Recomended MG level?

[Cope]

I just got my red sea mag test kit, Kinda hard to use? I think my mag level are at like<1280?

Dose this sound right? Any one else using this test kit? Got any tricks to make it a little easer or just time?
Thanks
Cope

 

[acrodave]

you normaly want 3x what ever your ca reads

 

[cd77]

An excellent article worth bookmarking:

http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-05/rhf/index.php

 

[Jeremy_holt]

Thank you for he article post. Very helpful for me. Thank you

 

[tmz]

I use the Sea chem kit and find it tideous as well. Ideally 1300to 1350 ppm is what you wan't regarless of the calcium or akalinity level. 1280 sounds good

 

[Cope]

Reef Aquaria Recommendation: Typical Surface Ocean Value:1

Calcium 380-450 ppm 420 ppm
Mine is @ 380

Alkalinity 2.5-4 meq/L
7-11 dKH
125-200 ppm CaCO3 equivalents 2.5 meq/L
7 dKH
125 ppm CaCO3 equivalents

Mine is <300

Magnesium 1250-1350 ppm 1280 ppm

Mine is <1280


Above taken from linked article.
So that puts me just a little high on the ALK.?

What do you guys think?
Thanks for the link, great read.
Cope

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Your alkalinity is less than 300 ppm calcium carbonate equivalents, but above what value? Or do you mean it is 300 ppm?

If so, I'd let it drift down a bit.

 

[cd77]

What salt are you using, and what is your specific gravity (and how are you measuring it)?

 

[Cope]

Your alkalinity is less than 300 ppm calcium carbonate equivalents, but above what value? Or do you mean it is 300 ppm?


???????????????

on my Mardel test strips( only test for alk, that I have right now)
it reads aprox. 300PPM.

For salt I mix it up between Reef crystals, and the regular Instant Ocean. I measure SG with my trusty floating hydrometer. I know, but I been using it forever. So SG aprox. 1.026 +/- .00?

There dose not appear to be any thing wrong with my tank, I just never tested for all this stuff before and wanted to see where I stand?
Thanks for the help
Cope

 

[Cope]

Ok well I just look at the SG and it reads 1.023

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Your alkalinity is less than 300 ppm calcium carbonate equivalents, but above what value? Or do you mean it is 300 ppm?


???????????????

OK, you perhaps did not intend the < to be a "less than" symbol, but that 's what it is.

I'd let the alkalinity drop a bit. No buffers or alkalinity supplements for a while. Have you added any buffers?

 

[snorvich]

What are you reading your SG with? A refractometer?

 

[Cope]

calcium carbonate equivalents,

^^^^^
This is what I dont understand?

SG measured with trusty old floating hydrometer.

 

[Cope]

< I thought that was greater than?

And this was > less than?

LOL math never was my strong point.

Any who.....
What I wanted to say was that may ALK was above 300PPM

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

4 < 6

reads as "four is less than six"

10 > 6

reads as "ten is greater than six"

> 50

reads as "greater than fifty"



for alkalinity:
1 meq/L = 2.8 dKH = 50 ppm calcium carbonate equivalents

 

[Cope]

Sorry, I'm kinda slow...

Can you explain
1 meq/L = 2.8 dKH = 50 ppm calcium carbonate equivalents

Thanks again for you're help.
Cope

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Those are different units of alkalinity like feet, inches, and centimeters are units of length. I gave the conversion between them.

 

[Cope]

AHHH......

Thanks so much!

Cope

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

You're welcome.

Happy Reefing.

 

[ccoral]

FYI i used both the redsea and then to make sure crossed referenced with a salifert kit both where +/- 20 ppm which was not bad

Keep MG 1350-1400
CA 425-450