TonyInVa February 23, 2016 Share February 23, 2016 One recipe is for using is with the two part. The other is if you use Kalk, or a reactor. The one with Kalk and reactor uses far less Magnesium Sulfate. Why is this? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Origami February 23, 2016 Share February 23, 2016 That sounds odd. Can you point me to the instructions so I can take a look? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sethsolomon February 23, 2016 Share February 23, 2016 Tom he is referencing Reefkeeping.com's diy magnesium recipes. http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-02/rhf/#6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyInVa February 23, 2016 Author Share February 23, 2016 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sethsolomon February 23, 2016 Share February 23, 2016 The reason there are 2 different recipes is because with 2 part dosing you are adding a lot of excess chlorides from the calcium chloride. So to balance it out you even out the solution more with magnesium sulfate so you are not adding even more chlorides from the magnesium chloride. Also, when adding magnesium you are raising it much more than calcium so we want to limit the chlorides more on the magnesium side. As for dosing with Kawlk and a CA reactor. These solutions do not increase chlorides so we can make a solution of mostly mag chloride and not have to balance it as much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flooddc February 23, 2016 Share February 23, 2016 This is what BRS said under Q&A. Why do the Kalk/Calcium reactor instructions show using so much less Magnesium Sulfate than the two part mixing instructions? Question by: Shad Malone on Jan 13, 2016 5:17:00 PM Great question! When using Kalk or Calcium reactor the sulfate levels and chloride levels tend to vary from the amount present in 2 part. This is a reason with Kalk or Calcium reactors you will use a 7 cups Magnesium chloride and 1 cup Magnesium sulfate in the gallon of solution. Feel free to let us know if you have any further questions! Answer by: Connor (Admin) on Jan 13, 2016 6:42:00 PM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyInVa February 23, 2016 Author Share February 23, 2016 Thanks for the replies. Unfortunately i did not see the second recipe, which is for use with kalk until after I mixed and watched BRS's youtube channel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Origami February 24, 2016 Share February 24, 2016 Well, two cases are presented here. The first referenced a reefkeeping.com article by Randy Holmes-Farley and the two different magnesium recipes (Part 3A and Part 3B) found therein. In that case, part 3A tries to balance and replace the sulfate ions in saltwater by adding magnesium sulfate (Epsom salts) to the magnesium mix. The reason you don't use all magnesium sulfate is that you'd be introducing sulfate in a higher proportion than is found in normal sea water. By mixing magnesium chloride and magnesium sulfate in the proportions directed in recipe 3A, you get a magnesium mix that also is more balanced with respect to sulfate. Recipe 3A = MgCl2 + MgSO4, so it adds Mg (magnesium) + SO4 (sulfate) + Cl (chloride); the last of which is added in a proportion dwarfed by the chloride already present in the tank. Recipe 3B = MgCl2 (see above, but delete the sulfate). As for BRS' explanation, I'm at a loss to explain what the science is behind it. It basically says that tanks running a calcium reactor or a kalk reactor tend to have different sulfate levels. First, kalkwasser is a nearly pure mix of calcium hydroxide (Ca(OH)2) with a few impurities which may (but need not) include magnesium. This delivers calcium and alkalinity in balanced proportions, but nothing else in any known proportion. Second a calcium reactor is dissolving coral skeltons and hence the effluent contains calcium, alkalinity, magnesium, and other trace elements found in the skeletons being dissolved. (Sometimes we'll add dolomite to calcium reactors to bump the magnesium level up even further.) What I'm saying is I can't see why BRS would lump the two in the same explanation. The gist, though, of the explanation is that because these tanks purportedly have different sulfate levels, they recommend making adjustments to the formula. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyInVa February 24, 2016 Author Share February 24, 2016 So if I am using Kalk and have already mixed the first recipe(which BRS says is not to be used with Kalk), which is 5 cups of Magnesium Chloride and 3 Cups Magnesium Sulfate, what would be the negative effects? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Origami February 25, 2016 Share February 25, 2016 So if I am using Kalk and have already mixed the first recipe(which BRS says is not to be used with Kalk), which is 5 cups of Magnesium Chloride and 3 Cups Magnesium Sulfate, what would be the negative effects? None whatsoever. Sulfate is one of the major ions present in sea water. It is, in fact, the third most common ion behind chloride (19,000 ppm) and sodium (10,500 ppm) with a concentration of 2,700 ppm. You are very, very unlikely to shift the relative concentration of sulfate in any meaningful way by using this recipe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyInVa February 26, 2016 Author Share February 26, 2016 Thanks Tom. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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