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View Full Version : magnesium off the chart!!??!!


spamreefnew
10/15/2009, 07:34 AM
i just rebuilt my system a few days ago(ecosystem with mineral mud method) i got new sand for the MD and mineral mud for the fuge. also replaced about 85-90% of the water with fresh instantocean mixed with 3ppm rodi water. all my livestock looking good,corals opened 90% in just one day! well upon testing params this morn i see that my magnesium is off the chart! it is 3200 ppm! is this harmfull? will it go down by itself? is it due to mineral mud? right now i only have the redsea test kit so i know that the reading is slightly off,,,,but i know its not off by 1500 ppm. last time i checked it against the lfs test it was off by 100 ppm. kit is brand new.

Randy Holmes-Farley
10/15/2009, 10:51 AM
I guarantee it is not accurate, or even close.

To drive 100 gallons of tank water from NSW levels (1300 ppm) to 3200 ppm would need 1,428 teaspoons of the most potent solid magnesium additive, or more than 2,000 teaspoons of the most potent liquid additives. :D


Unless you may have done that by accident and didn't mention it, the value is not 3200 ppm. :D

FWIW, the mud is not adding significant magnesium.

I assume the sample was clear (not super cloudy) when tested?

spamreefnew
10/15/2009, 02:17 PM
yes clear. good to know. can you suggest an accurate mg test kit that does not cost $100.00 lol :)

spamreefnew
10/15/2009, 02:27 PM
p.s. i have also ordered a red sea alk and calc test kits from local lfs (thats what they sell) are these any good or are they junk also? while i am at it...is there any one brand that is trust worthy and affordable as far as test kits go? this might be my biggest reefing problem ,usually i just buy what the lfs sells. i used to assume that it was against the law for the manufacture to say "accurate" if it was not at all.

bertoni
10/15/2009, 03:31 PM
I had bad experiences with my Red Sea test kits, which seems to be unfortunately common. API makes test kits that seem to be fine on average.

spamreefnew
10/15/2009, 04:16 PM
more votes for API anyone? once i get a few to agree i will order every kit that mfgr. makes :)

spamreefnew
10/15/2009, 04:26 PM
hey i just looked into aquariumwatertesting.com are they any good? its 89 bucks for the year,,,heak 3 kits can cost that

OCRick
10/15/2009, 04:32 PM
I use the API test kits for Alk & Calcium and feel I'm getting accurate results. For testing Magnesium, I use the Salifert test kit.

Billybeau1
10/15/2009, 04:58 PM
hey i just looked into aquariumwatertesting.com are they any good? its 89 bucks for the year,,,heak 3 kits can cost that

I'd pass on the aquariumwatertesting. Their results have been suspect in the past.

I like API kits for general testing. :)

hogan400
10/15/2009, 05:25 PM
i use the salifert. works perfect. about 35-40.00

spamreefnew
10/15/2009, 06:23 PM
api for phosphates as well?

luther1200
10/15/2009, 06:29 PM
I didn't like there PO4 kit to much. But I like most other API kits.

Billybeau1
10/15/2009, 07:04 PM
api for phosphates as well?

No, API's phosphate kit is too general for our purposes. Impossible to read.

Salifert and Elos make pretty good PO<sub>4</sub> kits. :)

bertoni
10/15/2009, 07:26 PM
Don't forget Hach for phosphate. I like that kit.

spamreefnew
10/15/2009, 07:32 PM
ok cool thanks guys

EdSnyder
10/15/2009, 07:38 PM
All my test kits are Salifert, seem to be very consistent.