Tropic Marin Pro Low Magnesium

[Morpheosz]

In my weekly testing lately, my magnesium has shown a marked drop every week of around 50-100ppm. I add some of the magnesium supplement that came with my BRS 2 part over the course of a day or two but then the next week it drops again.

I realized I also recently started regular weekly water changes with Tropic Marin Pro (German box) so today I tested my freshly mixed to 35PPT, heated, circulated in a brute for a day salt and it came up 1050! Has anyone else experienced this? Could anything else be going on here? I looked up the salt and I believe it said it's supposed to mix to 1350.

My test kit is Salifert and I've been reliably using the same kit for 6 months.

Here is a recent view of my Magnesium ups and downs...

 

[areefer01]

Any chance you have a "known" reference solution and test using that? Fauna Marin for example has a multi reference that includes 8 or so parameters Mg being one. I keep one on hand for things like this be it manual tests (I use hanna) or with my Trident.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Might the salinity be drifting down?

 

[CoralB]

I know it’s in the box ,but if you pick up a 5 gallon bucket with lid and pour it in the five and roll it around to mix the salt just in case it’s not mixed properly as I use hw wiegandt salt in the box and have to do this every time I get a new box. Not sure this is your issue but just a suggestion.

 

[Morpheosz]

Might the salinity be drifting down?

No, it has been pretty rock solid in the tank and the newly mixed water is what tested at 1050 so it seems likely that that is the source of the dilution.

 

[Morpheosz]

I know it’s in the box ,but if you pick up a 5 gallon bucket with lid and pour it in the five and roll it around to mix the salt just in case it’s not mixed properly as I use hw wiegandt salt in the box and have to do this every time I get a new box. Not sure this is your issue but just a suggestion.

I have been keeping it in a 5 gallon bucket, good suggestion, can’t hurt!

 

[Morpheosz]

Any chance you have a "known" reference solution and test using that? Fauna Marin for example has a multi reference that includes 8 or so parameters Mg being one. I keep one on hand for things like this be it manual tests (I use hanna) or with my Trident.

I don’t, but it seems pretty clear that whether or not its right on or not, it seems like the mix is very much lower than the tank.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

How are you measuring salinity in the new salt water?

 

[Pod_01]

In my weekly testing lately, my magnesium has shown a marked drop every week of around 50-100ppm. I add some of the magnesium supplement that came with my BRS 2 part over the course of a day or two but then the next week it drops again.

I realized I also recently started regular weekly water changes with Tropic Marin Pro (German box) so today I tested my freshly mixed to 35PPT, heated, circulated in a brute for a day salt and it came up 1050! Has anyone else experienced this? Could anything else be going on here? I looked up the salt and I believe it said it's supposed to mix to 1350.

My test kit is Salifert and I've been reliably using the same kit for 6 months.

Here is a recent view of my Magnesium ups and downs...

Hopefully @Lou Ekus , @Hans-Werner can chime in and offer some advice/opinion.
I seen this topic come up either too much/ too little mag in fresh salt mix.

 

[Morpheosz]

How are you measuring salinity in the new salt water?

Refractometer, calibrated, and it agrees with my apex probe, which was also recently calibrated.

 

[Morpheosz]

OK, so I was a bit paranoid and wanted to make sure I hadn't messed anything up so tonight I double checked my refractometer with refracto juice - spot on 35. Checked my fresh salt water - about 36, checked my tank - almost 36.

Next I went to rerun my magnesium test. I was getting to the bottom of my current Salifert test kit so I opened the new one I had in reserve and the fresh salt water tested about 1300! So I went back to my old test kit and the 3rd reagent was the one running out so I syringed up the last bit of it, ran the test again, and it again came up really low - around 1000-1100. So I wonder if something went south with that reagent or if something settled out making the last bit more potent, thus changing the color with less, thus giving a lower reading?

So it seems like a false alarm other than my test kit going south on me. I went back and tested my tank with the new kit as well and it came up 1350. I do think the tank was a bit low because I added Mg supplement the last two days and it's not like I way overshot the mark.

 

[Hans-Werner]

Next I went to rerun my magnesium test. I was getting to the bottom of my current Salifert test kit so I opened the new one I had in reserve and the fresh salt water tested about 1300! So I went back to my old test kit and the 3rd reagent was the one running out so I syringed up the last bit of it, ran the test again, and it again came up really low - around 1000-1100. So I wonder if something went south with that reagent or if something settled out making the last bit more potent, thus changing the color with less, thus giving a lower reading?

