Magnesium and strontium kits

Beleive it or not...My wife actually helps me do maintenance on the tank. Water changes, acclimation and even cleaning the algae off the glass. She has also after reading a lot, asked to help do the testing of the water. She bought a coral book the other day and was reading and pointed out what she wanted next. Then told me she would do the acclimation and feeding or any other care that may be needed. She is a great woman. I am a very lucky man.

T

 

Stick with salifert or seachem and you will be OK!

 

Thanks for all the info guys and gals, LOL!
I'll probablly go for the Sea Chem kit. it also tests for carbonate and I think borate. My only problem with sea chem kits are that they are flimsy and I have found their color charts hard to distinguish color changes. Thanks all!

 

ugh.. i should get a strontium kit...my coraline algae is going crazy...im gona let it grow for 1 week and ill take a pic...the whole front glass will be covered...lol im gona make a ball and tell it

 

you should have seen my 30g reef. The whole back glass was 1 big pink sheet.

 

how important is it to test for magnesium and strotium

 

Magnesium helps maintain the calcium and alk levels. I try to keep mine at 1350-1400. If it dips below that it is hard to get the other levels up. I noticed you posted that you were having high calc and low alk. The Mag level may, I stress may, be part of the problem. There is a very good article on these levels and adjusting them at advancedaquarist.com. [smiley=2thumbsup.gif]

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/nov2002/chem.htm

Make sure you read the referenced articles at the bottom of this article also. It might help you understand the relationship better. RHF gets a little advanced in his chemistry for my comprehension, but over all very informative.

Strontium is necessary for most corals. Most salt mixes have a good level in them but it couldn't hurt to check those levels. It sounds to me from your other post that your corals are doing well so it's probably fine.

If you are using a two part alk/calc additive (like B-ionic calcium buffer system) it has both mag and some strontium in the calcium part of the system. I dose with this product daily and have managed to get my levels fairly close to where I want them and more importantly it is consistent. I'm a newbie so I am not sure enough of myself to start using the Kalwasser yet. In time I am sure I will start using it because it is a lot cheaper and apparently just as good.

Almost forgot...it is normal to have your ph fluctuate from day to night. I think it has to do with the CO2 in the water column and some other stuff that I don't quite grasp yet. However, I know that it is normal, and that your levels sound about right. The relationship between ph, calcium, and alkalinity is very tricky to me that is why I am using the B-Ionic. I probably over test these parameters but right now I am a hopeless worry wart!! :

Drew

 

thank alot you seem to answer all my questions daily now chech my cd site you got to see this

 

[quote author=woowoodengy link=board=General;num=1107132744;start=15#17 date=02/02/05 at 03:21:41]thank alot you seem to answer all my questions daily now chech my cd site you got to see this[/quote]

What is the link??? 8)

Drew

 

dont know how to link go to filters