My mg depletion rate is 100ppm. Is it possible?

[Coleus]

I have 155 gallon DP with 30Gallon Sump. Have about 200lbs rocks and have fair amount of lps and fishes.

I am having a hard time to stabilize my mg. I tried to test week after week and it seems that my depletion rate is 100ppm, my calc and alk stabilize at 440 and 10 with 2 parts dosing.

Does it seems high? I use Reef Chemistry Calculator and i need 672 grams of MagFlake (got from littlesilvermax) per week. That seems to be a lots


Your thoughts?

[Myka]

100 ppm per week depletion? Or per day?

On the other hand, it does take a lot of MagFlake dosing to raise Mg, but once you're there it shouldn't take much to keep it within reason. What Mg level are you aiming for?

[Coleus]

I am aiming for 1400 and mine is right now at 1300. 100ppm is depletion rate per week

[StirCrazy]

Is it a new tank and do you have a sandbed? I find a new tank with a sand bed has a verry high initial depleation rate which results in people trying to figure out why they can't keep Ca levels up. but now that lots of people are testing Mg this isn't as much of an issue.

Steve

[The Grizz]

With the amount of corals you have and the size of some of them it is not surprising that your levels drop that much in a week.

What do you do for water changes / top up's per week Tai? Do you do salt water top up's or some FW some time's?

[Coleus]

I have no sand bed and this is not a new tank. It used to be FOWLR tank and then switch to reef tank.

I top up about 15 gallon of RO FW per week and do 15 gallon of water change every week

[Myka]

100 ppm per week is definitely high, but not totally unreasonable. I go through 40-50 ppm per week, but my Acros are all fairly small yet.

[The Grizz]

I have no sand bed and this is not a new tank. It used to be FOWLR tank and then switch to reef tank.

I top up about 15 gallon of RO FW per week and do 15 gallon of water change every week

I have stopped topping up with FW and only use SW it has helped to keep my levels up. I keep my salinity at about 1.025 but top up with water with a salinity at 1.022. I found when I did use FW my levels dropped and it was hard to get them back.

[Myka]

I have stopped topping up with FW and only use SW it has helped to keep my levels up. I keep my salinity at about 1.025 but top up with water with a salinity at 1.022. I found when I did use FW my levels dropped and it was hard to get them back.

Doesn't your salinity creep up? How do you counteract that effect?

[The Grizz]

Doesn't your salinity creep up? How do you counteract that effect?

No for some reason it stays where I want it and I have been doing this on the new tank, my FOWLR and my old 155 since Nov last year. :noidea:

[mark]

do you supplement your 15g SW to 1400 before changing?

[globaldesigns]

No for some reason it stays where I want it and I have been doing this on the new tank, my FOWLR and my old 155 since Nov last year. :noidea:

Hmmmm, I also question this process... Water evaporation doesn't remove salt, so if you top up with salt, you would be adding more salt. So I am a little confused that your Salinity doesn't change for the worse.

I would personally not do that, as I think it will eventually catch up to you, quicker than you think. Unless you have some sort of salt monster that eats salt.

[globaldesigns]

In regards to MG, 100ppm in a week can happen, I have seen it on my tank. During times when I see more growth than normally, that is when I use more additives

[Coleus]

do you supplement your 15g SW to 1400 before changing?

Yes I do, I supply 3 tables spoon on my 15g SW and i am using IO reef crystal salt.

[mark]

Yes I do, I supply 3 tables spoon on my 15g SW and i am using IO reef crystal salt.

You just need 3 tbsp of Mg to supplement 15g? Your IO mix must be way higher than mine out of the pail. Highest I seen has been 1100 so using this calculator (http://jdieck1.home.comcast.net/%7Ejdieck1/chemcalc.html) and MagFlake looking at 5oz for 15g.

[Coleus]

You just need 3 tbsp of Mg to supplement 15g? Your IO mix must be way higher than mine out of the pail. Highest I seen has been 1100 so using this calculator (http://jdieck1.home.comcast.net/%7Ejdieck1/chemcalc.html) and MagFlake looking at 5oz for 15g.

yes, i got 1300 with my reef crystal so i need 1.6oz to make it 1400

[fishytime]

what brand test kit are you using?

[Coleus]

I use Salifert

[Coleus]

I will try to mix 1 cup of Mag flake with every 5 gallon FW top off and see how it goes

Thanks for everyone input