Magnesium ultra low in reef Crystals!

[allendavant]

I have been trying to get my Magnesium up. A few weeks ago I tested it and it was at 1000 ppm. I started adding Magnesium and testing every day. I have been adding a lot and it has slowly been coming up. Today I tested and it was about 1250. Just for fun I decided to test the water change water that I mixed up yesterday and was about to use. It tested 825!! I used Reef Crystals to make the water. On the side of the box it said at 1.026 it should have 1345ppm. I started to wonder if My test kit was bad or if I was using it wrong in some way so I used the sample solution and it tested exactly at 1250 like it said it should on the bottle. I thought maybe I had screwed up the test the first time so I went back and tested the water change water again and it read 825 again! I guess I found out why my Magnesium was so low in the first place!
I had been doing weekly 20% water changes so I was a little confused why it was so low in the first place, but I guess I figured it out. Has anyone else had this experience with Reef Crystals?? I'm a little pissed off about it! Should I change brands next time, or could this have just been a fluke?

[iyachtuxivm]

Thats weird RC is usually high in mag like you stated 1300+ natural sea water is only like 1200. Bet its a bad batch I would let them know.

[chriszzo]

Interresting I've been having issues with low PH was told check magnesium levels and I too have been using reef Crystals... I def am going to look into that.. by the way where did you get your salt?

[runzwithscissor]

Since it is not a natural product like Red Seas and the likes, you have to shake/mix the salt. At times it doesn't get properly shaken at the manf. I "box" my salt. I pour 2 buckets into a third and back and forth a couple of times. I know it's a pain in the #@!, but salt that is not natural actually needs a little attention. Try it with a new bucket, make sure it is well mixed and try it. Hopefully you'll find the parameters where they should be.

[gablett]

Agreed i mix mine too. I switched to rc for the mag. Tropic marin was what i used to use and it was low. I did get a bad batch of rc once and emailed then and they replaced it for free no questions asked.

[dputt88]

i started out in the hobby with reef crystals. things were never right. owner of kee's aquariums recommended i switch to salinity by aquavitro. its a little bit more money but i hardly ever dose anything now. im dosing calcium and alk only once between my bi weekly water changes. so thats about twice a month. i find it money well spent.

[uncle salty]

Originally Posted by dputt88

i started out in the hobby with reef crystals. things were never right. owner of kee's aquariums recommended i switch to salinity by aquavitro. its a little bit more money but i hardly ever dose anything now. im dosing calcium and alk only once between my bi weekly water changes. so thats about twice a month. i find it money well spent.

I just wish it could be purchased online. I'm planning to switch with my next salt purchase.

[dputt88]

did you try to request it at your LFS? maybe they will get it in for you?

[gablett]

I thought about that, but I dose so much 2 part as it is, I just want something that is the same every time with high mag, and I can fix the rest. Plus Reef Crystals have been around forever, huge aquariums use it, and its easy to find.

[katymunoz]

Originally Posted by uncle salty

I just wish it could be purchased online. I'm planning to switch with my next salt purchase.

It's not available at drfostersmith? They are my favorite for buying salt because they don't charge you extra for the weight!

[uncle salty]

Originally Posted by katymunoz

It's not available at drfostersmith? They are my favorite for buying salt because they don't charge you extra for the weight!

Nope. I have looked at every online retailer I can think of starting with them and no luck. Maybe it's just not caught on yet.

[dknuckles]

RCs has been rather inconsistent for the past couple years. My main complaint was the Alk levels were all across the board and left a clay like residue on mixing pumps and buckets. Started when they released the "New Formula" w/ the snap tight lids.
Switched to ESV and have been happy ever since.

[jamey1010]

Originally Posted by uncle salty

Nope. I have looked at every online retailer I can think of starting with them and no luck. Maybe it's just not caught on yet.

Its a dealer only product and online sales have been restricted not to say you won't find a dealer who can ship it they just won't have a mail/internet order business selling it.

I have my lfs order it for me and price seems pretty standard from any honest lfs.

Some notes about it though mix it with a smaller size pump and in cool/cold water also it's better to use it within 24 hours or less of mixing, the longer you let the salt mix, the more C02 it will take on and the more precipitation you will encounter. C02 --> water --> carbonic acid --> bicarbonates/carbonates. Mixing the salt for more than 24 hours can cause a decrease in alkalinity and pH, resulting in a precipitation of calcium and carbonates.

[uncle salty]

Originally Posted by jamey1010

Its a dealer only product and online sales have been restricted not to say you won't find a dealer who can ship it they just won't have a mail/internet order business selling it.

I have my lfs order it for me and price seems pretty standard from any honest lfs.

Some notes about it though mix it with a smaller size pump and in cool/cold water also it's better to use it within 24 hours or less of mixing, the longer you let the salt mix, the more C02 it will take on and the more precipitation you will encounter. C02 --> water --> carbonic acid --> bicarbonates/carbonates. Mixing the salt for more than 24 hours can cause a decrease in alkalinity and pH, resulting in a precipitation of calcium and carbonates.

Thanks for the advice, I will definitely keep it in mind. I generally just mix over night but it sounds like I need to pay a bit more attention to temp.

I actually found a store in Toledo that carries it so problem solved. I hope this stuff lives up to the hype. It would be nice to not need as much 2 part.

[dputt88]

i hope it works out for you!