Neptune Aquatics

Coral confusin

Longs drugstore brnad epsom salt (which doesn't LIST any other ingredients...??) is 4 pounds for $3. According to one of the online calculators I would need 8oz to increase 60g of water (I have a 58g+40g sump, but the sump is not filled up, minus live rock, etc). So that would be less than a bucks worth.

From the thread, it seems that most Mg tests are hard to use for us non-chem like people.

V
 
Well today I am going to do a 20% WC, and then add epsom salts mixed with RO water. It still states on that site that it isn't safe to add more then 100ppm per day so I won't exceed that
 
[quote author=Roc link=topic=6183.msg79175#msg79175 date=1234018954]
Well today I am going to do a 20% WC, and then add epsom salts mixed with RO water. It still states on that site that it isn't safe to add more then 100ppm per day so I won't exceed that
[/quote]
Just make sure it's 100ppm to your tanks overall water, not just the water you mixed up.
 
[quote author=Elite link=topic=6183.msg79221#msg79221 date=1234035563]
Does anyone see any problem with massive wc? Why not just do like 75% WC to correct the problem faster??
[/quote]

In my system that would be like 120 gals of water, I don't have that type of holding capicity for SW.

[quote author=sfsuphysics link=topic=6183.msg79233#msg79233 date=1234038247]

Just make sure it's 100ppm to your tanks overall water, not just the water you mixed up.

[/quote]

Yea what I did is used the cal that Jeramy put up and used my overall volume but picked to rasie it 100ppm (since thats what the site said would be safe) and used that amount. Tomorrow I will test again and do the same thing until the level gets brought up.

I tested a little while ago and I can already see it's at almost 1000 now
 
So I reread my instructions and it says something to the effect of:

1 - whatever is remaining in the syringe when finished. So, if I had .45ml left in the syringe I minus that from 1(00) and get .55ml

.55ml x 2000 = 1100ppm/Magnesium

Or am I still f'ing it up?
 
[quote author=badbread link=topic=6183.msg79381#msg79381 date=1234079980]
So I reread my instructions and it says something to the effect of:

1 - whatever is remaining in the syringe when finished. So, if I had .45ml left in the syringe I minus that from 1(00) and get .55ml

.55ml x 2000 = 1100ppm/Magnesium

Or am I still f'ing it up?
[/quote]

here is the thing.

you add .40 off the bat right? so how would you ever know if your mag was lower then 800ppm?

I donno maybe your right but everyone I asked told me not to count that, and it mad sense since I hadn't added mag to my tank ever but had been dosing for awhile, if the way your testing is right then my mag would have been 1540, which makes no sense
 
Jay,

I just got off the phone with Red Sea and they confrimed what I said about the testing method. The 1st .40 ml is a baseline, you only count the Regent C added AFTER the 1st .40 ml, so if in your tank your getting .55 with that counted, really you should say .15ml or 300ppm, this could be 1 reason you have had issues with keeping your KH in check.........




In other news I am still adding epsom salt on a daily basis to rasie mine 100ppm per day, so far it seems to be working and isn't throwing anything else out of wack.
 
I gotta say, there is something seriously wrong with a test kit that nobody can understand! The sad thing is that they just need to print up clearer instructions!

V
 
Here is a bit of potentially relevant chemistry. Most likely the test titrates using ETDA (a strong chelator). Your indicator is one color when Ca/Mg are present and another when they are not. EDTA makes the Ca/Mg not present as ions by binding it. Here is the catch. If you want to do a single titration and know Mg or Ca (not and), you need to precipitate the other. This is easy for measuring Ca since you can just raise the pH and crash out the Mg. I'm not sure how to do the reverse (ie crash out Ca and preserve Mg ions). Anyone know the reagents?

Is it possible that the 0.40mL that you initially add, are to account for a theoretical value of calcium? If so, if you don't match the theoretical, your Mg is over or under estimating real Mg levels.

I tried to find the redsea website but had no luck to confirm what the proceedure/chemicals are.
 
[quote author=alve link=topic=6183.msg79769#msg79769 date=1234215062]
I have an Elos Mag test kit and it is very easy to use. I don't know how accurate it is though.
[/quote]

I've been using both ELOS and Salifert and so far, I still like Salifert better becuase it offers better resolution. I've stopped using ELOS for a while now but I think the incremental reading is set @ 50. I could be wrong. The result weren't very far off of each other though so they're both very good kits.
 
Gomer, if it helps:

Reagent A: add one drop, shake 15 seconds, do it 5 times, clear liquid, no change in color
Reagent B: add 5 drops at once, shake for 2 seconds, turns the color reddish/pink
Reagent C: add .4ml, shake for 2 seconds, add a drop, shake until it turns blue, adding a drop at a time
 
It would be super helpful if anyone besides Jay and I have this test kit and another one made by someone else, if they could test with both and post the results. This way we can see how acurite the Red Sea is...........
 
Hey Roc, how is the tank doing. Been thinking of your tank. I also have the red sea kit to test mag and found out was reading the results wrong. Bought some Kent tech M, think that is what you got. Raised the mag. Just wanted to just your results with mine. As I raised my mag my dk and salinty went up too. Is this consistent with your tank. Asking as Ive always had an issue with my alk being low and could never keep it up, used reef buffer before. Now that my mag is rising my alk numbers look so much better now. Just wondering if that is the same case with you.
 
[quote author=70Cuda link=topic=6183.msg80672#msg80672 date=1234460793]
Hey Roc, how is the tank doing. Been thinking of your tank. I also have the red sea kit to test mag and found out was reading the results wrong. Bought some Kent tech M, think that is what you got. Raised the mag. Just wanted to just your results with mine. As I raised my mag my dk and salinty went up too. Is this consistent with your tank. Asking as Ive always had an issue with my alk being low and could never keep it up, used reef buffer before. Now that my mag is rising my alk numbers look so much better now. Just wondering if that is the same case with you.
[/quote]

My DKH didn't change, but my tank sprung a leek and I am in repair process, so I'm really just trying to keep stuff alive
 
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