Not happy with my Mg

JTL · 05/22/2018, 12:48 PM

My Mg has typically been about 1500 today it is 1650. I checked some fresh salt mix and it is the same. I am using the Salifert test kit. My Ca is 550 and Alk is 9-10. I think the Mg is too high and I wouldn't mind if the other numbers were lower. I am using Fritz salt mix which claims Ca 400-450, Mg 1350-1450 and Alk of 8-9, maybe I need to switch. My corals are not doing especially well.

timnem70 · 05/22/2018, 02:45 PM

Fritz has, from my personal experience and understanding, has one of the highest Magnesium numbers on the market. I stopped using it. Now use Red sea or even IO and still have high mag. 1500. It won't hurt anything and the only way to lower (I have never been able to in my tanks) is to do water changes over time. Again, at least it'll keep your Alk. In line and hasn't been proven to be effective nor harmful.

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bertoni · 05/22/2018, 10:42 PM

That's rather high, and I'd probably switch salt products, but a lot of people have run at a very high magnesium level without problems. Typically, they were dosing up to 1800 ppm in an attempt to kill Bryopsis.

JTL · 05/23/2018, 06:54 AM

I still have some Fritz left. Can I mix this with some new salt mix like IO?

oldhead · 05/23/2018, 08:57 AM

How do you figure out that it is 1650 when the test kit only goes to 1500?

JTL · 05/23/2018, 09:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by oldhead

How do you figure out that it is 1650 when the test kit only goes to 1500?

Add more solution to the syringe and extrapolate.

JTL · 05/23/2018, 09:14 AM

I contacted Fritz and they maintain it cannot be their fault because they double check the salt mix. They claimed when people have blamed the mix in the past is has been because the user did not have a properly calibrated refractometer. I checked mine with calibration fluid and it was spot on at 35 pt. I have been using this mix for almost at year and have gone through several boxes and never had these abnormally high readings. Guess it is my fault. Now to find another mix.

bertoni · 05/23/2018, 11:21 PM

Well, I'm sorry to hear that they are not being helpful. It's possible that the salt has settled badly during shipping, but that would imply that the magnesium level should drop towards the bottom of a container.

JTL · 05/24/2018, 07:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bertoni

Well, I'm sorry to hear that they are not being helpful. It's possible that the salt has settled badly during shipping, but that would imply that the magnesium level should drop towards the bottom of a container.

I am done with them. I posted my experience on another popular reefing site and there were others that had bad experiences. Fritz is a small player in the salt business and getting a bad reputation is going to hurt them. They are becoming more popular with the lfs in my area because of promotions. I am letting them know my bad experiences. I ordered a box of IO to try for a while.

05/22/2018, 12:48 PM	#1
JTL Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Venice Island, FL Posts: 2,532	Not happy with my Mg My Mg has typically been about 1500 today it is 1650. I checked some fresh salt mix and it is the same. I am using the Salifert test kit. My Ca is 550 and Alk is 9-10. I think the Mg is too high and I wouldn't mind if the other numbers were lower. I am using Fritz salt mix which claims Ca 400-450, Mg 1350-1450 and Alk of 8-9, maybe I need to switch. My corals are not doing especially well. __________________ John 100 gallon DT and 50 gallon sump with refugium. Reefbreeders Photon V2+.

05/22/2018, 10:42 PM	#3
bertoni RC Mod Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Mountain View, CA, USA Posts: 88,616	That's rather high, and I'd probably switch salt products, but a lot of people have run at a very high magnesium level without problems. Typically, they were dosing up to 1800 ppm in an attempt to kill Bryopsis. __________________ Jonathan Bertoni

05/23/2018, 06:54 AM	#4
JTL Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Venice Island, FL Posts: 2,532	I still have some Fritz left. Can I mix this with some new salt mix like IO? __________________ John 100 gallon DT and 50 gallon sump with refugium. Reefbreeders Photon V2+.

05/23/2018, 09:14 AM	#7
JTL Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Venice Island, FL Posts: 2,532	I contacted Fritz and they maintain it cannot be their fault because they double check the salt mix. They claimed when people have blamed the mix in the past is has been because the user did not have a properly calibrated refractometer. I checked mine with calibration fluid and it was spot on at 35 pt. I have been using this mix for almost at year and have gone through several boxes and never had these abnormally high readings. Guess it is my fault. Now to find another mix. __________________ John 100 gallon DT and 50 gallon sump with refugium. Reefbreeders Photon V2+.

05/23/2018, 11:21 PM	#8
bertoni RC Mod Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Mountain View, CA, USA Posts: 88,616	Well, I'm sorry to hear that they are not being helpful. It's possible that the salt has settled badly during shipping, but that would imply that the magnesium level should drop towards the bottom of a container. __________________ Jonathan Bertoni

05/22/2018, 02:45 PM	#2
timnem70 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2015 Posts: 462	Fritz has, from my personal experience and understanding, has one of the highest Magnesium numbers on the market. I stopped using it. Now use Red sea or even IO and still have high mag. 1500. It won't hurt anything and the only way to lower (I have never been able to in my tanks) is to do water changes over time. Again, at least it'll keep your Alk. In line and hasn't been proven to be effective nor harmful. Sent from my LG-LS997 using Tapatalk

05/23/2018, 08:57 AM	#5
oldhead Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2016 Location: New Jersey Posts: 527	How do you figure out that it is 1650 when the test kit only goes to 1500?