Salifert Magnesium Marine Test Kit

Salifert Magnesium Marine Test Kit

Salifert Magnesium Marine Test Kit is a marine aquarium water test kit for reef keepers who want to measure magnesium levels and support the correct balance between calcium and alkalinity or carbonate hardness. It is designed for marine aquariums containing corals, calcareous algae and other photosynthetic aquarium life where magnesium management forms part of a balanced reef system.

Key Benefits

• Measures magnesium concentration in marine aquarium water.
• Helps aquarists monitor a key factor involved in maintaining suitable calcium and alkalinity or carbonate hardness values.
• Provides measurement steps of 30 mg/L with a sharp colour change for straightforward result reading.
• Does not suffer from calcium and strontium interference when these are within certain bounds.
• Performs approximately 50 magnesium measurements.

How to Use

• Use the Salifert test kit to check the magnesium level in your marine aquarium water.
• Compare the measured result with the magnesium concentration you are aiming to maintain in your reef aquarium, then take corrective measures where required for a balanced system.
• When magnesium supplementation is necessary, magnesium additives should be selected and used in a way that does not create an ionic imbalance.
• High-grade magnesium salts are important, as many magnesium salts can contain sufficient ammonia to upset biological balances.

Suitable For

• Marine and reef aquariums.
• Aquariums with corals and calcareous algae.
• Marine systems where calcium, alkalinity, carbonate hardness and pH are being monitored and managed.
• Aquarists using kalkwasser, particularly where excessive use may contribute to magnesium depletion.
• Systems using marine salt with low magnesium content, which may contribute to ongoing calcium and carbonate hardness difficulties.

Specifications

• Natural sea water (NSW) contains magnesium at a fairly high concentration of 1300 - 1400 mg/L.
• Measurement resolution: 30 mg/L steps.
• Approximate testing capacity: 50 measurements.
• Result indication: sharp colour change.

Why magnesium matters: Magnesium is an essential part of chlorophyll, which is necessary for photosynthesis. Without photosynthesis, plants, including algae and the corals commonly kept in aquariums, would not be able to live. Magnesium also has an important role in making it possible to maintain the correct combination of calcium concentration and alkalinity or carbonate hardness.

Calcium and alkalinity balance: Calcium can combine with carbonates and bicarbonates to form insoluble calcium carbonate. Calcium carbonate is an important building material for corals and calcareous algae when it is formed through biological processes and deposited in the right place. Chemical formation of calcium carbonate, however, should be avoided. It can form even without biological interference, depleting calcium and alkalinity or carbonate hardness without fulfilling a useful function.

Trace element considerations: Chemically formed calcium carbonate can also scavenge many important trace elements, lowering their concentration in the aquarium. Magnesium slows this negative process. When magnesium concentration is lower, the process can occur faster and at much lower calcium and alkalinity or carbonate hardness values.

Monitoring depletion: Magnesium is depleted by algae. It can also be depleted through excessive kalkwasser use and by maintaining calcium, alkalinity and pH far beyond natural values. Magnesium has been neglected for a long time, and testing has shown that the magnesium content of some aquariums can be rather low. Regular measurement and appropriate corrective action are therefore justified when working towards a balanced reef system.

What's Included

• Salifert Magnesium Marine Test Kit.
• Approximately 50 magnesium measurements.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does the Salifert Magnesium Marine Test Kit measure?
It measures magnesium levels in marine aquarium water.

Why should I test magnesium in a reef aquarium?
Magnesium helps make it possible to maintain the correct combination of calcium and alkalinity or carbonate hardness, while slowing unwanted chemical calcium carbonate formation.

What magnesium concentration is present in natural sea water?
Magnesium is present in NSW at a fairly high concentration of 1300 - 1400 mg/L.

How precise are the test results?
The kit measures magnesium in sufficiently accurate steps of 30 mg/L and uses a sharp colour change to indicate the result.

Can calcium or strontium affect this magnesium test?
The Salifert magnesium test does not suffer from calcium and strontium interferences when they are within certain bounds.

How many tests can this kit perform?
The Salifert Magnesium Marine Test Kit can perform approximately 50 measurements.

When can I expect delivery?

• Gauteng (Jhb/Pta) - 1-3 working days
• Nationwide (Cpt/Dbn+) - 2-5 working days
• Outlying Areas - 3-7 working days

All orders are sent via Economy Road, typically through Fastway or Internet Express Couriers*. Estimated timeframes are not guaranteed. Once the order is collected by the courier, we have no control over third-party logistics and cannot make any time promises.

If you prefer a faster 🚀 shipping option, we also offer The Courier Guy during checkout in the dropdown selection. Please note that this option is not free, and you must choose it to use it. Please pay careful attention to the cutoff times and delivery timeframe for these options during checkout.

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• Bob Box: Collect within 2 days of receiving your collection notification.
• PUDO Lockers: Collect within 36 hours of receiving your collection PIN or SMS notification.

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