ArielS
Community Member
Hello.
I have a very weird 45-gallon tank, about 18 months old. It was wiped out once because of BJD (when i go to holiday for 3 days) After that, I ran it as fish-only for around 3 months. Then, in early June, I did a 50% water change and started adding some corals again.
The magnesium consumption seems way too high in my opinion. At first, I suspected a test kit error, but I’ve used three different test kits (Salifert, Red Sea, and AF), and the results are pretty close.
Based on weekly testing, the average consumption is roughly:
Mg: about 10 ppm per day
Ca: about 2.5 ppm per day
KH: about 0.3 dKH per day
Some people say it’s impossible to have that much Mg consumption. have read the forum also many people said its test kit error — but it is what it is. 3 brand test kit all read close enough. I’ve checked multiple times to be sure. In past 2 month, I also tried stopping dosing for few days to see the consumption, did weekly water changes, and even went three weeks without any water change. The average consumption still stayed around the same numbers.
All my torch and bubble corals seem fine. Only my Goniopora sometimes doesn’t fully extend when I stop Mg dosing for a few days, which makes me believe the Mg is really being drain
Some of my friends say it’s impossible, debate MG only consume in certain number with KH And Ca And blablabla. Some say is ionic imbalance, Others say just follow what the tank needs — if it uses much Mg, then dose it.
For your information: during the first 6 months, my Ca rock steady without any dosing. The tank only consumed KH buffer and Mg, which I thought might be normal since it’s mostly LPS, so Ca demand is lower.
So my question is:
Should I just keep dosing based on what my tank consumes? (Even many says it impossible) or should I keep looking for the reason behind such high Mg consumption?
Have plan to Do ICP test (to make sure its not the test kit error)
What method you guys think i should use to check if the mg really drain much in my tank? stop dosing and take sample on first day and on day 7, and then send it?
I have a very weird 45-gallon tank, about 18 months old. It was wiped out once because of BJD (when i go to holiday for 3 days) After that, I ran it as fish-only for around 3 months. Then, in early June, I did a 50% water change and started adding some corals again.
The magnesium consumption seems way too high in my opinion. At first, I suspected a test kit error, but I’ve used three different test kits (Salifert, Red Sea, and AF), and the results are pretty close.
Based on weekly testing, the average consumption is roughly:
Mg: about 10 ppm per day
Ca: about 2.5 ppm per day
KH: about 0.3 dKH per day
Some people say it’s impossible to have that much Mg consumption. have read the forum also many people said its test kit error — but it is what it is. 3 brand test kit all read close enough. I’ve checked multiple times to be sure. In past 2 month, I also tried stopping dosing for few days to see the consumption, did weekly water changes, and even went three weeks without any water change. The average consumption still stayed around the same numbers.
All my torch and bubble corals seem fine. Only my Goniopora sometimes doesn’t fully extend when I stop Mg dosing for a few days, which makes me believe the Mg is really being drain
Some of my friends say it’s impossible, debate MG only consume in certain number with KH And Ca And blablabla. Some say is ionic imbalance, Others say just follow what the tank needs — if it uses much Mg, then dose it.
For your information: during the first 6 months, my Ca rock steady without any dosing. The tank only consumed KH buffer and Mg, which I thought might be normal since it’s mostly LPS, so Ca demand is lower.
So my question is:
Should I just keep dosing based on what my tank consumes? (Even many says it impossible) or should I keep looking for the reason behind such high Mg consumption?
Have plan to Do ICP test (to make sure its not the test kit error)
What method you guys think i should use to check if the mg really drain much in my tank? stop dosing and take sample on first day and on day 7, and then send it?
