I am new to this incredibly addicting hobbie, but have found these forums extremely useful. The current item that is baffling me and not seen many posts on, is high magnesium demand. & no need to tell me its the low Mg from my salt mix, I've checked, it is not that. LFS did tell me this is possible, but baffled still since I do not think I've seen one posting of anyone requiring this much Mg, and a lot of folks have even larger tanks/much more population than I have.
Current Mg consumption/drop per day = 35 ppm; or in other words have to dose 280 mL/day of the BRS chloride/sulfate solution to keep up with it. It is actually a bit more than that (~50 ppm) but when I do my water change I wait 2 days before the last dose i.e. 1300, then water change takes me back to 1400. I use the red sea test kit and seems very accurate and consistent. I've tested numerous times between water changes as well (i.e. 3 day intervals to track, and every time it is almost exactly the same results) I do not need to add any calcium, water changes keep it at the high end levels. I add very minor alk (60 ml/week) to bump it back up from low 8 to 9.
Inherited my tank, was in very bad shape. Lost most the population from poorly maintained water quality and a couple more from the shock changing the live sand/water/transfer. Some of the LR was also scrubbed before putting back in due to the large algae growth, saw a diatom bloom near the beginning so know it was cycling. Its been about 1.5 months and things are looking much healthier. Added a small SPS frag just to get a good sense of how my overall water quality is since I've heard those are tough to keep alive, and it looks just as healthy/happy as the day I bought it (2 weeks ago).
Tank stats:
120 Gal
10 gal water changes weekly
Change filter sock every 2 days
SWC 160 skimmer/atman ph2500 pump / vortech mp40 / rio20hf return
SG ~ 1.025-1.026
Alk ~ 9
Ca ~ 490
Mg ~ 1400 (maintaining at)
NO3 ~ jumped up high after feeding more; planning to make an algae scrubber for the sump to help mitigate, and preferably a refugium later /w LR, & carbon dosing.
PO4 ~ Trying to keep it low <0.08 via blue life phosphate drops.
Inhabitants:
~a dozen leather mushroom corals
~3 LR covered in 3 different types of zoanthids
~1 rose bubble tip anemone
~1-4 yr old purple tang
~1-4 yr old coral banded reef shrimp
~2 baby clown fish
~5 electric blue hermit crabs
I also do not use a heater nor do I see white specs anywhere that would indicate the Mg is precipitating. However, if it were precipitating, what is the solution for that?
Would love to know WHY the demand is so high!
Current Mg consumption/drop per day = 35 ppm; or in other words have to dose 280 mL/day of the BRS chloride/sulfate solution to keep up with it. It is actually a bit more than that (~50 ppm) but when I do my water change I wait 2 days before the last dose i.e. 1300, then water change takes me back to 1400. I use the red sea test kit and seems very accurate and consistent. I've tested numerous times between water changes as well (i.e. 3 day intervals to track, and every time it is almost exactly the same results) I do not need to add any calcium, water changes keep it at the high end levels. I add very minor alk (60 ml/week) to bump it back up from low 8 to 9.
Inherited my tank, was in very bad shape. Lost most the population from poorly maintained water quality and a couple more from the shock changing the live sand/water/transfer. Some of the LR was also scrubbed before putting back in due to the large algae growth, saw a diatom bloom near the beginning so know it was cycling. Its been about 1.5 months and things are looking much healthier. Added a small SPS frag just to get a good sense of how my overall water quality is since I've heard those are tough to keep alive, and it looks just as healthy/happy as the day I bought it (2 weeks ago).
Tank stats:
120 Gal
10 gal water changes weekly
Change filter sock every 2 days
SWC 160 skimmer/atman ph2500 pump / vortech mp40 / rio20hf return
SG ~ 1.025-1.026
Alk ~ 9
Ca ~ 490
Mg ~ 1400 (maintaining at)
NO3 ~ jumped up high after feeding more; planning to make an algae scrubber for the sump to help mitigate, and preferably a refugium later /w LR, & carbon dosing.
PO4 ~ Trying to keep it low <0.08 via blue life phosphate drops.
Inhabitants:
~a dozen leather mushroom corals
~3 LR covered in 3 different types of zoanthids
~1 rose bubble tip anemone
~1-4 yr old purple tang
~1-4 yr old coral banded reef shrimp
~2 baby clown fish
~5 electric blue hermit crabs
I also do not use a heater nor do I see white specs anywhere that would indicate the Mg is precipitating. However, if it were precipitating, what is the solution for that?
Would love to know WHY the demand is so high!
