Calcium problems.

[reefburnaby]

Hi,

One way to increase magnesium is to add epsom salts (available at most large drugs stores). The other way is to get some domolite (yah...that stuff you put on your lawn) and put it in the calcium reactor. The reactor will release the magnesium and bring it back up and maintain magnesium levels

In a normal reef system, the magnesium levels will eventually fall. This is a naturally occuring thing and it is what forms the ocean beds -- which are calcite, domolite and aragonite. Depending on the magnesium and calcium levels, the calcium and magnesium will eventually become one of those three rock types. I am a bit surprise that your magnesium levels are so low in such a short time. So, I would double check those results. One way of dropping magnesium levels very fast is to supersaturate the calcium, but I doubt that happened.

In the early days, magnesium defficiency was a normal thing and epsom salts were the common cure. So, salt manufacturers jacked up the magnesium to above NSW to account for the precipitated magnesium. Maybe, there is a reversal in this trend.

I can't remember who wrote those articles in the old days...but I think Randy mentions it in his recent ones.

Hope that helps.

- Victor.

[ 16 September 2002, 00:06: Message edited by: reefburnaby ]