GH question (Ca & Mg)

If my GH is at 8, should I still dose Ca and Mg? Or is that still too low? Also, what is Epsom Salt, chemical wise (is it magnesium sulfate, or something else)? How much of it raises a 55g's ppm?

Thanks!
Fernando

Thank you Beviking...unfortunately, I'm still not sure what to make of it. The calculator there only lets you figure out Magnesium but not Calcium. Even still, with the Mg, I still am not sure how to figure out how much more of it I'll need. Is there any formula out there that lets you know your Mg and Ca based on your GH reading? I doubt it. Mainly because the test kits for Mg and Ca are rather pricey, and I've read that they are more directed toward salt water tanks.

Any suggestions? Otherwise, I'll just have to go by trial and error (and it is ALWAYS ERROR)...been there done that. I've got a fuzz tank to prove it.

Fernando

Thanks all for these helpful tools. I have saved those calculators and will definately use them. Unfortunately, that link to the molecular masses page kinda went right over my head. Here I was thinking I wasn't that dumb of a guy... heh... Where did all that high school education go, I wonder...

I'm trying to see if there's a way to go about this backwards. For instance, just dose the tank with a 4:1 ratio of Ca and Mg, see what happens to the GH and then do some cross multiplying or something with the difference. But that still doesn't account for the GH I already had. Perhaps it doesn't need to? I don't know. This is where I have reached a dead end all of a sudden. The calculators are great for everything else, but that's because I have a starting point. When it comes to Ca and Mg, I am starting out blindly. I'll probably just end up dosing the recommended ppms of each and go with the EI theory. I really like what I've read about it so far. And the fact that it's so simple is a plus.

Any thoughts?

Fernando

Beviking: Actually, no, as I don't have any plants in my new tank yet. I'm just trying to get all my nutrients together before I start planting. I thought perhaps if I had everything I needed beforehand, I could prevent my new 55g from doing what my 46g did: it became a breeding ground for algae, to the point where I could barely see my plants, even though the water was crystal clear. There were about 3 different kinds of algae. I had been fertilizing with flourish, CO2, lights, etc... I trimmed the plants, scrubbed, cleaned, vaccumed, water changes...a week later, back where I started. So because I loved the plants for a good two months, and they were so healthy, I'm wanting to give it another go on the new tank and just make sure I am prepared for everything. I got the plants coming in next week, the bleach is ready...just trying to take every precaution. I don't really know if Ca/Mg will even have anything to do with algae, from what I've read, I haven't found any evidence of it. It seems algae problems are most often due to bad CO2, phosphates and low NO3... but like I said, just trying to take the precautions, and if it speeds the plants along in the process...then that's a good thing, I think. For two months I loved my plants, and I loved seeing the growth and trimming them a little to keep them in place. I loved it, just trying to get back to that. Minus the algae. I envy those beautiful tanks that are algae free. So that's what I'm striving for. Plus I've got my little algae squad coming the week after the plants arrive. I'll probably let them have a little fun in my 46g for a little while, then quarantine them until all their little algae poops are done, and into the 55g they will go. Every precaution. Suddenly I feel like Mad Eye Moody.

Thanks for the link!
Fernando