I am glad everything has clarified! Thank you for your message.

Magnesium reagents contain ammonia, I think the Salifert too. When the bottle remains open for some time and maybe if it is nearly empty, too much of the ammonia may evaporate and the results may get blurry of drift.

Hopefully @Lou Ekus , @Hans-Werner can chime in and offer some advice/opinion.

We check every batch of salt very thoroughly before it leaves our company. A batch low in magnesium would not be sent out.

 

[Morpheosz]

I am glad everything has clarified! Thank you for your message.

Magnesium reagents contain ammonia, I think the Salifert too. When the bottle remains open for some time and maybe if it is nearly empty, too much of the ammonia may evaporate and the results may get blurry of drift.


We check every batch of salt very thoroughly before it leaves our company. A batch low in magnesium would not be sent out.

Thanks, appreciate you joining in and sharing these insights!

 

[gbroadbridge]

Probably the previous buckets had absorbed moisture

 

[DHill6]

I have noticed this also, mg tests at 1050 using Nyos tritation kit, on this particular bucket. I bump it up with TM BIO MG. This bucket is the smaller version I had purchased well before the Pro salt Turkey incident. I have 4 small buckets stored in a closet so no moisture could’ve gotten to them. Not a fan of the TM Pro boxes. In any case the small bump from adding TM BIO MG affects the tank in a void way, notice the LPS get really plump. It’s an LPS tank.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I have noticed this also, mg tests at 1050 using Nyos tritation kit, on this particular bucket. I bump it up with TM BIO MG. This bucket is the smaller version I had purchased well before the Pro salt Turkey incident. I have 4 small buckets stored in a closet so no moisture could’ve gotten to them. Not a fan of the TM Pro boxes. In any case the small bump from adding TM BIO MG affects the tank in a void way, notice the LPS get really plump. It’s an LPS tank.

Have you verified that test result in another way?

In general, there's no reason to assume salt mixes are more likely to be off than test kits. More often it is the other way around.

 

[DHill6]

Have you verified that test result in another way?

In general, there's no reason to assume salt mixes are more likely to be off than test kits. More often it is the other way around.

No I haven’t, it’s a new test kit. When I add a bump of TM Bio MG all LPS react well. I’ll order another test kit.

 

[Jason K]

I can also confirm WAY LOW magnesium in TM pro (50lb box). I used two different tests (aquaforest and salifert) calibrated against a standard. With salt mixed to 1.025 salinity, I had calibration adjusted reading of 1080 and 1110 respectively.

False advertising, I'd say.

 

[Pod_01]

False advertising, I'd say.

Unlikely, Mg seems very difficult to be measured or inconsistent.
Source of potential error are salinity, test kit and unfortunately the user.
I personally have hard time measuring Mg and I been doing it for 6 years.

Out of curiosity how do you measure salinity?

Also recommend salinity is 1.0262 so yours if correct should have less Mg.

Good luck,

 

[areefer01]

I can also confirm WAY LOW magnesium in TM pro (50lb box). I used two different tests (aquaforest and salifert) calibrated against a standard. With salt mixed to 1.025 salinity, I had calibration adjusted reading of 1080 and 1110 respectively.

False advertising, I'd say.

Well my first suggestion is to not chase numbers. You will just end up in crazy town. My second suggestion is to read the instructions and then retest. If the numbers are lower then reach out to Tropic Marin and they can help you further.

FAQ:

FAQ's

How do I mix my Tropic Marin salts? Please read through before mixing your salt. Using RO/DI water, bring the water to the temperature you will be using in your tank. With a power head or some...

tropicmarin-usa.com

What are the differences between the three types of Tropic Marin Salt?
Values are approximate guidelines and are meant to reflect values measured at a salinity of 35 PSU which is equal to a specific gravity of 1.0264.

• Classic: Ca: 370-390 ppm, Mg: 1250-1300 ppm, Alk: 9-10 dKH
• Pro-REEF: Ca: 430-450 ppm, Mg: 1300-1350 ppm, Alk: 7-8 dKH
• Bio-ACTIF: Ca: 430-450 ppm, Mg: 1300-1350 ppm, Alk: 8-9 dKH, plus carbon dosing compounds.
• Syn-Biotic: Ca: 430-450 ppm, Mg: 1300-1350 ppm, Alk: 8-9 dKH, plus carbon dosing compounds, probiotic bacteria & denitrifying bacteria.