Magnesium is very high and I am looking for the cause

PacoPetty

Well-Known Member
View Badges
Joined
Feb 22, 2018
Messages
631
Reaction score
720
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I have a 32 gallon bio cube that is five months old. I have a media basket with filter floss, chemi pure blue, and two bags of Marin pure gems. I have a fuge basket with a ball of Chaeto and in the return chamber I have a sicce Syncra 2.0 return pump. My Calcium is 440, Alk is 11, and my magnesium is off the charts at 1800. I do not dose with any additives. Can anyone give me a suggestion as to why my magnesium is so high?

ED19C307-170F-4979-ABC6-50548B92369B.jpeg
 

Saltyreef

I'm not your dad...
View Badges
Joined
Nov 25, 2018
Messages
7,041
Reaction score
6,030
Location
Central Coast, California
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Salinity level?
What salt are you using?
What are you using to measure salinity?

How old is your magnesium test kit? And which kit?
Have you tested a few times and came up with same result?
 

hllb

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Aug 30, 2019
Messages
2,171
Reaction score
1,542
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Mix fresh salt to same salinity as tank and check it. I had a batch of reef crystals that tested at 2400! clearly it was a bad batch.
 

hllb

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Aug 30, 2019
Messages
2,171
Reaction score
1,542
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Testing error is the most likely explanation. Folks seem to have more issues with this test than any other.
They seem to be a relatively less accurate test too. BRS talked about it and I’ve seen similar discussions even with various ICP testing. BRS seemed Aquaforest the best test. Once I got one though it tested the same as my Salifert.
 

Saltyreef

I'm not your dad...
View Badges
Joined
Nov 25, 2018
Messages
7,041
Reaction score
6,030
Location
Central Coast, California
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
My salifert mag kit was 5 years old before i replaced it with a new one.
Readings were still within the kits stated accuracy and matched the new kit almost perfectly.
+/- 50ppm between the two after 5 consecutive tests of new and old kits.

Not too far off from ICP either.
 
OP
OP
PacoPetty

PacoPetty

Well-Known Member
View Badges
Joined
Feb 22, 2018
Messages
631
Reaction score
720
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
OK here we go and I hope I can answer all of your questions so you can help me. When I started maintenance on my tank today I immediately noticed that half of my Chaeto appeared to be melted and stuck to the sides of the rear chamber and fuge basket. I took it out and took out all of the dead Chaeto and was left with about a baseball sized ball so I put it back in the fuge basket and returned it to the back of the tank. I thoroughly cleaned the Fugees basket and the media basket. I placed a bag of Purigen on the top shelf of the media basket and then put the filter floss over top ofit, below that was a bag of Chemi-pure blue followed by two bags of Marine pure gems. I did a 12 gallon water change with premixed salt water heated to 78° using reef pro salt mix in the red box.
FYI I do not dose or put any additives in my tank. The only thing I add to the tank is a half a cap of phytoplankton every other day into the fuge basket for the copepods.
 

rushbattle

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Oct 19, 2016
Messages
1,347
Reaction score
1,644
Location
Equality
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
OK here we go and I hope I can answer all of your questions so you can help me. When I started maintenance on my tank today I immediately noticed that half of my Chaeto appeared to be melted and stuck to the sides of the rear chamber and fuge basket. I took it out and took out all of the dead Chaeto and was left with about a baseball sized ball so I put it back in the fuge basket and returned it to the back of the tank. I thoroughly cleaned the Fugees basket and the media basket. I placed a bag of Purigen on the top shelf of the media basket and then put the filter floss over top ofit, below that was a bag of Chemi-pure blue followed by two bags of Marine pure gems. I did a 12 gallon water change with premixed salt water heated to 78° using reef pro salt mix in the red box.
FYI I do not dose or put any additives in my tank. The only thing I add to the tank is a half a cap of phytoplankton every other day into the fuge basket for the copepods.
How do you measure salinity?
 
