Magnesium supplements

I was at Kroger's today and getting Epsom salt. I found something interesting and thought I would ask. They sell magnesium supplements which I saw was magnesium oxide. My question, why wouldn't we add this instead of Epsom salt which is magnesium sulfide? Wouldn't the magnesium oxide be better for the tank?

 

Epsom Salt is tried & true, I don't know the chemistry behind the difference in these two (SOMEONE probably will!) but I do know Epsom Salt works well so why bother?

 

Because Epsom salt adds sulfur. I wouldn't think we would add sulfur unless we needed to. Magnesium oxide on the otherhand wouldn't add the sulfur.

It was just a question. Seemed to make sense to me to avoid adding anything like sulfur that wasn't needed.

 

If you check out this article, it explains how your sulfate levels increase by continuing to use epsom salt to the aquarium. Unless you change water. The magnesium is always being used by plants corals etc, but the sulfates stay behind.

Are Sulfates good?

Do-It-Yourself Magnesium Supplements for the Reef Aquarium by Randy Holmes-Farley - Reefkeeping.com

Chemistry and the Aquarium

If we use magnesium oxide, would we only be left with oxygen?

 

Magnesium Chloride

 

Sulfides Chlorides sulfates ??? Beats the hell out of me I have been using Epsom Salts for over 40 yrs and never a problem .. I have never heard of anyone having a problem with the use of Epsom Salts I have used all of them and I have yet to see any differences at all. I simply stayed with Epsom Salts.

 

Adding epsom salts to my mental list of buffers...hehe. I'm mining this forum for your posts Tangster!

 

Okay. So, Epsom salt it is. I was just looking minimum changes to the system. Will the Epsom salt cause the sulfur smell in my protein skimmer?

 

No its the same stuff most package as reef magnesium.. I have used it since before many here where born and I was a young kid and I have never heard of any one smell it .. Think about it would old Granny soaked her feet and a pan of sulfurs smelling like rotten eggs LOL If anyone ever wants 5 10 25 to 50 pound bulk bags of it P/M me Have Kalkwasser also in bulk if needed ? And calcium chloride ..

 

I was having a problem with low Mag and Ca, used ES, the Mag is over 1300 and my Ca has been stable for a week now so far so good.