Cant Raise [mg2+]!!!
Thanks in advance for reading this long post/giving advice.
I have been trying to raise my magnesium for quite some time now in my reef, moderately stocked with lps corals in the main. It's a 180 L (or so) system in total with a specific gravity of 1.026. The thing is, I haven't been able to raise my magnesium. I have changed 70% of the water within the last week, replacing it with NSW, and from there have added 70g of magnesion-p , by Brightwell Aquatics, directly into the sump where it dissolved, essentially not raising Mg.1g/3.785 L is supposed to raise [Mg2+] by 114 ppm. Other parameters: Alk 7.8-8 dKH, Ca 390 ppm with negligible amounts of nitrates and phosphates. Also, I am running a reactor with Tunze Silphos. I am also adding Seachem Reef Advantage Calcium and Red Sea Reef Foundation B, with the occasional dose of KZ amino acids. Calcium is also being a pain to raise. I understand that there is a complex relationship between the three foundation substances, but can't understand why the magnesium level is not rising, especially with the addition of lots of magnesium supplement. From what I can see, there is no MgCO3 precipitate, or others, so I don't know where this Mg that I'm adding is going. I've constantly got diatoms growing on the sand bed, no other algae though, which I believe is a result of a combination of lighting (which I've fixed with a vertex illumina) and low Mg, which I am trying to fix. A Vertex Omega 150 skimmer runs in the system as does carbon and a filter sock.
Any insights as to why I can't establish chemical stability within my tank would be greatly, greatly appreciated. It has been a long battle that is driving me crazy! Apologies for the long post...
I have been trying to raise my magnesium for quite some time now in my reef, moderately stocked with lps corals in the main. It's a 180 L (or so) system in total with a specific gravity of 1.026. The thing is, I haven't been able to raise my magnesium. I have changed 70% of the water within the last week, replacing it with NSW, and from there have added 70g of magnesion-p , by Brightwell Aquatics, directly into the sump where it dissolved, essentially not raising Mg.1g/3.785 L is supposed to raise [Mg2+] by 114 ppm. Other parameters: Alk 7.8-8 dKH, Ca 390 ppm with negligible amounts of nitrates and phosphates. Also, I am running a reactor with Tunze Silphos. I am also adding Seachem Reef Advantage Calcium and Red Sea Reef Foundation B, with the occasional dose of KZ amino acids. Calcium is also being a pain to raise. I understand that there is a complex relationship between the three foundation substances, but can't understand why the magnesium level is not rising, especially with the addition of lots of magnesium supplement. From what I can see, there is no MgCO3 precipitate, or others, so I don't know where this Mg that I'm adding is going. I've constantly got diatoms growing on the sand bed, no other algae though, which I believe is a result of a combination of lighting (which I've fixed with a vertex illumina) and low Mg, which I am trying to fix. A Vertex Omega 150 skimmer runs in the system as does carbon and a filter sock.
Any insights as to why I can't establish chemical stability within my tank would be greatly, greatly appreciated. It has been a long battle that is driving me crazy! Apologies for the long post...
