Magnesium Levels in the tank

[kgross]

The refractormeter is a pretty quick test, I just normally find the swing arm is simpler, no having to look through it to read it.

On the refractometer I have used lots of them from $250 to $30 units and have not found much difference

Here is the one I am currently using.

http://www.jensalt.com/cgi-bin/ic/stand ... 10ATC.html

 

[Sea Turtle]

OK, here;s the deal. I went out and bought a Alk test kit, I get homeand its, one, a color scale chart, and two, I guess there's a difference between Alk test and dHK. So, I don't know my dHK level. The alk test told me that it was above 4, big deal. I hate that place!!!! Well , here are my other parameters. I tested them with salifert test kits.

Ca: 385
MG: 1200
PH: 8.3

I guess the ca has come up over the past day or two. I really wish I knew the kHK level.

 

[Ben1]

You can test Alk and read it as dKH = degrees of carbonate hardness, or meg/l = milliequivalents per liter. To change dKH to Meg/l divide dKH by 2.8

Alk is the thing I test most often for.

 

[kgross]

I would guess the alk kit you received, measures in meq/lt as Ben says, so if you are at 4 meq/l you are at 11.2 dKh which is pretty high. If this is a 75 gallon with a sump, with 75 gallons total water, according to the reef chem calculator you need 10.3 oz of the B-ionic calcium buffer to bring it up to 450 ppm ca. Now you will want to do this over a few days do about 3 oz a day for the next three days, This should bring you to aprox 450 calcium. Depending on what your demand is, the alk will drop some, I have no idea how much.

Measure all your levels again on day 4 and let us know what is going on.


Here is the calculator

http://reef.diesyst.com/chemcalc/chem_calc3.html


Solving chem/alk problems.

http://web.archive.org/web/200211270405 ... 2/chem.htm

 

[Sea Turtle]

I am going to get a test kit tomorrow that will test the dKH level. I will let you knwo when I test. I am hoping that it is not as high as we are thinking.

 

[kgross]

If it is high, that is not a problem, we just need to know what the levels are so we can get them all normal and stable.

Kim

 

[ChrisRD]

On the hydrometer thing... you can make a calibration solution with table salt to check it...

Check out this article by Randy Holmes-Farley:
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-06/rhf/index.htm

HTH

 

[Sea Turtle]

Thanks. I'll give this a shot tonight when I get home.