High Mag levels in IO salt

[Reefflections]

Randy,
This bucket of IO has given me fits on the high Mag.levels.This is my second water change.First reading was 1500,now this weekend it was 1470.I'm using Salifert test kits,and it hasn't expired.But this seems very odd,for these high readings with IO salt.It usually is the other way around,low on the scale.What type of fall out with high Mag levels,like this?PH runs 8.1 to 8.3 salt levels are 1.026.Dkh 10.2.But I'm also seeing a little tissue recessions only at the base of some of my Monti Danaes.And it's not pest that are doing this.Trying to find out,can Mag these cause this at all?But I'm still baffled as to why this Mag is high like this?Also these Mag levels seem to stay pretty steady in between the water changes.It really doesn't drop off,as being used up within the system.Can anything be done to lower it?Just I little concern as this tissue that seem to appear now?These water changes are done every 2 weeks.
Curt

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

The is quite unusual for IO. It may be an off batch, unusually high salinity, or a testing error of some sort. In any case, many folks get magnesium to 1500 ppm without appreciable problems. I'd just let it drift down over time, maybe through routine water changes with a different batch of salt.

These articles may help:

Magnesium
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/oct2003/chem.htm

Magnesium and Strontium in Limewater
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/dec2003/chem.htm

Water Changes in Reef Aquaria
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-10/rhf/index.php

 

[Horace]

12500ppm???? Was that done slowly? I have always been told, and had a friend's corals show obvious stress after raising Mag to fast. When I say to fast, I mean raising like 100ppm/day.

 

[DrBDC]

I've noticed that too with my last 200 gallon box of IO. I got a little over 1500 on the mag. Maybe they've been reading this forum and heard that the mag was low. Or it's reef crystals salt packaged incorrectly? I also noticed that the ca was 440. Hmmm. Just glad I tested the new batch instead of bumping them out of habit like I usually do.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

12500ppm????

No, sorry. 1500 ppm. I corrected the post

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I've noticed that too with my last 200 gallon box of IO.

Maybe I should actually test mine before I boost it by my usual 150 ppm.

 

[NoSchwag]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7115064#post7115064 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by DrBDC
I've noticed that too with my last 200 gallon box of IO. I got a little over 1500 on the mag. Maybe they've been reading this forum and heard that the mag was low. Or it's reef crystals salt packaged incorrectly? I also noticed that the ca was 440. Hmmm. Just glad I tested the new batch instead of bumping them out of habit like I usually do.

Test your box of IO for alk. I bet $50 you'll be surprised.

I tested bags from 3 different batches, and alk was off the salifert charts on all of them. I have another bag at home from a new batch that I still have to test.

 

[DrBDC]

This was the first time I bought it in a box vs. the buckets.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

FWIW, I did just check my tank and the magnesium is not too high for the salinity (which is a tad high right now). I don't have any IO made to 35 ppt to check, as right now I'm using diluted IO for my automatic water changes to drop the salinity a bit.

 

[Billybeau1]

Wow here we go again. Maybe IO stole all the alk from Kent:lol:

 

[Reefflections]

Maybe just a bad bucket of salt,with these high levels.I even mixed the salt bucket,before it was put in my water change water.And even then,that 32 gallons water change was reading 1500.Being it got mixed with the tank water,it has drop to 1470.But yet still high.Just posting on this what happened to me.Maybe the next bucket will be more in line of 1350 range. I HOPE !
Thanks Randy

 

[DrBDC]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7117474#post7117474 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Randy Holmes-Farley
FWIW, I did just check my tank and the magnesium is not too high for the salinity (which is a tad high right now). I don't have any IO made to 35 ppt to check, as right now I'm using diluted IO for my automatic water changes to drop the salinity a bit.

Small world, I somehow let mine get up to 1.028 and am doing the same right now but not with automatic. I think it was from some skimmer overflow/replace water episodes which is why I bought the etss 800 I mentioned to you. BTW awesome skimmate.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Thanks Randy

:thumbsup:

Good luck.

 

[NoSchwag]

Does anyone know any good reason why the alk in the 200g boxes of IO are so high? I asked before but people looked at my post like it was crazy.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I've not heard of many folks with that problem. Maybe it is special to you.

It usually is about 11 dKH, so maybe you just got some that drifted a bit higher. Or maybe your test kit is off.