creatures from a brackish environment, there's no accepted rationale to target anything but 35 ppt, unless you are trying to match a supplier to cause less salinity change when you buy things.
Well, my clownfish came from Petco...they had ick and we're kept in a tank at around 1.018 or less. I acclimated the for 2hrs. And they were in the tank with 1.024 salinity. They ate as soon as they were introduced.
 

homer1475

Figuring out the hobby one coral at a time.
View Badges
Joined
Apr 24, 2018
Messages
11,820
Reaction score
18,897
Location
Way upstate NY
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Topping off with 1.026 saltwater is the proper way to raise your salinity. Just keep an eye on it because with using an ATO, you can very easily overshoot.

I personally will just do my normal WC with higher salinity water. I have overshot using salt water in my ATOP before, simply because I forgot I had salt water in my ATO container.
 

homer1475

Figuring out the hobby one coral at a time.
View Badges
Joined
Apr 24, 2018
Messages
11,820
Reaction score
18,897
Location
Way upstate NY
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Well, my clownfish came from Petco...they had ick and we're kept in a tank at around 1.018 or less. I acclimated the for 2hrs. And they were in the tank with 1.024 salinity. They ate as soon as they were introduced.
Vendors purposely keep fish in lower salinity water to save on salt costs, and to hinder diseases.

Fish can live in lower salinity water, your corals not so much.
 
Back
Top