I have only started testing/dosing magnesium for about 2 weeks. I use IO salt. The first magnesium test I did was 1080. (NSW=1300-1500 depending on salinity) So I dosed B-Ionic magnesium supplement as directed on the bottle and re-tested in 3 days. The magnesium was up to 1170 but KH (alkalinity) was down to 9.9 from 11.0 before I started dosing and calcium was down to 300 from 400 before I started dosing magnesium. I've always used Kent turbo calcium but switched to B-Ionic 2 part buffer/calcium supplements at the same time (2 weeks ago). I have been adding equal parts like it says.
Tonight (2 weeks from starting to dose magnesium and changing to B-Ionic) my water tests are this: salifert test kits
Temp 82
sg 1.025 (with refractometer)
pH 8.3
nitrate 5
nitrite 0
KH 8.0 !!!
Calcium 370
Magnesium 1230
Tonight I dosed B-Ionic part A (buffer) and the KH re-tested 10.5, then dosed kent's Turbo Calcium until calcium tested 430. Then tested KH again and it had already dropped to 8.2 again. What's the deal? Should I have left well enough alone and never started dosing magnesium? The alkalinity was fine then. I only started because I thought raising magnesium would also help raise calcium (which I could never get above 400 before). If it's gonna mess with the alkalinity that much, should I just stop and live with a calcium of 400 or will all of this straighten out with time?
All corals still look fine. I even re-read the directions on all the bottles and on the test kits to make sure I did everything right. :verymad:
Tonight (2 weeks from starting to dose magnesium and changing to B-Ionic) my water tests are this: salifert test kits
Temp 82
sg 1.025 (with refractometer)
pH 8.3
nitrate 5
nitrite 0
KH 8.0 !!!
Calcium 370
Magnesium 1230
Tonight I dosed B-Ionic part A (buffer) and the KH re-tested 10.5, then dosed kent's Turbo Calcium until calcium tested 430. Then tested KH again and it had already dropped to 8.2 again. What's the deal? Should I have left well enough alone and never started dosing magnesium? The alkalinity was fine then. I only started because I thought raising magnesium would also help raise calcium (which I could never get above 400 before). If it's gonna mess with the alkalinity that much, should I just stop and live with a calcium of 400 or will all of this straighten out with time?
All corals still look fine. I even re-read the directions on all the bottles and on the test kits to make sure I did everything right. :verymad: