Randys magnesium recipe

[Johnny bass07]

Tell me if I did something wrong. I mixed 71/4 cups of magnesium chloride and 1/2 cup of magnesium sulfate to a gallon of water. My magnesium was 1290 and was wanting to bring it up to 1350.Water volume is 300gal. Randys calculator under Randys recipe 1and2 . I dosed 49ozs.After dosing 2 hours later I tested and my magnesium tested 1440. I did 2 test and the were the same. New salifert test kit. Why did it dose so high?

 

[KrisReef]

How come you didn't start with half (~25 oz) and test after that addition?

 

[Johnny bass07]

How come you didn't start with half (~25 oz) and test after that addition?

I guess I trusted the calculator. If I did everything right that calculator was way off.

 

[Johnny bass07]

Do you think that big of a jump will cause any problems?

 

[ReefingDreams]

Do you think that big of a jump will cause any problems?

You're fine. Retest tomorrow.

 

[homer1475]

Recipe calls for 3c of epsom salt, and 5c of magnesium chloride. Or just 8c of epsom salt in 1 gallon of water.

I would say you mixed up the recipe wrong.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Tell me if I did something wrong. I mixed 71/4 cups of magnesium chloride and 1/2 cup of magnesium sulfate to a gallon of water. My magnesium was 1290 and was wanting to bring it up to 1350.Water volume is 300gal. Randys calculator under Randys recipe 1and2 . I dosed 49ozs.After dosing 2 hours later I tested and my magnesium tested 1440. I did 2 test and the were the same. New salifert test kit. Why did it dose so high?

Maybe the first test was reading as bit lower than reality. Or both readings are off.

Anyway, magnesium testing has a lot of error associated with them, and the salinity changes also impact magnesium.

The current value is still fine.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Recipe calls for 3c of epsom salt, and 5c of magnesium chloride. Or just 8c of epsom salt in 1 gallon of water.

I would say you mixed up the recipe wrong.

He is using the stand alone magnesium recipe, rather than the one that goes along with the DIY two part. They both have the same potency.

The stand alone has more of the chloride, because it is not being offset by all the chloride in calcium chloride.

 

[OrionN]

Tell me if I did something wrong. I mixed 71/4 cups of magnesium chloride and 1/2 cup of magnesium sulfate to a gallon of water. My magnesium was 1290 and was wanting to bring it up to 1350.Water volume is 300gal. Randys calculator under Randys recipe 1and2 . I dosed 49ozs.After dosing 2 hours later I tested and my magnesium tested 1440. I did 2 test and the were the same. New salifert test kit. Why did it dose so high?

Possibly you calculate the water volume wrong. Did you subtract the volume of sand and rock? The think was of the rock?
Empty volume of the overflow?
Most manufacturers over represents their tank volume.

 

[Johnny bass07]

Possibly you calculate the water volume wrong. Did you subtract the volume of sand and rock? The think was of the rock?
Empty volume of the overflow?
Most manufacturers over represents their tank volume.

Yes. I have 365 gallons total with sump and frag tank and barebottom

 

[Johnny bass07]

Maybe the first test was reading as bit lower than reality. Or both readings are off.

Anyway, magnesium testing has a lot of error associated with them, and the salinity changes also impact magnesium.

The current value is still fine.

OK just making sure I mixed and dosed correctly. Thanks

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

You're welcome.

Happy reefing.

 

[homer1475]

He is using the stand alone magnesium recipe, rather than the one that goes along with the DIY two part. They both have the same potency.

The stand alone has more of the chloride, because it is not being offset by all the chloride in calcium chloride.

Did not know there was a stand alone recipe.

 

[aaron186]

He is using the stand alone magnesium recipe, rather than the one that goes along with the DIY two part. They both have the same potency.

The stand alone has more of the chloride, because it is not being offset by all the chloride in calcium chloride.

Not to hijack this but I figured I’d ask here. I’m starting my 2 part dosing and I have an extra dosing head. Should I be dosing magnesium daily or do you just correct it when you finish a container of Ca/Alk? If I don’t use magnesium for the doser then I will likely use if for some sort of coral food

 

[bozo]

Not to hijack this but I figured I’d ask here. I’m starting my 2 part dosing and I have an extra dosing head. Should I be dosing magnesium daily or do you just correct it when you finish a container of Ca/Alk? If I don’t use magnesium for the doser then I will likely use if for some sort of coral food

This is what randy wrote in a different thread. I saved it

QUESTION OF THE DAY - Getting the ions right: Do you dose magnesium?

At Randy's recommendation I dose Magnesium Chloride mixed with Magnesium sulfate. I don't know the chemistry (I nearly failed advanced chem), but my understanding is that sulfates balance out the chlorides. So, I mix and dose both daily. Everytime I test mg (once a year or so) it's always...

www.reef2reef.com

"My DIY (as BRS uses) has a fixed amount of part 3 to dose (1 mL of Part 3 per each 6.2 mL of the alk part OR per 6.2 mL of the calcium part), independent of any magnesium testing (unless magnesium is already too high for your preference)."

 

[aaron186]

This is what randy wrote in a different thread. I saved it

QUESTION OF THE DAY - Getting the ions right: Do you dose magnesium?

At Randy's recommendation I dose Magnesium Chloride mixed with Magnesium sulfate. I don't know the chemistry (I nearly failed advanced chem), but my understanding is that sulfates balance out the chlorides. So, I mix and dose both daily. Everytime I test mg (once a year or so) it's always...

www.reef2reef.com

"My DIY (as BRS uses) has a fixed amount of part 3 to dose (1 mL of Part 3 per each 6.2 mL of the alk part OR per 6.2 mL of the calcium part), independent of any magnesium testing (unless magnesium is already too high for your preference)."

So does that mean daily dosing? I’m a bit confused sorry

 

[bozo]

per what randy wrote, it looks like he doses magnesium daily.

From what I'm understanding, he doses 1 mL of Magnesium (Part 3) each time he doses 6.2 mL of ALK and 6.2 ml of CAL.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I do not think magnesium needs daily dosing, so if you want to use that pump head for something else, that's fine, IMO. Just dose the same total amount, but less often

Dosing once a week is adequate, or more often if you prefer, but magnesium is not going to change more than about 2 ppm per day, and the chloride/sulfate balance that part 3 also corrects changes even more slowly.