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High Magnesium Reading
- Thread starter ricwilli
- Start date
Are you checking PH with your lights has been on for a while? I get higher PH reading when my lights on for few hours. I never check for other stuff :-X
What is your Alk? Ca? I'm guessing your Ca is high and your alk is low. Do a water change, stop dosing Ca (if you are) and continue your Alk dosing until you get back in balance.
Are you dosing anything for Mag or is that naturally high? What salt are you using?
Are you dosing anything for Mag or is that naturally high? What salt are you using?
Alk is 2.17
KH is 6.1
CA is 400
What do I use to dose Alk? This is the first time that I test for Mag. I haven't been dosing anything for 5 months other than for CA. My CA reactor has only been running for two weeks. The reason why I turned it on was because I noticed my caps turning a little white around the edges.
KH is 6.1
CA is 400
What do I use to dose Alk? This is the first time that I test for Mag. I haven't been dosing anything for 5 months other than for CA. My CA reactor has only been running for two weeks. The reason why I turned it on was because I noticed my caps turning a little white around the edges.
Ahhh... Calcium and alkalinity (and to an extent, Mag) are a delicate balance. You need to keep them in synch. Rich is a great resource for the charts & calcluators. I don't have them handy or I'd post them here for you. Dosing Ca without dosing Alk is a recipe for disaster.
Your Ca reactor will keep a better balance, but it isn't going to FIX where you are right now. Water changes or dosing the alk component of a 2 part solution or ph buffer are ways to bring your alk up, just do it slowly. There are other ways to fix the low Alk/Ph. Do a search for that and you'll get lots of good info.
Doing frequent 20% water changes (1-2 per day over the next 3-5 days, depending on how the parameters check out) will get you there in a slow progression.
Your Ca reactor will keep a better balance, but it isn't going to FIX where you are right now. Water changes or dosing the alk component of a 2 part solution or ph buffer are ways to bring your alk up, just do it slowly. There are other ways to fix the low Alk/Ph. Do a search for that and you'll get lots of good info.
Doing frequent 20% water changes (1-2 per day over the next 3-5 days, depending on how the parameters check out) will get you there in a slow progression.
http://home.comcast.net/~jdieck1/chem_calc3.html
ricwilli pick either the flash (preferred) or traditional version of the calculator. Fill in the systemwater volume (not tank size) or click the link for water volume calculator to get help figuring out your total water volume.
Next put in your current alk values and select a product. Since you have low pH right now the best bet is to use Sodium Carbonate which is also known as baked baking soda, washing soda and soda ash. You can get Washing Soda at the grocery store in the detergent section and it's made by Arm & Hammer. You could also pick up Arm & Hammer Baking Soda (not baking powder) but you would want to spread it out on a cooking pan and bake it in the over for an hour at 350-400F. This will create baked baking soda. You are removing the CO2 from the baking soda by doing this and creating washing soda/soda ash/baked baking soda.
Normal baking soda will lower pH when dosed while Washing Soda will raise pH when dosed. You'll want to do a slow drip of either at a rate of approximately 0.6 teaspoons of washing soda for each 10g of water in the system mixed with a 1/2 gallon of RO/DI water. Don't pour it in the tank as it will raise the pH to fast. Got to go slow so use a drip type method.
Your pH is really low and hopefully with the lights back on and some raising of your alkalinity will will come up at least into the 8 range.
Your Mg reading of 1440 is fine and nothing to worry about. It's a little higher then most people shoot for which is typical at 1250-1350 but nothing to worry about. 1400/1500s aren't going to hurt anything. Just stop dosing any Mg product if you are so it doesn't keep rising. If you aren't dosing anything and it's coming naturally from your salt mix count yourself lucky and don't worry about it. You don't need to worry about diluting or trying to bring it down.
Carlo
ricwilli pick either the flash (preferred) or traditional version of the calculator. Fill in the systemwater volume (not tank size) or click the link for water volume calculator to get help figuring out your total water volume.
Next put in your current alk values and select a product. Since you have low pH right now the best bet is to use Sodium Carbonate which is also known as baked baking soda, washing soda and soda ash. You can get Washing Soda at the grocery store in the detergent section and it's made by Arm & Hammer. You could also pick up Arm & Hammer Baking Soda (not baking powder) but you would want to spread it out on a cooking pan and bake it in the over for an hour at 350-400F. This will create baked baking soda. You are removing the CO2 from the baking soda by doing this and creating washing soda/soda ash/baked baking soda.
Normal baking soda will lower pH when dosed while Washing Soda will raise pH when dosed. You'll want to do a slow drip of either at a rate of approximately 0.6 teaspoons of washing soda for each 10g of water in the system mixed with a 1/2 gallon of RO/DI water. Don't pour it in the tank as it will raise the pH to fast. Got to go slow so use a drip type method.
Your pH is really low and hopefully with the lights back on and some raising of your alkalinity will will come up at least into the 8 range.
Your Mg reading of 1440 is fine and nothing to worry about. It's a little higher then most people shoot for which is typical at 1250-1350 but nothing to worry about. 1400/1500s aren't going to hurt anything. Just stop dosing any Mg product if you are so it doesn't keep rising. If you aren't dosing anything and it's coming naturally from your salt mix count yourself lucky and don't worry about it. You don't need to worry about diluting or trying to bring it down.
Carlo