How do you increase mg?

[ogdogg]

Ok tested for mg today. It was 1200. I'm going to be using aqua vitro (seachem) ions to raise it. The instructions states that every capful (7ml) will raise the water by 5 mg/L. If I want to raise it to above 1300 mg/l, I will have to add about 20 capful to increase by 100mg/L. Is that right? Obviously there is a max per day around 45mg per day, but it seems like a lot to add 20 capfuls. any suggestions? I also tested for ca 360 and alk 9.2. So apparently my low mg is affecting my ca and alk. Again I've been dosing religiously for all and ca but unable to raise it by much. I'm going to raise mg first then raise the alk and ca.

[thegrun]

You've got the number right. It take a lot of volume of whichever product or chemical you dose to raise your magnesium levels. I use a magnesium sulfate/magnesium chloride combination, but the Seachem or Kent premixed solutions are fine.

[sleepydoc]

Your numbers seem half right - your concentration is 1200 mg/l and 7 ml will raise it by 5 mg/l? Raise the concentration in how much volume? The instructions should give a dose per unit volume (i.e 1 capful/20 gallons or something like that.)

Calculate your estimated dose, then divide it by 4 and start with that. Check your levels and proceed accordingly. Your Alk is fine. Ca is a bit low, but it's not going to kill stuff overnight.

[disc1]

There's a lot of magnesium in seawater. It is always surprising how much supplementation it takes to raise the level by very much.

There is a little over a pound of pure magnesium in 100 gallons of seawater. In terms of mag chloride and mag sulfate that we use to get that magnesium, that's around 10 pounds.

[pete33]

At 1200, your calcium should be 400. I would focus on that first before raising your mag levels.

[disc1]

I don't think that little bit of calcium will be a problem. Getting mag up first will help to raise it without precipitation.

[ogdogg]

The instructions state 7ml (cap) per 36 gallons, but if u read further it says that each cap with only raise the concentration of Mg by 5 mg/L, at least that's how I read it. So I thought if I wanted to raise it by 100mg, I would have to add 20caps(7ml) x 5mg/L = 100 mg/L.

Anyways, I got lucky. I was being cautious and only added 5 caps which by my math should've raised it by 25mg/L but to my surprise this afternoon my Mg was at 1400. And like most of u said the ca spiked also to 430. Alk rose to 10.6.

So now that everything is on line should I test once a week. Dose then test again. I'm assuming the rest will be trial and error until I can keep everything stable. Thanks Xcode any help

[disc1]

How big is the aquarium we're talking about. If it is 36 gallons then your math is right on. If it is any other size then you've skipped a step.

For example, if you have 72 gallons then one cap will only raise you by 2.5ppm.

If you have 18 gallons then one cap will raise it by 10ppm.

When you're figuring out a dosage for anything, tank size is crucial.

[ogdogg]

Thanks for the clarification. I've got a60 gallon tank. So I've got 60 gallons which is 1.6 times greater than 36 gallons. Take 5mg/1.6= 3.125 ppm. 100ppm/3.125= 32caps. I think it's right now. Thanks