Adding Mg

[drew2005]

Anyone with experience in adding magnesium by itself? Ive been trying to raise my Mg for a few days using Kent Tech-M. Bottle says 5ml daily will raise the level 18.3ppm per day. Ive been adding for 5 days and no change in level yet. My Mg test kit(Salifert) is only about 7 months old. It doesnt say on the bottle it needs to be drip dosed so ive just been adding it directly to the tank. Can someone help me?

 

[tizzo]

Are you serious?? They must have diluted the stuff down. My bottle, which is really old. says 1 ml per gallon will raise it 39.1 ppm per day.
Let's do this...
What size tank do you have. (gallons...include sump gallons)
What's your current mag level?
What's your desired mag level?
Write the directions again, or indicate if that 5 ml is per gallon or per 10 gallons, etc...

 

[tizzo]

Forget the last request. I pulled the directions off line
Directions:
Important: Shake vigorously immediately prior to use! The preferred method is to test the magnesium level in your aquarium, then add Tech M at the rate of 1 ml per gallon aquarium capacity per day to bring the level to between 1250 and 1350 ppm. This will raise the level by 18.4 ppm per day. As a routine supplement, if not testing, add two teaspoons (2 capfuls or 10 ml) per 50 gallons tank capacity every week in all marine systems.
.

 

[tizzo]

According to these instructions... and noting you have a 46 gallon tank (profile), you would need to add 46 ml's a day to raise your mag by 18.4 ppms.
Since I do not know your current levels, I cannot tell you how many days to do this...

 

[drew2005]

Well now that i read it again i screwed up. Ive only been adding 5ml per day, when i should be adding 40ml per day. Last i checked my mg was 1170. I want it to be 1320. WOW im an idiot.

I cant believe i read the bottle wrong. So if 2 capfulls is 10ml then i need to add 10 capfuls per day to raise it 18.4ppm. Thanks for the help Tizzo.

 

[tizzo]

Just to ease things, 5 ml is a teaspoon. 15 ml's is a tablespoon, and 240 ml's is a full cup.

 

[drew2005]

Originally Posted by Tizzo
Just to ease things, 5 ml is a teaspoon. 15 ml's is a tablespoon, and 240 ml's is a full cup.
So i should be good with 3 tablespoons per day. Much easier now. Thanks again. :joy:

 

[tizzo]

Yes, but since you want such a significant increase, it would not hurt to dose twice a day. Once in the morn and once at night.

 

[drew2005]

I thought about doing that but i didnt wanna put too much too fast. It does say it safely raises the level but i wasnt sure. I will definitely try that. If I was to go over 1320 would that have a big affect on my levels? What im trying to do is get the mg up to 1320 so i can get my Ca up from 410 to about 450.

 

[mikegray]

well i got a 125g tank with 70g sump... theres got to be a better way to add mg.. then 1ml a gallon for just 18ppm. im a 1170 and i want 1350. ill need a 5gallon bucket of this stuff. is there a more potent one to get it to 1350 with less liquid.

 

[tizzo]

Switch salts.
IO has a low mag level, but for me, Oceanic has had a 1300 ppm mag level. I haven't had to dose mag since I started using Oceanic.

 

[tizzo]

If my math is right then to raise you mag 180 ppm's you need to dose 1250 ml's.
one cup is 240 ml's.
So 5.21 cups should do ya. That's about 2 or 3 of the larger bottles right?

 

[tizzo]

oops, I forgot the sump,

 

[tizzo]

1950 ml's total.
8 cups is 1920 ml's.
Yep, you'd need a lot. :thinking:

 

[mikegray]

yea but thats to get it there... thats not counting dosing after my water changes to bring it back to 1350.... wat should i do? i got 2 more 50lb buckets of this salt.... i dont wanna waste it.