Mg chloride& Mg sulfate question

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Reefing

New Member
I saw on BRS they sell Mg chloride and Mg sulfate, can I use this to raise Mg? I I can do I need to mix them like mag flakes and Epsom salt or would I just need one of them, if so which one. Buying seachem dry mag is getting too expensive and it takes too much. Thank you
Oh and what would be absorbing my Mg, could carbon and chemipure be the problem?
 
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DaveK

Well-Known Member
Coral growth will consume magnesium, but it's a a comparatively slow rate, especially when compared to Calcium. Unless you have a system with massive amounts of corals, you don't usually need to supplement magnesium.

Several low quality salts skimp on magnesium. Do a test on your newly mixed, or purchased SW. The problem could be there. Another area to check is the amount of of other supplements you are using. There is a balance that must be maintained here, and if you supplement one, you can deplete another.

If I was going to supplement magnesium, I'd use magnesium chloride, but magnesium sulfate can be used.

I doubt if carbon or Chemipure are an issue.

More to the point, what are your readings for SG, pH, Ca, Mg, and alkalinity? What are you trying to get the Mg reading to? What brand of salt are you using?
 
R

Reefing

New Member
On the day I tested,, ca400 sg35ppt mg1260 dkh9.3 my Mg went from 1440 to 1260 in 7 days so it depletes 25 ppm per day, seems a lot but I'm a newb. Thanks again Dave
 
R

Reefing

New Member
Also I did a wc last night 8/18 using ssachem. I tested the batch ca550 dkh10.5 mg1080 so I boosted the Mg up to 1400 before I wc. After I tested again and ca440 dkh11.3 mg1350 so let's see what happens in a couple days
 
bshady

bshady

Member
Carbon will definitely take out trace elements from your tank suck as magnesium. Do you run carbon all the time?
 
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DaveK

Well-Known Member
Reefing said:
Also I did a wc last night 8/18 using ssachem. I tested the batch ca550 dkh10.5 mg1080 so I boosted the Mg up to 1400 before I wc. After I tested again and ca440 dkh11.3 mg1350 so let's see what happens in a couple days
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I think you may have found your problem. Your salt is mixing to a low MG reading.
 
D

DaveK

Well-Known Member
bshady said:
Carbon will definitely take out trace elements from your tank suck as magnesium. Do you run carbon all the time?
Click to expand...

While carbon can remove certain trace elements, I doubt if it would have any real effect on Magnesium.
 
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DaveK

Well-Known Member
Reefing said:
To be honest....the carbon and the chemipure bag has been in the for a year now
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You should change or remove those. The media has lost most of it's absorption properties. This can cause the carbon to sometime leach some of what it has absorbed back into the water. In addition The media tends to become a dirt trap acting like any other unchanged mechanical media, and becoming a "nitrate factory".
 
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