I'm stumped ...

I had touched on this in another thread but figured I'd start a new one that was specific.

So my tank is about 2.5 months old. BC29. 1 bluefin damsel. Zoas, mushrooms and one recovering sun coral (accidentally tried to kill ... has 1 tiny head and about half of a larger one) have been there for quite some time. I recently added a Duncan, hammer and trumpet. Several snails, 2 hermits (both been there a while) and 1 peppermint shrimp that was just added.

Originally my mg was down in 900s but since switching to Reef crystals it has started coming up. My problem is that I can't get it over about 1230. I'm dosing fluval sea magnesium daily and it's dropping still. My calc is reading 480 and alk is 10. Those haven't changed in several days but the mag keeps dropping.

Anyone have any thoughts as to why my magnesium is dropping so quickly despite dosing yet my alk and calc are holding steady?

Here is my mg record. The notes are dosed after the test.

And I even dosed more than I have been yesterday and it dropped even lower today. So I dosed more.

Should I be doing something different? Dosing something different? I wouldn't worry as much but I don't think my corals are as happy as they could be. My mushroom rock does look nice and full today though ... maybe the best it has looked!

My phosphates are finally getting down to a good level too. Down to 0.095 today. Aiming for the 0.03-0.05 range.

 

Wow! Dropped 30ppm in two days despite dosing?!
First your under dosing to raise Mg to 1400 or whatever your targeting. Second, I don't know enough about the chemistry to advise what's causing such a precipitous drop. I can't imagine an organism in your tank consuming Mg and causing this! It also doesn't make since for another element to be doing this (to me at least). Which test kit are you using? This may be worth the time and money to send a triton water sample. I suggest posting this question with test kit on reef2reef. There are some chemists and biochemist that love this stuff!

 

Well I started with the lower dose because that is what it said to dose weekly so I wanted to raise it slowly, but it doesn't seem to be raising it at all! I'm using a Salifert kit and am meticulous about being consistent and following directions, so I doubt that user error is the issue. I was under the impression that calc, alk and mag all worked together and fluctuated together but my calc and alk are holding steady. I did post on r2r and reef sanctuary and fishlore.

You know, I was watching something about dosing calc and alk last night and it said that dosing too much can actually make it drop. It didn't say anything about magnesium doing this also but I'm wondering if it can ... but if you say I'm not dosing enough to even raise it to where I want to be then I don't know how I'm dosing too much. Unless it really is only supposed to be dosed once weekly and dosing more often can make it drop. I'm not sure how magnesium works and the chemistry of it all to know if what I'm saying even makes sense.

 

I wouldn't stress about this unless your keeping sps. I kept softies and lps with out ever checking for cal, alk, or mg. Only tested nitrates and phosphates. But I changed water every two weeks.

 

Are you doing water changes during all this dosing?

 

In response to how much to dose. I'm simply taking your latest test result and looking at how many ml's your dosing. Dosing once a week makes sense for maintaining when heavy consumption. Your trying to increase your level, I'm guessing around 200ppm.

Good points above. Water changes may be affecting. And depending on tank inhabitants......who cares.

 

I haven't done a water change since Saturday ... so I'm not sure where the magnesium is going. Test was up to 1245 today but I didn't re dose on the recommendation of someone else. We will see where it is tomorrow.

 

Well I wouldn't really worry but it started out SO low and I was just trying to get it in a good ratio with calc and alk to maintain. My corals just don't seem as happy as I think they should but since I've been dosing my mushroom rock has been so open and full. Probably the best it's looked since I got it!

 

I definitely think you should raise Mg to a 'normal' level. The water change question was a suggestion that your WC could be what's driving Mg downward. The 'who cares' comment by me simply meant focus on a range rather than a specific number. Your Mg issue is interesting and your going at it the same as I would! Slow and steady wins the reef race!

 

As long as the animals you keep are happy, I think your off to a good start.

 

Well ... I'm trying to get them there! My mushroom rock seems super happy but the rest are lacking a bit ... and that is why I initially started looking at the numbers more closely. I'll admit, with rushing a bit I've lost some corals along the way. And that is why I'm trying to make sure my water quality is where it should be to keep from losing any more!

 

You might want to get a different test kit just to trouble shoot your results. I use Red Sea

 

It's possible, cause anything is I suppose, that the Salifert kit is 'bad.' However, Salifert has great kits and many reefers swear by them.

 

I agree with running the kit against another.

Also, some corals actually take a while to adjust to your water parameters, it can be weeks to many months depending on what type of organism.

 

I live in Benton. I think there are some others in Benton also ... and I wouldn't mind bringing a water sample to anyone to use their kit ... just let me know when and where. I took a sample up to Vanessa but she didn't have a mag test to check my results.

 

It's just the fluval sea premix bottle. I haven't dosed in a few days at the advice of some others and it's fallen 30 points. I've seen the BRS supplement ...

I'm going to try to do some larger water changes every couple days and see if that doesn't help. I am having some higher nitrates that I can't seem to get down too.

 

I live in Benton.