How much magnesium does your tank consume?

[redhanded77]

Just wondering if any of you guys dose mag daily and if do, how much do you dose?

Im thinking of setting up another doser to dose mag once I can figure out how much mag my system eats up.

Anyone out there with experience about this? Please chime in along with a brief system description.

 

[plyle02]

IMO, just test mag each day at the same time for a few days in a row. Each day, simply add what you feel the consumption is, then adjust accordingly. Some tanks absorb more based on corals and inverts that tend to uptake more than others, not really tricky, but my tank seems to absorb quite a bunch. I feel an overlooked element that needs to stay in relative range to keep the alk and ca relationship in balance. I use Elos to test, pretty tricky test kit until you get the full grasp. Also, some salts are lower, so perhaps dosing addtions to saltwater changes may be required. Don't know if that directly answers your question, but should be tested weekly....IMO

 

[aurora]

I don't dose Mag daily but add it with my water changes in my new water.

Some magnesium are used in coral skeleton growth but I don't think in significant amount. Most Mag in a reef tank is likely lost during water changes. I use IO and their Mag is around 1000 out of the bag. I keep my tank Mag around 1400 so I add about 2 quarts of Mag Flakes for every 80g water change I do.

I think of Mag is like the oil in your car engine...it lubricate the motor but doesn't get burned up like the gasoline. Mag is the electrolyte that keeps Ca and bicarbonate dissolved in sea water and likely mediate other important reactions. When Mag is low, you are more likely to get calcium or bicarbonate precipitation and therefore wild swing in these parameters. Places in your tank where precipitation can happen are usually high pressure areas such as your pumps. So if you are getting tons of deposits in your pump, you may have a low Mag issue ( or high bicarb and Ca issue). If you drip kalk, where kalk enter your tank is prone to precipitation from localized area of high concentration of Ca and Bicarb.

 

[redhanded77]

Thanks for the input! I normally do 12g water changes every 2 weeks, and I notice a change in alk, ca and mag levels after the water change. So from now on, before I do the water change, Im going to make sure the new water is adjusted accordingly before it is put in. Less stress on the system and levels should remain constant, atleast for the waterchange day.

as far as mag goes, Ill take the advice and test to see what the daily consumption is, and then dose that daily. I figure if I can keep everything as constant and stable as possible, the better off my tank is.


the numbers I strive for are...
alk - 8dkh
ca - 400-420
mag - 1300-1400

 

[cccapt]

The calcification process uses aprox 1 meq/l alk to 18 ppm ca to 2 ppm mag.

 

[cloak]

I don't know. I've never tested for magnesium in my life. As long as I can keep my alk steady, everything else seems to fall into line through regular water changes. Things are growing, but I'm not sure if they would be growing any faster if I did check the magnesium. My guess is that it's the dinosaur of a ballast I'm using right now. It's just not up to par.

 

[fishypets]

I dose via Profilux doser and use 35 ml/day

 

[BradR]

I notice a direct increase in purple coraline algae growth with dosing magnesium. It just takes off like crazy.

 

[nessbuilder]

I have a 120g sps dominated reef and dose 30 ml a day and my mag stays at 1380 right on the dot.

 

[mr. pluto]

i'm doing 59ml a day , total water volume est. 320 gal.

 

[myaerica]

In my 180 100ml daily.

 

[TotalVapor]

If you have a CA reactor you might want to take a look at NeoMag. I used to dose like crazy. A friend of mine called me and we were talking about dosing. He told me to try NeoMag in my CA Reactor and it should keep my Mag stable around 1350.

This is the third of fourth month I have been using it and my Mag is still at 1450 to 1500 with my CA at 480 to 500. Depending on what time of the day I run the test.

So far I could not be happier with it.

 

[MechEng99]

Dose 10mg daily on my 10g SPS QT tank (about 150 corals in there...it's packed)

Dose 50mg daily on my 55g SPS grow-out tank (packed in there too)

Keeps it at 1350. But, it'll depend on what your tank uses. Test daily while dosing for about two weeks, and it'll be easy to find out what your tank needs daily.

 

[henrystyle]

If you have a CA reactor you might want to take a look at NeoMag. I used to dose like crazy. A friend of mine called me and we were talking about dosing. He told me to try NeoMag in my CA Reactor and it should keep my Mag stable around 1350.

This is the third of fourth month I have been using it and my Mag is still at 1450 to 1500 with my CA at 480 to 500. Depending on what time of the day I run the test.

So far I could not be happier with it.

How much media does your Calcium reactor hold and how much neomag do you have in there?

 

[sedor]

This thread makes me feel like I should be dosing more Mag. I follow bulk reef supply's guidelines (I use their 2 part product) and when I have gone through a gallon of Ca and Alk solution, I pour in, 20 oz. I think is what a packet makes up.

 

[MechEng99]

This thread makes me feel like I should be dosing more Mag. I follow bulk reef supply's guidelines (I use their 2 part product) and when I have gone through a gallon of Ca and Alk solution, I pour in, 20 oz. I think is what a packet makes up.

If you are testing regularly, and what you are dosing is making up for what your tank is using, then you shouldn't be dosing more. If you aren't testing...and are just following the guidelines...well...then I definitely wouldn't dose more. Get a test kit before you decide to go crazy testing magnesium.

Funny (or not) story, my husband accidentally dumped an entire gallon of Mag into the tank thinking it was top-off water in a 40g tank. That did not end well. So, don't over-do it!

 

[Stanley-Reefer]

I use Kent Tech M and dose 15cc daily in my 90--60 net gal and 45cc in my 180--170 net gal

I don't test much but everything has looked good for 2-3 years.:thumbsup:

 

[Thairun]

I drip a ltr of diluted Magnesium Chloride about 8 spoonful a week. Test weekly by Salifert my range at 1380 -1400ppm consistently as required. Comfortable with that and give me good growth of sps and coralline, with the compliment of Ca 410ppm and alk at 7 dkh (dosing vodka) 100ltr WC fortnightly for a total system volume approx 950 ltr.

 

[cloak]

Sort of off topic, but if you can keep your calcium, ALK, and pretty much everything else in check, would there be some sort of an indicator that your magnesium might be low? See above. I've never checked magnesium in my life, but some of my sps corals are doing better than others. Coralline everywhere. Is it as it as easy as a color I should be seeing? Maybe zoas aren't growing as fast as they should, xenia not pumping, etc? Any sort of clue, lighting aside?

SG 1.024-1.026
Nitrate 0
Phosphates ?
Magnesium ?
Calcium 400-450
Alk 7-9
Ph 8.1-8.3

Thanks.

 

[Stanley-Reefer]

xenia not pumping has been related to low Iodine levels and/or too much flow from articles I've read...