magnesium test?

fatboyjoe

Member
I have a 90 gal. 17 month old reef tank with a sump and refugium. I have mostly softies, a clam and an anemone. once a month after the water change I test for ph, ammonia, nitrate, phosphate,calcium alk, and salinity. In my fuge I have a dsb, live rock and 4 mangrove plants. I just read somewhere that mangroves suck up alot of magnesium. I have never tested for magnesium. Infact, I can't even find a magnesium test kit anywhere in my area. so before I order one online, my question is, do I really need a magnesium test kit? or do my monthly water changes replace the magnesium that my mangroves use up?
 

rhomer

Member
Based on your coral load it isn't really an issue. If you want to keep sps corals then you should test for magnesium otherwise the calcium is unusable by your corals. Softies on the other hand don't have skeletal structure and have no need for calcium. A good way to know if you have the proper amount of magnesium is if you have coralline algea growing like mad. If so your mag levels are fine.
Rob
 

oceana

Active Member
Originally Posted by rhomer
Based on your coral load it isn't really an issue. If you want to keep sps corals then you should test for magnesium otherwise the calcium is unusable by your corals. Softies on the other hand don't have skeletal structure and have no need for calcium. A good way to know if you have the proper amount of magnesium is if you have coralline algea growing like mad. If so your mag levels are fine.
Rob
this is NOT true that soft coral do not gain from CA.
soft coral use small amounts of calcium that is used to help support calcium carbonate spicules that support the body structure. not to mention that fact that he says he has a clam to which Ca is VERY important. to ensure a well ballanced reef Magnesium IMO is a great test and is over looked way to often.
GL to ya
 

rhomer

Member
Originally Posted by oceana
this is NOT true that soft coral do not gain from CA.
soft coral use small amounts of calcium that is used to help support calcium carbonate spicules that support the body structure. not to mention that fact that he says he has a clam to which Ca is VERY important. to ensure a well ballanced reef Magnesium IMO is a great test and is over looked way to often.
GL to ya
Sorry, I didn't see that he has a clam. I agree that mag test is important and is usually the missing element in getting a system to balance between alk, calc, and ph. In the past when I've had problems getting my Cal up it was due to a lack in Mag.
Rob
 
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