morgan175 March 27, 2014 Share March 27, 2014 My tank is 110 with about a 30 gallon refuge. I use aquavitro salt. I do a water change around every 2 weeks. The change is roughly 30 gallons. The salt is getting the same measurement for the Mg level as the tank which is 800 ppm. I have been using reef advantage magnesium to raise the level. Around 12 tsp in a quart container to mix. The level goes up that day around a 100 ppm then slowly goes down 50 on day 2. I have used two test kits and about the same results. The calcium stays around 400. While the alkalinity is up and down. Trying to stabilize the two buy getting Mg up to 1350. What would be using that much Mg. I have read sand beds at first kill your mg and was wondering if it was true or not. Tank set up for a year and a half. Not losing any fish. I only have 2 a fox face and green chrome. Corals low stock. Frogspawn torch trumpet and a few others. I have lost a blasto and all my zoas. Don't know if it was to placement or what. Salt aquavitro 1.025 refractometer Rodi water. Filters good yds .01 Cal 400 Alk 125 ppm Nitrate low 100lbs Fiji rock. Please help any other things I can answer to help leave questions. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marinap March 27, 2014 Share March 27, 2014 You need to add over a kilogram of mg to raise the level to 1200... Use reef calculator to determine correct amount and dosage schedule Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smallreef March 27, 2014 Share March 27, 2014 Can I ask why you are trying to raise your magnesium? Also, consider that you can't just raise mg without raising calc and alk...they really have to work in unison to balance out... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marinap March 27, 2014 Share March 27, 2014 http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-07/rhf/index.php Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
taiscici March 27, 2014 Share March 27, 2014 Alk 125ppm is about 7dkh that seems a little low. Maybe that is why your corals not doing well, try raising it to 8-9dkh. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
morgan175 March 27, 2014 Author Share March 27, 2014 Can I ask why you are trying to raise your magnesium? Also, consider that you can't just raise mg without raising calc and alk...they really have to work in unison to balance out... The reason I'm trying to raise Mg I am not getting any coral growth and my alkalinity is all over the place. I have read that raising my mg to 1350 will help my tank in general and equal out the alk and cal. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
morgan175 March 27, 2014 Author Share March 27, 2014 I have to add 129 oz. of product. Why am I so in the bad is it because of not supplementing and the salt I use. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Origami March 27, 2014 Share March 27, 2014 What salt are you using. Mg of 1270 is fine. You'll even do fine at 1200. There's no need to drive up to 1350, really. Your alk may be "all over the place" because it is rapidly consumed and you may not be supplementing regularly. That's why many people supplement daily either through kalkwasser, two-part, or calcium reactors. A mature tank can drop several dKH in a day otherwise just due to consumption. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marinap March 27, 2014 Share March 27, 2014 (edited) If you measure 800 mg in the mixed water, you need to supplement that water to bring mg up to 1200 before the waterchange. Edited March 27, 2014 by marinap Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
morgan175 March 27, 2014 Author Share March 27, 2014 What salt are you using. Mg of 1270 is fine. You'll even do fine at 1200. There's no need to drive up to 1350, really. Your alk may be "all over the place" because it is rapidly consumed and you may not be supplementing regularly. That's why many people supplement daily either through kalkwasser, two-part, or calcium reactors. A mature tank can drop several dKH in a day otherwise just due to consumption. Salt. Is seachum aquavitro. ahuja7up Paid 85$ for a bucket heard it was a great salt on another forum. Plan to switch to io reef. If I can get to 1200 I will be happy. You are right with alkalinity I do need to get stable. The directions say don't add any alk or cal while dosing Mg. Another thread one day will be what type of doser. I need to get. Right now just trying to learn what and how things work. This right now is the best my tank ever looked. No algae problem. I finally got it right for now. Everyone says be patient. I'm more slow and steady. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlanM March 27, 2014 Share March 27, 2014 Are you positive you are using the test kit right? Is aquavitro supposed to mix up at only 800? Seems oddly low for marine salt mix. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scott711 March 27, 2014 Share March 27, 2014 stability is key for coral growth. Have you checked your phosphates? That can also inhibit coral growth. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
morgan175 March 27, 2014 Author Share March 27, 2014 Are you positive you are using the test kit right? Is aquavitro supposed to mix up at only 800? Seems oddly low for marine salt mix. I have done it according to the directions and have watched YouTube video and followed. It is a Red Sea triton test. As for phosphate I am running phosban and my test reads low due to that. I change on a monthly basis. According to aquavitro online it is suppose to be at 1250. I got 800 on two batches. I can't wait to get instant ocean to see a difference. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Origami March 27, 2014 Share March 27, 2014 Salt. Is seachum aquavitro. ahuja7up Paid 85$ for a bucket heard it was a great salt on another forum. Plan to switch to io reef. If I can get to 1200 I will be happy. You are right with alkalinity I do need to get stable. The directions say don't add any alk or cal while dosing Mg. Another thread one day will be what type of doser. I need to get. I have no experience with that salt. Reef Crystals is a good choice. So is regular old Instant Ocean. According to their website, the magnesium on that salt is supposed to be over 1300 ppm on average. Try rolling the closed bucket around on the floor to mix the salt up well. It's either poorly mixed or I'd suspect your test kit is giving you bad numbers. It could also be a bad salt batch, but I'd suspect the first two before that. There only concern with dosing magnesium and alkalinity at the same time is the possible formation of insoluble magnesium hydroxide. To deal with this, just wait 30 minutes and dose both in a high flow area. Or dose them both slowly in different high-flow areas of the tank. There's no reason that calcium and magnesium can't be dosed together because the most common additives are calcium chloride and magnesium chloride. Neither salt interacts with the other. Dosing can be done by hand, at first, or with a manual drip doser. Automation really takes the chore out of it, though. One easy way is to dose kalkwasser as your top-off water. This is very easy to do and inexpensive. This is just one way to get going with this stuff. If you come to the meeting next weekend, find me and we can talk. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
morgan175 March 27, 2014 Author Share March 27, 2014 I appreciate the offer. I work Saturdays. Thank you Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
taiscici March 27, 2014 Share March 27, 2014 Based on the info you giving, you don't seem to have a lot of corals, so I don't think dosing is even necessary for you. I would just try different brand of salt and do a weekly water change. Things should be back in balance again. Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
morgan175 March 27, 2014 Author Share March 27, 2014 I am the dumbest person on here. Thank you all for your help. I was reading my results wrong. I am at 1200. I thought where you stopped were the results. You have to subtract and that's your results. I am a moron. Dang I feel stupid. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlanM March 27, 2014 Share March 27, 2014 Haha. Well, now you have to buy much less magnesium to raise your level. Glad you figured it out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
morgan175 March 27, 2014 Author Share March 27, 2014 I bought 4kg Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Origami March 27, 2014 Share March 27, 2014 I am the dumbest person on here. Thank you all for your help. I was reading my results wrong. I am at 1200. I thought where you stopped were the results. You have to subtract and that's your results. I am a moron. Dang I feel stupid. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Yeah, depending upon the test kit, the tables that they give you are for the amount of reagent that you put into the vial (in which case you have to subtract) or the amount left in the vial. Sometimes the syringe is even marked in reverse for you. You really have to read those directions closely sometimes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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