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Preserving the correct balance of important chemical components of seawater is crucial to the long term success of every marine reef aquarium. Of primary importance to the survival of corals, mollusks and many other reef invertebrates is the supply of calcium and carbonate ions. Without these components in the correct ionic ratio, invertebrates cannot deposit calcium carbonate in their skeletons or shells. Because organisms extract calcium and carbonate ions from the surrounding water, regular supplementation is necessary to replenish these ions.
Every reef aquarium is different in terms of the kind and number of organisms living in it, and therefore the rate at which calcium and carbonate ions are removed from the water. It is therefore impossible to give all-inclusive instructions for using this or any other liquid supplement product. It is necessary to determine by means of water tests, the calcium concentration, alkalinity and magnesium concentration of the aquarium. Once this information is obtained, it is relatively easy to calculate the quantity of supplement to be added. Typical ocean surface values for these parameters are: Magnesium1280 ppm; Calcium 420 ppm; Alkalinity 2.5 meq/L (7 dKH).
Adjustment of the magnesium concentration should be done first. Unless magnesium is present in sufficient quantity, the addition of calcium and alkalinity supplements will simply result in chemical precipitation of calcium carbonate.
AquaLife Simple Science
Magnesium Supplement
Ionically Balanced Formula
Formulated for Maximum Results
AquaLife Simple Science Magnesium Part A contains 55000 ppm of magnesium. Each ml added per gallon will increase the magnesium concentration by 14.47 ppm. To avoid undesirable ionic imbalances, the product is formulated using magnesium chloride and magnesium sulfate, while maintaining the ratio of chloride and sulfate found in natural seawater. (NSW = 7.1:1). Like the other components of the AquaLife Simple Science product line, our Magnesium is produced using high-purity ingredients.
Directions: Calculate the correct dosage by following four simple steps.
1. Measure the magnesium concentration of the aquarium.
2. Decide how much you wish to change the magnesium concentration. For example, if the test result is 1200 ppm and you want to reach a target concentration of 1390 ppm, the amount of change is 190 ppm.
3. Multiply the amount of change by the number of net gallons in the aquarium system.
4. Multiply the result from step three by 0.07. The result is the number of milliliters of supplement required to reach the desired concentration.
To convert milliliters to:
• teaspoons, divide by 5.
• tablespoons, divide by 15.
• fluid ounces, divide by 30.
• cups, divide by 240.
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