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

Coleus · #1 04-28-2010, 12:20 AM

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 · #2 04-28-2010, 01:03 AM

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 · #3 04-28-2010, 01:47 AM

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

StirCrazy · #4 04-28-2010, 02:16 AM

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 · #5 04-28-2010, 02:43 AM

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 · #6 04-28-2010, 02:50 AM

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 · #7 04-28-2010, 02:55 AM

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 · #8 04-28-2010, 02:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 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

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 · #9 04-28-2010, 02:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Grizz

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 · #10 04-28-2010, 03:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Myka

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.