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Magnesium Use


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Please help me to understand my Magnesium use.  As I understand it mag usually stays pretty stable and some people don't even test for it.  In my 20gal nuvo I have to dose it every day for some reason.  Last nite it was at 1320 and today when I got off work it was 1275.  So per BRS calculator I need to dose about 3oz.  My calcium stayed the same overnight and I don't know about Alkalinity but it was 9.4 today when I tested it. Has anybody ever heard of dosing this much magnesium all the time?

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32 minutes ago, jtarmitage said:

BRS is really a 3 part solution, dosed at the same rate, but the mag can be dosed all at once. Not sure that's wise, but can be done lol

That’s one of my biggest gripes about this hobby, it all depends on who or where you get your info.

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1st, your talking 50ppm difference is all, are you doubling up on tests or maybe try not dosing and keep testing for a 4 or 5 days in a row to ensure its not within the margin of error of a hobby grade test kit. If this truly is an issue I would spend some time studying, to understand magnesium I think its relative to understand its relationship with Calcium & Alkalinity.

Randy Holmes-Farley writes an outstanding article here
He also followed up with an article on solving the problems with imbalances here, I would check that and see if your Issue lies in Zone 2

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8 hours ago, jtarmitage said:

BRS is really a 3 part solution, dosed at the same rate, but the mag can be dosed all at once. Not sure that's wise, but can be done lol

BRS two part is essentially Randy's Recipe #2.  That is where is got the 1 cup for every gallon of ALK/CAL.

Recipe #2, Part 3B

Dissolve a 64-ounce container of Epsom salts (about 8 cups) in enough purified fresh water to make 1 gallon total volume. This solution is added much less frequently than the other two parts. Each time you finish adding a gallon of both parts of Recipe #2, add 305 mL (1 ¼ cups) of this stock solution. You can add it all at once or over time as you choose, depending on the aquarium's size and set up. Add it to a high flow area, preferably a sump. In a very small aquarium, or one without a sump, I suggest adding it slowly.

The full article: http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-02/rhf/index.php#12

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On 5/2/2018 at 6:15 AM, cjmdh said:

BRS two part is essentially Randy's Recipe #2.  That is where is got the 1 cup for every gallon of ALK/CAL.

Recipe #2, Part 3B

Dissolve a 64-ounce container of Epsom salts (about 8 cups) in enough purified fresh water to make 1 gallon total volume. This solution is added much less frequently than the other two parts. Each time you finish adding a gallon of both parts of Recipe #2, add 305 mL (1 ¼ cups) of this stock solution. You can add it all at once or over time as you choose, depending on the aquarium's size and set up. Add it to a high flow area, preferably a sump. In a very small aquarium, or one without a sump, I suggest adding it slowly.

The full article: http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-02/rhf/index.php#12

I'm pretty sure this is how i understood it too, Mg. should stay relatively stable in a stable system helping keep Alk. and Ca. in check. If i understood you correctly with a stable system you should be ready to dose Mg. right about the time your gallons of alk. and Ca. are used up. I've noticed that's when my tanks have done the best but sadly have not achieved that in a while. I could of course be waay off :blink:

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