Magnesium addition

L

Laser

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I have been adding mag trying to elevate my levels to attempt to kill off some of the bryopsis that has thrived in my tank for years. I did not realize that the addition of magnesium elevates levels of salt so dramatically. My SG has gone from 1.028 to 1.035 in less than a week. OOPS :!: I am slowly bringing it back down now.
 
What were you using? Mag Flake or Epson's salt?
 
That is good to know, I don't think there is anything you can add to a tank that doesn't affect something else. We should have a fact sheet that states what each type of additive is and what else it affects.
 
Marc,
I was using Mag Flake and Epson salt (7 to 1) I think it was per gallon. I should have known that Magnesium Chloride would raise the SG somewhat but never crossed my mind. :shock:
 
The recipe RHF wrote most recently was 7.25 cups of Mag & 3/4 cup Epson Salt mixed with 1 gallon of RO/DI.

My tank & sump add up to 330g of water, and even when I dosed very heavily (6 to 12 scoops of Mag flake), I never saw salinity rise.

I'm dosing far more accurately now that I have solution mixed up in bottles. Two weeks ago I was wanting to raise it 50ppm, and using Jdieck's calculator, I needed to add 68% of a 2-liter bottle to my reef.

http://reef.diesyst.com/
 
What I do not understand with that formula is mixing it with the water. I mix the two salts together in a bucket and keep the mixture dry. Then as I need it I mix a cup or so of the mixture with ro/di, dissolve it, and add to the tank.
 
I guess mixing up the dry powders ( granules ) in a bucket doesn't assure that you'll necessarily have the proper ratio. It wasn't hard mixing it up, and storing it in 2-liter bottles. If I had to make a lot at once, that might have been more convenient perhaps.
 
I put the amount of the mixture I need in a small bucket. I guess it is about 5-8 lbs and shake the stuff up, it mixes very thoroughly. I just do not see the purpose of mixing it with water ahead of time. Maybe I am missing something. But I do not see the difference and it is easier to store dry.
 
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