magnesium

[xKEIGOx]

I can't find a magnesium testkit over my country but I do found the seachem magnesium. I wonder if adding in 1 level teaspoon per 80L twice a week will be safe without using testkit. and if it is necessary to do so? Consider if I seldom change water. :?:

 

[MrPuma]

I am not sure it is really needed but I started adding it years ago and everything is doing fine so I just continue. I dont think it hurts any. it is suppose to help stabalize the calcium levels. I have a 90 gallon reef and I add about 1 teaspoon twice a week of the sea chem. I do test for it and it is just about where you want it at that dosage, still just a little low but thats ok by me. so maybe you can just estimate for your tank. hope this helps.

 

[danmhippo]

Too much Mg will throw your Ca/alk off balance. Don't add it if you cannot test it.

Also, Not many organism in typical tanks utilize Mg directly. Many featured tanks do well without adding it separately at all.

 

[xKEIGOx]

what if i seldom change water? like just 20-30% in a 1/2 - a year time? should I add in magnesium?
1 level teaspoon for 90gal water once or twice a week? the direction wrote 1 level teaspoon for 80litres. So I shouldn't follow the instruction? I'm not dare to add in wihtout testkit. what should I do? add or not? I have try not adding in.... the calcium level do drop and would not raise again. if add in, how much should i add? :?:

 

[reefland]

Don't worry about adding Mg to the tank. And twice a week sounds like a lot. Mg tends to stay in a 3:1 ratio of Ca. If you can measure Ca you can make a reasonable guess where Mg is +/- a few 100 ppm.

Mg is used to euthanize many sea critters for study.

 

[randy holmes-farley]

The problem that I have with just adding small doses (without measuring magnesium levels) is this:

1. If magnesium is substantially low, such doses will do little to correct it, and the problem will continue.

2. If the magnesium is not low, then the small doses will very slowly raise the magnesium above normal levels.

I'd equate it to adding a gallon of gas to your car every day. You are likely, in the long run, to either overflow the tank or run out of gas.

Personally, I don't think that enough people will have a magnesoium problem to worry too much about it if you cannot get a test kit. I'd just keep it where it is, and hope for the best. Of course, getting a kit would be best!

 

[O P Ing]

hi.
Well, the engine never worked, and the gas tank does not leak...

Obviously, Randy is not making the additive industry very happy, since they all say that you must need every element in the periodic table with atomic number less than 120. With a single trace element in the deficient "yellow" zone, your reef will crash in matter of minutes! Don't say that they never tell you the warning!

 

[Nelliereefster]

SeaChem reef advantage calcium is mixed already to the "correct" 3:1 ratio.

If you use it though, you will find that Mg accumulates as calcium is consumed.

I balance this by adding B-Ionic to keep calcium in the ballpark, and reef builder, baking soda (that's right, I said baking soda) and reef buffer to keep the other side up.

 

[CraigBingman]

I can't find a magnesium testkit over my country but I do found the seachem magnesium. I wonder if adding in 1 level teaspoon per 80L twice a week will be safe without using testkit. and if it is necessary to do so? Consider if I seldom change water. :?:

Magnesium depletion in reef tanks is usually a fairly slow process. So slow that even moderate partial water exchanges control it well. I would advise that you do not add magnesium to your system if you can't test for it.

Craig Bingman

 

[coralboy]

:? If you search the different forums you hear the full range of responses on this topic. I like posters like Randy that make ttheir case with the science and let the reader judge. I've kept salt water tanks since 1986 and reefs since 1994 and never added Magnesium as a separate component. I guess I'm just lucky.

 

[wildbill]

I add nothing to my tank. My system has a total volume of 180 gals and I change about 8gal a month. I use that water for my 65gal hex. I don't think its wise to add anything unless you can measure it accurately.

Bill