Magnesium?

Discussion in 'Water Chemistry' started by Birdlady, Sep 18, 2004.

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  1. Birdlady

    Birdlady Finback Whale

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    Is a Mag level of 1290 low enough to keep my water from buffering? I know it should be 1350 to 1500...right?

    I can't seem to get the Alk to stay at 4 meq/L nor can I get my pH over 8.2....and it keeps tending back to 8.1.

    My calcium is 450 so I can 't add Kalk....

    I will be adding Mag tomorrow, but I am curious if I need to keep looking for other reasons.
     
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  3. hottielover14

    hottielover14 Torch Coral

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    i have trouble keeping my calcium up. i added liquid supplements but now i'm trying turbo calcium and kalk dripping. It wont stay at 450 it keeps dropping down to 350. should i be adding magnesium. i dont have a mag test kit.
     
  4. Birdlady

    Birdlady Finback Whale

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    Hello!

    ALWAYS test before you add anything! I just got my test kit last night....but Yes, Magnesium could be part of the problem. ;D
     
  5. Birdlady

    Birdlady Finback Whale

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  6. JohnO

    JohnO Moderator

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    [quote author=birdlady link=board=Water;num=1095572045;start=0#0 date=09/18/04 at 22:34:05]Is a Mag level of 1290 low enough to keep my water from buffering?  I know it should be 1350 to 1500...right?

    I can't seem to get the Alk to stay at 4 meq/L  nor can I get my pH over 8.2....and it keeps tending back to 8.1.

    My calcium is 450 so I can 't add Kalk....

    I will be adding Mag tomorrow, but I am curious if I need to keep looking for other reasons.  [/quote]


    BL,  

    Just add enough Mag to raise the water by about 50ppm per day until you get to around 1400ppm.  Then start to adjust the Alk.

    At what time of day are you measuring the PH?  As you know it can vary quite a bit over a day.  If it is consistantly low the MAG and AlK increases should make it tend towards the 8.3 mark, but I wouldnt be too concerned if it stayed rock steady at 8.2.

    One of the causes in PH decay is too much Carbon Dioxide in the water which can be caused by inadequate circulation, an enclosed environment or poor gas exchange.  One of the ways you can test this is by taking out a pint of tank water testing it, then running an airstone in the pint overnight, testing the PH again and comparing the differences, if the difference is more than about .1 of a PH reading you need to look at some ways of getting more oxygen in the water column

    John
     
  7. Birdlady

    Birdlady Finback Whale

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    Thanks JohnO!
    I decided to wait on adding the Mag....I got a refractomer the other night and my salinity was high....I am just about done fixing that..added some buffer....pH seems to be coming up a tad.

    I will try that with the airstone...I don't think that is it tho. I have an open top with 2 surface agitating flows, plus open sump with surface agitation as well. Plus the mega bubbles in the skimmer. Gonna try it anyways tho ;D

    Appreciate the help!!!
     
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  9. Birdlady

    Birdlady Finback Whale

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    Oh....I have tested the pH all times during the day. Just got a new probe for my monitor as well....that should read more accurately that the color change test kits...
     
  10. Birdlady

    Birdlady Finback Whale

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    OK, update...got new probe for my pH monitor...up till now I had been using SeaChem test..

    I kept getting a 1 plus difference between the 2 tests...ran reference test on the Seachem and I had been reading it a point too high...so my pH has actually been lower. 7.08 to 8.05 ish. Added enough Mag....running about 1380 - 1420.

    Ran the Aeration test, inside house and outside house. No change in pH.

    Calcium took a dive!!!!!!got as low as 250.

    I started adding Kalk. Everything seems to be coming up now. Alk just under 4 meq/L, Calcium coming up....325ish, pH running 8.05 to 8.2

    Thanks for the help!!!
     
  11. GraviT

    GraviT Coral Banded Shrimp

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    Does anybody have a recommended magnesium additive? I just used my new Salifert Mag test and it is currently at 930 :eek:. I've looked into using Epsom salts, but due to the increase in sulfides which isn't really needed, I've decided to go with a commercial product. Thanks in advance!
     
  12. JohnO

    JohnO Moderator

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    Gravit,

    I would still just use Epsom Salts.

    Magnessium isn't like Alk and Calc that are depleted quickly. Once the Mag levels are where you want them to be they will stay at that level for a long time.

    John