# Epsom Salt (MGSO4)



## imatrout

I have noticed that a small dose of epsom salt with every water change really improves my plants especially Ludwigias (brevipes. pussila etc.) The plants get very lush with a waxey, shiney leaf with bright red tops. I am almost certain its the epsom salt (probably the magnesium?) that is doing this. If I slack off the plants turn dull in a week and idf I add the epsom salt they recover in a couple of days. It is a very noticable change. Has anybody noticed this? I was told of others getting a similar experience with ADA Green Gain and ECA. Does anybody have any similar experiences?


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## eklikewhoa

Interesting....


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## jopapeca

Hi 

How much do you dose the MGSO4?


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## imatrout

jopapeca said:


> Hi
> 
> How much do you dose the MGSO4?


Not that much really. I dose 3 tsps with a 50 gallon water change...

I am wondering if I am short changing some micros. I does NPK with dry ferts and then dose Flourish Iron and Flourish Comprehensive throughout the week. I think Flourish Comprehensive has many micros, but maybe not as much as the Flourish Trace which I do not use. I use a 60% R/O and 40% tap mixture in my tanks and they all seem to be doing quite well....


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## azfishguy

I use 100% RO reconstituted with CA and Mg but before I used mix of tap and RO and needed to dose with Mg. I don't know what's your water source in Scottsdale but here in east Mesa it's all well water mostly rich in Ca. If you are on one of those aquafiers then the improvement with dosing MgSO4 doesn't come as a surprise.


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## imatrout

azfishguy said:


> I use 100% RO reconstituted with CA and Mg but before I used mix of tap and RO and needed to dose with Mg. I don't know what's your water source in Scottsdale but here in east Mesa it's all well water mostly rich in Ca. If you are on one of those aquafiers then the improvement with dosing MgSO4 doesn't come as a surprise.


I am on CAP water in my part of Scottsdale, but still I think it's low on Mg....


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## yxberia

I have bad experience with Epsom. 2 teaspoon in 55G killing all otos and causing fuss algae. 1 teaspoon making oto inactive, sitting there doing nothing.


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## Roy Deki

Mike check out this thread:

http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/forumapc/nanos-large-aquariums-and-ponds/9929-epsom-salt.html


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## Laith

yxberia said:


> I have bad experience with Epsom. 2 teaspoon in 55G killing all otos and causing fuss algae. 1 teaspoon making oto inactive, sitting there doing nothing.


Are you sure it was MgSO4? I've never heard of MgSO4 killing fish...

2 tsps in 55g is only about 6mg/l of Mg.


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## HeyPK

Perhaps the improvement in your plants, imatrout, is due, not to the magnesium, but to the sulfate. Sulfur deficiency symptoms are similar to nitrogen deficiency symptoms, except that the newer growth becomes pale or yellow, whereas in N deficiency, the whole plant becomes pale or yellow with the older leaves being paler than the newer. The improvement in your plants that you describe sounds much more like sulfur recovery than magnesium recovery. Magnesium deficiency symptoms show up in older leaves as yellowing and tissue death that starts at the edges of the leaves and works inwards. (picture of Magnesium deficient corn is from hubcap.clemson.edu/~blpprt/acid2.html) 









(Picture of sulfur deficient plants is from www.ces.ncsu.edu/.../cropsci/docs/sulfur.html)


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## imatrout

HeyPK said:


> Perhaps the improvement in your plants, imatrout, is due, not to the magnesium, but to the sulfate.


The plants are not deficient in any way, its just that the "POP" when I add the epsom salt. They look a lot better. I think its the Mg as I also add K2SO4 so I think they are getting the sulphate there.


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## yxberia

Laith said:


> Are you sure it was MgSO4? I've never heard of MgSO4 killing fish...
> 
> 2 tsps in 55g is only about 6mg/l of Mg.


Yes, it is pure Epsom bought from pharmacy. Oto is sensitive to water chemistry, I mean very.


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## GetHighNscape

Hello,

I am obviously jumping into this conversation extremely late. Does anyone have any updated information on Epsom salt in fresh water aquariums?


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## Steven F

I have been using magnesium sulfate and calcium sulfate for years to increase the GH in my aquarium it is safe as long as it is pure and does't have any additives. Commercial GH boosters sometimes use Magnesium chloride and or calcium chloride. I have also used those and they are also safe. you can use this fertilizer calculator to determine how much you are adding to your water it works best to add it dry It will not dissolve well with water and other nutrients in a fertilizer bottle. Most fertilizer manufactures assume your water has all the Mg and Ca your plants need. Which it is often not the case. Calcium magnesium, sulfur are macro nutrient plants need to grow. Chlorine is also needed by plants and it is right between macros and micros.

The only issue I have seen is that if you have too much S sulfate or chloride in the water plants won't use it all and PH will slowly drop as a result. Most fertilizers and GH boosters have way more sulfate than needed. Plants do use small amount of chlorine but most fertilizers don't have it since they assume your tap water has it.  I have a sea shell in my tank if there is too much chloride or sulfate the shell will react with it and dissolve and push the PH back up to 7. The shell won't push the PH above 7. In my tank one shell will last a year and then I need to add another one. Seashells and crushed coral are made of mostly calcium carbonate and either will work to keep PH stable.


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