Too High Magnesium Level?

[Anguilla82]

Hi all,

did a thorough testings check yesterday as haven't done it for around 3 months and i had the time to do it all.

my question is whether you can have too high a reading for magnesium. was using a salifert test kit and got to the end of the liquid in the dropper and the solution had still not changed from a pink colour to a grey or blue colour. This corresponds with an Mg reading of 1500+.
Is this an issue?

other results as follows:
Salinity: 1.027 (am trying to slowly bring this back down to 1.025/1.026)
pH: 8.1
kH: 8
Nitrate: 5
Nitrite: 0
Ammonia: 0
Phosphate: 0
Calcium: 425
Magnesium: 1500+

tank is a 24g Nano with a selection of softies, LPS and a few frags of SPS.

 

[andywg]

It's not an ideal situation, though my understanding is that the magnesium will come more in line if you maintain the KH and calc levels you have as the corals grow.

Try testing the level in freshly mixed SW.

Are you dosing for Mg? If so then just cease dosing for a while. and if you are really worried do a couple of water changes.

 

[Anguilla82]

Cheers for the quick response.
Just tested the level in some freshly mixed SW (am just about to do my weekly water change!)
level came out at 1230.

i don't dose anything to the tank.

 

[andywg]

Then natural usage and water changes should bring the level down.

Have you tried testing the tank water a couple of times to ensure it wasn't a duff test?

 

[Anguilla82]

sadly have just done a water change, so wasn't a fair test but the results went down to 1470.
shows it wasn't a duff test.
will keep an eye on it over the next couple of weeks and see what happens.
none of the corals or the clowns look distressed.
is it harmfull at these levels?

 

[andywg]

Randy Holmes-Farley recommends 1250 to 1350 and suggests up to 1400 is probably fine, so I doubt a short term stint at your level is an issue. If your corals look fine I wouldn't worry.

 

[Anguilla82]

ok cheers,

very interesting link thankyou!