What's making my Mg rise?

[GobyWanKenobie]

My mg used to be around 1300, but for the last 2 months it's been up around 1600. What is making it climb? The only thing I'm doing differently is dosing with Reef Snow once or twice a week. My Alk (10) and Ca (515) have not changed. I use Hanna checkers for all three tests, and I strive for consistency more than the actual number. Should I be concerned with the 1600? A couple of my acros are having an incredibly slow STN, but I don't know if it's the mg or lighting at the bottom of the corals.

 

[Chris.Reef]

What's your salinity at and do you know if it's an accurate reading?

 

[GobyWanKenobie]

It's about 1.027 and, yes, once in a while I use a recalibrating solution on my refractometer. Occasionally, it gets higher, but that's never affected my Mg before. I like the Reef Snow, but not if it's messing up my parameters. It's not supposed to, but it's the only thing I'm doing differently. It did help with my vermetid snails, and my corals seem to like it, but.....

It seems every time I try to do something better, it gets worse.

 

[dz6t]

What brand of salt are you using currently?

 

[Cpage101]

It's about 1.027 and, yes, once in a while I use a recalibrating solution on my refractometer. Occasionally, it gets higher, but that's never affected my Mg before. I like the Reef Snow, but not if it's messing up my parameters. It's not supposed to, but it's the only thing I'm doing differently. It did help with my vermetid snails, and my corals seem to like it, but.....

It seems every time I try to do something better, it gets worse.

1.027 salinity is a little high I recommend bringing this down to 1.025-1.026 level. this would just require you to add some RO water slowly while testing till you get to said levels. I use a hannah salinity checker so it is pretty easy to make top off adjustments. Salinity levels can affect your other test levels results. This is a good resource to get you close. https://www.hamzasreef.com/Contents/Calculators/SaltwaterDilution.php

 

[GobyWanKenobie]

What brand of salt are you using currently?

I've always used reef crystals.

 

[GobyWanKenobie]

1.027 salinity is a little high I recommend bringing this down to 1.025-1.026 level. this would just require you to add some RO water slowly while testing till you get to said levels. I use a hannah salinity checker so it is pretty easy to make top off adjustments. Salinity levels can affect your other test levels results. This is a good resource to get you close. https://www.hamzasreef.com/Contents/Calculators/SaltwaterDilution.php

Why would this cause an increase in my Mg? I've always been around 1.027.

 

[dz6t]

I will get a salifert test kit to verify the Hanna checker.

 

[afboundguy]

I will get a salifert test kit to verify the Hanna checker.

I would do this as well. I had my Hannah mag tester show close to 1800 and when I retested with aqua forest kit it was in the normal range.

 

[Cpage101]

Why would this cause an increase in my Mg? I've always been around

I would do this as well. I had my Hannah mag tester show close to 1800 and when I retested with aqua forest kit it was in the normal range.

yes I would not trust hannah mag or Ca testers to much room for error

 

[afboundguy]

yes I would not trust hannah mag or Ca testers to much room for error

I had my Hannah Calcium reader give me a 580+ reading and it was retested with aqua forest and was around 460-480. I have a bunch of Hannah kits and the phosphate, alkalinity and silicate ones all seem to be spot on but I don't really use the calcium and magnesium ones anymore after several over the top high readings!

 

[Cpage101]

I had my Hannah Calcium reader give me a 580+ reading and it was retested with aqua forest and was around 460-480. I have a bunch of Hannah kits and the phosphate, alkalinity and silicate ones all seem to be spot on but I don't really use the calcium and magnesium ones anymore after several over the top high readings!

the Hannah copper one is great to use with copper power for QTing also, very accurate within hobby grade that is

 

[Cpage101]

I personally have used red sea for Ca and Mag for over 10 years and have been happy with results always within the ranges I consider acceptable 1380- 1425 mag and 380-420 Ca. If above the levels are way off normal tests for some reason I would always do a 2nd test to make sure it is not user error with testing @GobyWanKenobie are you dosing anything in the tank?

 

[GobyWanKenobie]

I've always dosed with ESV A and B for alk and ca. I recently started dosing Reef Snow twice a week. I don't chase numbers, but I do try to stay consistent. The Mg is the only number that has drastically changed. I think I'll stop the Reef Snow and see if that is the culprit, but I don't know why it would be.

 

[dz6t]

I am not sure Reef Snow can increase magnesium that much.
Since magnesium is a very lightweight element, in order to increase 300 ppm of magnesium in a 50 gallon tank, you need to drop in 470g of magnesium chloride solid, that is about 1 lb of magnesium salt.

 

[wdebenedettojr]

Salinity is only slightly above range but obviously an over concentration of salt could increase your mag. Like others have said I would def try a different test for your mag and calcium. I love some of the hanna checkers but have found the mag and ca not as reliable. If your calcium is truly 515 I would try to bring that down a bit.

 

[GobyWanKenobie]

Figured out my problem. So dumb. One of the syringes wouldn't work so I switched to a pipette. Apparently, Hannah's idea of 4 ml. isn't universal. I fixed the syringe and redid the test. I'm back to 1310. I absolutely hate the syringes so I might stay with the pipettes and consider 1600 as my new norm.

I've been using pipettes for all of my Hannah checkers. I'm guessing my numbers aren't as high as I think, but at least they are consistent. LOL

 

[Cpage101]

Figured out my problem. So dumb. One of the syringes wouldn't work so I switched to a pipette. Apparently, Hannah's idea of 4 ml. isn't universal. I fixed the syringe and redid the test. I'm back to 1310. I absolutely hate the syringes so I might stay with the pipettes and consider 1600 as my new norm.

I've been using pipettes for all of my Hannah checkers. I'm guessing my numbers aren't as high as I think, but at least they are consistent. LOL

yes to many steps with much possibility for error. I personally like Red sea for magnesium. 2ml water, 5 drops A 5 drops B and then add reagent with syringe. super easy too if you use an aqua spin mixer.

 

[GiannisK]

I’ve had consistent results with the aqua forest magnesium test which might be a bit more economical than the Red Sea.

 

[Duds]

Salifert for me same process as Red Seas nice and simple and fairly accurate when compared against an icp.