Dosing magnesium and alkalinity at the same time

[wasabi bean]

So I recently found that my magnesium has been dropping and is around 1100, i have stuff to dose purely magnesium and i am currently dosing sodium bicarb for alk, my doser is an absolute pain to set up so what i want to know is whether i add the magnesium mix to the ro water before i add the carbonate or would this cause an unwanted chemical reaction?? I would only be adding 30ml to make 450ml of solution for the current alk setup

 

[Freenow54]

I see 5 : similar threads about this below your post

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

When you say it has been declining, what does that mean? It never depletes faster than 1/10th of the calcium consumption rate. It may just be test error or low salinity.

 

[Freenow54]

Following interested

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I don’t want to suggest you solid be dosing mag to correct what may be test error, but you can never mix magnesium or calcium with bicarbonate or carbonate or hydroxide solutions.

 

[Freenow54]

I don’t want to suggest you solid be dosing mag to correct what may be test error, but you can never mix magnesium or calcium with bicarbonate or carbonate or hydroxide solutions.

Why?

 

[Miami Reef]

It’ll cause a variety of precipitation reactions.

Mixing calcium with bicarbonate or carbonate will cause calcium carbonate, an insoluble compound. Calcium with hydroxide will make calcium hydroxide which has a very low solubility and also includes some calcium carbonate.

Magnesium has a similar issue.

It basically wastes the chemicals.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

That is why two part systems exist. :)