Low Manesium just add Epsom Salt?

[Buster4900]

If I understand correctly, my Magnesium level is low. I can mix Epsom Salt with water and add that to the tank to raise the Magnesium level. No problems?

 

[danmcmahon]

Ive been using Epson Salt for a week after reading an artivle on RC. I have a 125 and have been adding about 1 cup a day to the sump to bring my level up to 1300. I have already added 6 cups and everything seems fine. I will do a water change soon to remove some of the sulfate that builds up.

 

[Buster4900]

I guess I will give it a try, thanks!

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Adding Epsom salts is not ideal, but at least once it can work if the rise in magnesium is not too high. Otherwise, it can result in elevated sulfate levels since it has more sulfate than magnesium in it. A commercial additive, magnesium chloride, or a mixture of 9 parts magnesium chloride to 1 part Epsom salts are all better than Epsom salts alone.

This calculator shows how much Epsom salts are needed:

Reef Chemicals Calculator
http://home.comcast.net/~jdieck1/chem_calc3.html

 

[Buster4900]

I have been using the Kent Marine Tech M to raise the calcium but recently ran out. I do not to raise it much more so I think the epsom method will be OK? In the future my understanding is to swith salt mixes to get higher calcium, magnesium, etc. levels?

That calculator is excellent, Thanks!!

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

If that means switching to Oceanic, that wouldn't be my preference either, but other mixes are fine. Otherwise, that sounds good.

 

[tjay]

I have discovered my mag to be very low. 990
I use kent salt and tried Tech M to raise M, it seems to have little benefit to my levels.

What is another good product to help?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Tech M is a fine way to go. It just takes a huge amount of any of these additives. The calculator above shows how much to use.

 

[tjay]

I used the calculator, and needed an entire bottle according to it.
So over 3 days I added 6 parts twice a day so I did not shock the tank.
No significant increase was noted using a new salifert kit

 

[tjay]

Currently
Calc 460
alk 8.6
mag 1000

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Well, perhaps there are other factors, such as imperfect testing, but there are not "better" products from the standpoint of being able to raise it.

Also, if I'm remembering correctly, there may be some confusion as to the potency of Kent's Tech M. Does yours say what is concentration is?

 

[tjay]

yes that was in the dosage notes
I will just stick with it
Thanks Randy

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

You're welcome.

Good luck.

 

[rdmpe]

My magnesium is at about 1275. I want to bring it back up around 1300 to 1350 which would be about 1/5 of a carton or so (500 grams) of Epsom Salts and I have some here. Where can I purchase Magnesium Chloride for future tweaks?

Thanks!

NOTE - I corrected "mg" to "grams" above...

 

[rdmpe]

Hmmm, actually more like 1/4 to 1/3 of a carton since they are 1.8 kg.

I've been searching around on the net for magnesium chloride, no luck so far. Guess I'll try the yellow pages for local chemical supply companies...

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Magnesium chloride can be difficult to find, but hardware and home stores sometimes sell the Dead Sea Works brand. This section is from my upcoming article:


Substitutes for Dead Sea Works Magnesium Chloride Hexahydrate

The Dead Sea Works is a business unit of ICL Fertilizers. They sell magnesium chloride hexahydrate in the US as a deicer and also apparently to artificial seawater (salt) manufacturers. In the past, potential impurities (such as ammonia) have left many aquarists and even some companies wary of using deicing or any other grades of magnesium chloride hexahydrate. However, The Dead Sea Works company recently supplied a detailed impurity profile for its product listing most impurities (29 of them in all). None were high enough to be a concern to reef aquarists. Included was an indication that it had adequately low ammonia. Subsequent analysis by Greg Hiller of some of the supplied material confirmed that the ammonia is low enough to use.

The recipe above is based on the bulk density of the MAG Flake as supplied by the manufacturer. They also sell a pellet product. It may be OK to use, but probably has a slightly different bulk density (they do not provide it that I can find). Exact values for the magnesium part are less important than the other parts, and when using pellets Iââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢d just follow the directions as stated here for flake unless better information is supplied in the future.

At this time, magnesium chloride hexahydrate from the Dead Sea Works is the only such product that I recommend, but there may be others that are acceptable. Choosing other unknown brands may be fine, or not. Iââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢ve not tested them for purity.




Magnesium chloride hexahydrate made by the Dead Sea Works is sold at many home stores, including Home Depot. It is often labeled MAG Flake. It may be repackaged as meltsnow:
http://www.meltsnow.com/msds-mag-flakes.htm

It may also be available from these stores:

http://www.harveysalt.com/prod01.htm
http://www.meltsnow.com/products-dry-magnesium-chloride.htm

 

[tjay]

Just an fyi I had no luck with kent tech M
three days of dosing with bionic mag and I am right on target now

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

You should be able to attain any magnesium levels with either of those as they are very similar products. Maybe you just did not add enough of the Tech M, or had a testing problem.

 

[tjay]

That could be, the testing indicated little change maybe 100 with the techM 3 day addition of an entire bottle
3 days adding the same amount of the bionic and I am right on target

happy ending and that is what counts

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

happy ending and that is what counts

:thumbsup:

Happy reefing.