Does Mag drop when SG drops?

ok, ive been having some issues with my Reef Keeper Elite head unit flashing/freezing and ultimately shutting down. I think when my system shuts down and restarts the float valves for my ato trip on because they are in my return pump chamber. When return starts the water drops in this chamber very fast and causes my ato to pump in water. Since there is a lag in the water level until the overflow carries the needed amount of water back to the sump, the ato system is putting too much water into my tank. So now i have a SG of 1.022. Today was supposed to be my weekly test of Mag, Calcium, Alkalinity and PH. I was planning on using the results from these test to figure out a dosing schedule. But now i am confused Since the Reef Keeper Elite is f***ing up and my salinity dropped, im thinking i should not rely on these test to setup a dosing schedule. Im just curious though, if the change in SG caused my Magnesium Level to drop or not? Does anyone have any advice? Just to be safe i think ill bring my SG, Mag, Calcium and Alk back up to where they need to be and than wait another week before testing my levels for a dosing schedule

 

I would plan on starting to calculating your dosing schedule when your SG remains stable and not after a problem with the Reef keeper.

Any addition of water that dilutes your SG will also dilute any other elements resulting in lower values, as far as the chemistry goes with regard to ion exchange between the elements secondary to a lower SG I have no clue.

 

Consumption will have nothing to do with concentration of salt water. With your ATO not working right you are adding and diluting salt water. Measuring consumption is based on a loss not a concentration.

So to get a daily dosing amount you get your levels where they need to be and see that by a test.... don't do anything for a week... then test what you have. The loss will be a nuber that you divide by 7 to come up with a daily dose. That loss will be what was taken up by your animals.

Now obviously if you had things right, then your ato screwed up in the middle that might make things different... but it does not seem like enough.



Sooo... your ATO is overfeeding.... but then it would have to take a while before it kicks back in.... evaporate enough. Your salinity level has gone down.... yet your sump level has not changed???? If your ATO overfed several times and dropped your salinity.... your sump should be too full... or overflowing.

 

Yeah so i dont understand what went wrong?

 

well, iv noticed my SG dropping too and i found out that it was due to my skimmate. i skim very wet (over a cup daily) and was tossing but only topping off with rodi. this is actually quite a common problem. eventually you will throw away a lot of salt with skimming wet. almost a 1/2 gallon a week for me. hope that's ur problem, cause if its not then something is really wrong(like a leak)

 

Ya... wet skimmate is the first thing.

So how much of a drop are we talking over how much time?

Using two part tends to creep salinity up. Skimming wet can creep it down. I skimmed wet with two part and it was good for me.

Not paying attention to actual water volumes when doing water changes, and not using the same salintiy water for changes are the next biggest offenders.


I completely understand how your ATO would over fill when restarting, I don't see how it would lower salinity without overflilling the sump.

 

I am not even getting skimmate at this point really. I only have one firefish goby in this 40gal breeder. I dont overfeed and just got him a week ago. So i dont think its that.

 

What is the best way to get it back up to par levels. Its at 1.022 and i would like it at 1.025. I have been topping off with salt water mixed to 1.025. I know your not supposed to change it too quickly so i figured this would be the best way. Or should i do a large waterchange I am just worried about the corals i have. The mag is low and im sure calcium and alk are too. How fast can i raise the salinity. I dont think that 1.022 is terrible but i dont like it.

 

best way would be to do the daily top off using saltwater

I think you are using best method Crusty

Steve

 

That's exactly how I would keep doing it.

Damn, Steve beat me to it.