+Jimbo662 Posted June 28, 2018 Share Posted June 28, 2018 Ok...I'm at a complete loss here. My mag has been very consistent and averaging around 1320 since I set the tank up at the beginning of the year. A couple of weeks ago it shot up with a reading one day of 1380 and two days later 1410. I thought it may have coincided with a new test kit. I took a sample and had Ty test it and his reading showed 1290 which seemed about right as I'd turned off the dosing pump a couple of days before. I ordered a new test kit thinking the original one was bad. Got the new kit today and did two tests...both read 1410. Any ideas what my be affecting it????? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Dogfish Posted June 28, 2018 Share Posted June 28, 2018 Manufacturing / expiration date on new test kits the same? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Jimbo662 Posted June 28, 2018 Author Share Posted June 28, 2018 3 minutes ago, Dogfish said: Manufacturing / expiration date on new test kits the same? yep, that's the first thing I checked. 08/21 I've not changed anything in my process. After testing I always wash everything in warm soapy water then rinse well in RODI water and let dry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Dogfish Posted June 28, 2018 Share Posted June 28, 2018 If Ty got a different reading, im thinking that the new test kits are the same batch and the chemicals in the kits are off a little. Other than that I have no clue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gig 'em @ NDstructible Posted June 28, 2018 Share Posted June 28, 2018 Do you and Ty use different brands of test kits? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Jimbo662 Posted June 29, 2018 Author Share Posted June 29, 2018 19 minutes ago, Gig 'em @ NDstructible said: Do you and Ty use different brands of test kits? Same brand...Salifert. Was going to try to get some of his water and test it to see how it compares to his also. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FarmerTy Posted June 29, 2018 Share Posted June 29, 2018 Same brand...Salifert. Was going to try to get some of his water and test it to see how it compares to his also.No way, first sample is free. Second one is gonna cost you. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Dogfish Posted June 29, 2018 Share Posted June 29, 2018 Sounds like Ty is hide something in his water??????? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FarmerTy Posted June 29, 2018 Share Posted June 29, 2018 Sounds like Ty is hide something in his water???????All my money... [emoji26] 1 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Jimbo662 Posted June 29, 2018 Author Share Posted June 29, 2018 I messaged BRS and they asked for the lot numbers so they could send to Salifert. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Jimbo662 Posted June 29, 2018 Author Share Posted June 29, 2018 8 hours ago, FarmerTy said: 22 hours ago, Jimbo662 said: Same brand...Salifert. Was going to try to get some of his water and test it to see how it compares to his also. No way, first sample is free. Second one is gonna cost you. dude...I was gonna test your water for FREE and tell you your mag was too high! 😋 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FarmerTy Posted June 29, 2018 Share Posted June 29, 2018 dude...I was gonna test your water for FREE and tell you your mag was too high! [emoji39]That's what all the scammers offer... Free candy... Then boom! They steal your bike right out from under you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Jimbo662 Posted June 29, 2018 Author Share Posted June 29, 2018 4 minutes ago, FarmerTy said: 49 minutes ago, Jimbo662 said: dude...I was gonna test your water for FREE and tell you your mag was too high! That's what all the scammers offer... Free candy... Then boom! They steal your bike right out from under you! Oh man...I just noticed your new avatar! that is so cool!!!! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FarmerTy Posted June 29, 2018 Share Posted June 29, 2018 Oh man...I just noticed your new avatar! that is so cool!!!!My official logo now! [emoji16] I'm going global! [emoji12] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timfish Posted June 30, 2018 Share Posted June 30, 2018 You said you turned off your dosing pump, I'm assuming it was dosing magnesium? Did you change your alkalinity and/or calcium dosing? Did you make a big change to your lights or lighting schedule? Endoliths are dissolving the sand and rock in your system but not all organisms that use bicarbonate are also going to use magnesium like corals. If something disrupted your corals calcification process you might still see bicarbonate being used but magnesium might not be. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Jimbo662 Posted June 30, 2018 Author Share Posted June 30, 2018 Yes, turned off the mag pump. I haven't made any changes at all. Only changes have been twice over the last month added 4 sps frags. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timfish Posted June 30, 2018 Share Posted June 30, 2018 I rarely test more than monthly but I'm curious if you tested at the same time each day. Have you tried testing in the morning and evening to see if there's a change? In this thread I had the magnesium climp over 2000 without adding anything and after 2 years it's still staying fairly high, ~1800 last time I checked. It also was not the source RO as I did not have this problem with other system using the same water. Aproxamately two months prior to posting the thread I had a timer fail in the on position and the lights were on for several days before it was noticed. Most of the corals did not "appear" to have any ill effect except for the bubble coral in the middle which kept declining over several more months before I gave up and removed it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Jimbo662 Posted June 30, 2018 Author Share Posted June 30, 2018 I usually test between noon and 1pm. The last test I did with 2nd kit I got was at around 5pm as soon as it was delivered and that was at 1410. With Ty's test showing 1290 a couple of days after turning the pump off it's got to be bad test kits. I'm going to take a sample to RCA tomorrow as well as test myself from the same sample. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Jimbo662 Posted June 30, 2018 Author Share Posted June 30, 2018 Well...RCA doesn't do Mag tests. I bought a Red Sea kit while I was there. Just did two tests and they showed around 1600. I also tested the 45g that's had no dosing for about a month. Using both the Salifert and Red Sea both showed readings between 1260 and 1280 which I would expect. As Tim mentions above it couldn't be the RO water as both tanks use the same water filter. One thing I have thought of was when I refilled my dosing containers I wonder if I could have mixed them up. It seems unlikely because alk and cal are always consistent. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jolt Posted July 1, 2018 Share Posted July 1, 2018 If you are running magnesium supplement off a doser, is it possible the doser is pumping at a faster rate than you expect? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Jimbo662 Posted July 1, 2018 Author Share Posted July 1, 2018 1 hour ago, jolt said: If you are running magnesium supplement off a doser, is it possible the doser is pumping at a faster rate than you expect? That was one of the first things I thought too. I checked the container and it's still almost full. I have it set to dose 2ml per day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Jimbo662 Posted July 1, 2018 Author Share Posted July 1, 2018 I just ran another set of tests: Salifert #1: 1350 Salifert #2: 1365 Red Sea: 1460 I also ordered an ICP test so we'll see what those results show. I'll run my tests again the day I take a sample for the ICP so I can compare with what it shows. Is there a way to test the solution that I'm dosing? Now wondering if maybe I mixed it wrong. I'm going to mix a fresh batch just in case. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+BobcatReefer Posted July 14, 2018 Share Posted July 14, 2018 On 6/30/2018 at 9:33 PM, Jimbo662 said: I have it set to dose 2ml per day. This is what I don't get... I can't get Mag consistently over 1400 and I'm adding 15-20ml/day. How the heck is that possible? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jolt Posted July 14, 2018 Share Posted July 14, 2018 What is your calcium level? I think there may be an interaction going on between calcium and mag? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Jimbo662 Posted July 14, 2018 Author Share Posted July 14, 2018 Oddly my mag results have returned to normal. Tested 4 times in the last week and got an avg of about 1350. Jeff, are you testing the same time each day? What time of day do you dose? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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