eposm salts/mag.????

quick question i know tangster used to tell me i could use epsom salts(mag. sulfate) . i used it for a little while, but forgot how to use it, whats the dose?
I just ran out of my mag. chloride esv b-ionic, so i bought a box of epsom salts cause my tank has been guzzling the esv stuff and its crazy expensive.
i know some say about sulfate building up. but it will only be temporary.

 

bulkreefsupply.com has a calculator you can use. the link is at top of their web page. just type in total volume and scroll down to mag part. it has dozes for different types of mag, just find the one you have from the drop down menu.

 

3reef has a calculator too!! it's on the left hand nav bar...

 

I use the 3reef calculator myself.

 

For my 55 1/2 cup = 55-60ppm. As for the sulfate buildup I asked Tangster about this and he said he has used epsom salt to dose mag. a lot and has never seen a rise or buildup of sulfates in his tank. I trust him so it's all I use to dose. Only about a buck a pound or less around here.

 

always check your salinity using any type of salts

 

MgCl2 is the preferred mag to use, as SO4 WILL build over time... Will you notice it? Hard to tell, it will depened on your knowledge of water chemistry and corals as well as how long you dose it and how much. The effects can and will take a year or more to be noticable.
Tank is guzzling Mg? Thats odd as corals use it about 20 times less than Ca. How fast are you going through Ca? Whats your coral load? What is the level of Ca and Mg? How often are you changing water and with what salt? If you keep the Mg at say 1330 and your salt is 1100 then THATS your cause, not your tank GUZZLING Mg.

Happy reefing!

 

thanks for the responses . lol i remembered 3reef had a calculator right after i posted this.

well i use RC salt and ive heard that it is low in magnesium . as well as other stuff i guess its time too try something new.
what salt would you all suggest.?

 

Epson is on sale at Walgreens... 2 quarts for $2.

 

Red Seas isn't too low, otherwise you can go with Oceanic, Coralife, Seachem, or if you want pricey Tunze, Tropic marin or D-D's new salt.

Or just buy some MgCl2 from BRS.COM and add the appropriate amount to every bucket of newly mixed water. Thats what I do, I use Red Sea and even thought the levels are good I want them higher so for every 5 gal bucket I add .5tsp of CaCl2 and 5tsp of MgCl2.
That way you can even get IO and supplement it to a decent level

Happy reefing!