Red Sea Magnesium Reagents

[CastAway]

Ugh!

I've been trying to get my Mg up, for several days now. When I wasn't measuring logical increases after dosing, I started to question my reagents. Today, I bought new ones, just to be sure, to see if my results would differ. THEY DID!

Isn't this a March 2016 expiration?

These reagents return 1280ppm. My new Sept 2017 reagents return 1420ppm. WOW! I hope my tank deals with this. What can happen when you overdose Mg? What might this do to my other param's? Should I do a water change?

 

[cale0721]

Ugh!

I've been trying to get my Mg up, for several days now. When I wasn't measuring logical increases after dosing, I started to question my reagents. Today, I bought new ones, just to be sure, to see if my results would differ. THEY DID!

Isn't this a March 2016 expiration?

These reagents return 1280ppm. My new Sept 2017 reagents return 1420ppm. WOW! I hope my tank deals with this. What can happen when you overdose Mg? What might this do to my other param's? Should I do a water change?

That is a big difference. But I've seen people keep their mag over 1500ppm so I think you'll be fine. I keep mine closer to 1400 anyway. I don't believe it will do anything to your cal or alk param's. My understanding mag just keeps the two from becoming beyond together? But I'm sure you'll get more experienced answers haha

 

[ZIGGY63]

It should be fine, I know so people jack their mg up well into the 16 or 17's. When dealing with byprosis algea.

 

[Rob.D]

Nothing detrimental will happen, I think going over 1800 ppm might have some negative affect but I'm not too certain.

BTW, there is a reason reagents have expiration dates.....

 

[CastAway]

Nothing detrimental will happen, I think going over 1800 ppm might have some negative affect but I'm not too certain.

BTW, there is a reason reagents have expiration dates.....

Well geeze. I guess March means March. Some of my older Red Sea test reagents don't even have expiration dates!

 

[seased]

I hear a lot of people try to keep their Mag at 1400 - so you should be fine.

 

[CastAway]

Just following the herd, with no evidence or experience leading me to do otherwise, I've tried to maintain 1350.

Thanks for all the input, sincerely. I feel much better about where it's at.

 

[cale0721]

The other day I contacted Red Sea about the alkalinity test kit bc I never get the correct end color no matter what I add. Always ends up gold instead of the dark pink/red. And I saw a thread in mtrc that he contacted them and got a replacement that gives the correct end color. So I'm waiting for that to come in.

 

[Tegridy Reef]

I have trouble with there all and mag to interesting

 

[CastAway]

Red Sea replaced my alk reagent at one time, as my lot number fell into a category they had recalled. My end colors have never matched the cards. I just watch for the end change really, not the color.

 

[cale0721]

Maybe the lead chemist at Red Sea is color blind? [emoji23]

 

[CastAway]

Maybe the lead chemist at Red Sea is color blind? [emoji23]

+1

After testing dKH today, instead of returning unused reagent to the bottle, I just continued to dispense. This is all the color shift possible. Not quite what it ought to be, apparently.

Still at 1400ppm today btw.....

 

[cale0721]

Exactly what I get. Typically I just go with the color change and count that but it's frustrating for it not to be like the instructions. Like how am I supposed to trust it?

 

[CastAway]

Same here. I just watch for the change, not the color. Very frustrating. Maybe we need another manufacturers test, just to compare. Then, it'll be which to trust. Might need a third, just to bracket. Silly.

 

[twobytwo]

+1

After testing dKH today, instead of returning unused reagent to the bottle, I just continued to dispense.

ALK? Not sure if it says in your instructions, but on mine it says NOT to return unused Alk reagent to the bottle. Only on Mag and Cal

 

[twobytwo]

Double post....

 

[CastAway]

ALK? Not sure if it says in your instructions, but on mine it says NOT to return unused Alk reagent to the bottle. Only on Mag and Cal

Hmmm. Thanks for pointing that out. I had no clue.

 

[twobytwo]

Hmmm. Thanks for pointing that out. I had no clue.

Actually... I just looked into it a little more. It would depend on which Red Sea Alk test you have. from the book it looks like you're using the Reef Foundation Pro kit, which says
"7. Dispose of any unused quantity of titrant."

But if it is the Marine Care Test Kit... the instructions for Alk are:
"5. Return any unused indicator to the bottle and ensure that the bottle is closed tightly."

Sounds as though it's NOT the same reagent in the 2 kits?

* sorry for taking this off of the Mag discussion

 

[Reefer4Ever]

Get a Hanna alk tester you won't use anything else.

 

[jsker]

Did you buy the kit through Red Sea or a third party? It is getting to the point that the only way one can get a fresh kit is purchasing directly from the manufacture