OP
OP
PacoPetty

PacoPetty

Well-Known Member
View Badges
Joined
Feb 22, 2018
Messages
631
Reaction score
720
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I waited about five hours and then tested my parameters. Below are my findings and what test kits I used. I also took a water sample to my LFS and his numbers were in line with the ones I got at home.
Salinity 1.025 Refractometer, Milwaukee Inst.
Temp 77.9
PH 7.5 API 7.75 Hannah
Nitrite 0 API
Nitrate 10 API
Ammonia .5 API
Calcium 420 API 432 Hannah
Alkalinity 8 API 153 Hannah
Magnesium 1600+ Red Sea
Phosphates .29 Hannah
I have attached a picture of the salt mix I use.

0CD0EA79-A146-4E9E-AF66-518F4E6931E3.jpeg
 
Last edited:

Sierra_Bravo

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Jan 29, 2017
Messages
1,896
Reaction score
4,036
Location
San Antonio, TX
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Easy miss on the Red Sea that happens to a lot of folks: Are you adding one drop of Reagent A, mixing for 15 seconds, adding another drop, mixing for 15 seconds, etc. until you do all five? If that part of the instructions is misinterpreted and you add all five at once it will result in a false reading.
 
OP
OP
PacoPetty

PacoPetty

Well-Known Member
View Badges
Joined
Feb 22, 2018
Messages
631
Reaction score
720
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Easy miss on the Red Sea that happens to a lot of folks: Are you adding one drop of Reagent A, mixing for 15 seconds, adding another drop, mixing for 15 seconds, etc. until you do all five? If that part of the instructions is misinterpreted and you add all five at once it will result in a false reading.
Yes I counted to 15 before adding each drop. My LFS owner did the exact same thing and he got the same result.
 
OP
OP
PacoPetty

PacoPetty

Well-Known Member
View Badges
Joined
Feb 22, 2018
Messages
631
Reaction score
720
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Salinity level?
What salt are you using?
What are you using to measure salinity?

How old is your magnesium test kit? And which kit?
Have you tested a few times and came up with same result?
1.025
Reef Pro red box
Refractometer and Milwaukee Inst.
Magnesium test kit is brand new Red Sea
Four tests same result
 

rushbattle

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Oct 19, 2016
Messages
1,347
Reaction score
1,644
Location
Equality
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
1.025
Reef Pro red box
Refractometer and Milwaukee Inst.
Magnesium test kit is brand new Red Sea
Four tests same result
Per Dr. Randy’s comment above, it’s either the salt mix or testing error if you are certain salinity is in range.
 
OP
OP
PacoPetty

PacoPetty

Well-Known Member
View Badges
Joined
Feb 22, 2018
Messages
631
Reaction score
720
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Per Dr. Randy’s comment above, it’s either the salt mix or testing error if you are certain salinity is in range.
I am really leaning toward the salt mix. I’m on my second box of this brand but I just started testing magnesium, calcium, and alkalinity because I just started adding coral. I had my refractometer calibrated so I know that it is correct and I have been to four different LFS and they all say my salinity is 1.025.
 

Backreefing

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Nov 29, 2018
Messages
1,279
Reaction score
1,127
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Mix fresh salt to same salinity as tank and check it. I had a batch of reef crystals that tested at 2400! clearly it was a bad batch.
I got the same batch . Except I couldn’t get a test result as it was off the charts high ( aqua forest ) this is the second time I had parameter troubles with Reef Crystals salt mix . Before I didn’t like them . Now I hate . That salt has no place anymore. Great availability, professional cover , lousy salt mix .
 

Backreefing

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Nov 29, 2018
Messages
1,279
Reaction score
1,127
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
BTW I did a big water change ( 40+ % ) with Red Sea blue bucket salt mix a week ago. Things are returning to normal. Color coming back in two acropora ( Garth bonsai , and a Cali tort ) and looking better .
 

A worm with high fashion and practical utility: Have you ever kept feather dusters in your reef aquarium?

  • I currently have feather dusters in my tank.

    Votes: 73 37.6%
  • Not currently, but I have had feather dusters in my tank in the past.

    Votes: 66 34.0%
  • I have not had feather dusters, but I hope to in the future.

    Votes: 25 12.9%
  • I have no plans to have feather dusters in my tank.

    Votes: 28 14.4%
  • Other.

    Votes: 2 1.0%
Back
Top