Point me in the right direction for bulk Mag Chloride USP......50lb bags

[Lousybreed]

one more thing I know that the mag chloride comes from the great salt lake. I would expect there to be some calcium and sulfates mixed in there. Learning is fun!

 

[AKReefing]

Great, let us know what you find.

Be a little cautious interpreting the results if you send it to a hobby ICP company as they have optimized the process for seawater, which this is now very different.

I'd recommend making it to about 70 g/L, since that will be close to the 35 ppt of seawater.

Found this thread while researching.

I recently had an issue with a major accumulation of lithium in my reef tank. I had been using SafeStep 8300 in my Mg supplement. BRSTV did a video on magnesium supplements and found a massive amount of lithium in 8300, along with elevated levels of arsenic, boron, phosphate and silica. Go to 10:32 here:

 

[gbroadbridge]

Found this thread while researching.

I recently had an issue with a major accumulation of lithium in my reef tank. I had been using SafeStep 8300 in my Mg supplement. BRSTV did a video on magnesium supplements and found a massive amount of lithium in 8300, along with elevated levels of arsenic, boron, phosphate and silica. Go to 10:32 here:

BRS like to tout their own products, right?

I don't listen to much of what BRS or anyone else say on youtube.

 

[AKReefing]

BRS like to tout their own products, right?

I don't listen to much of what BRS or anyone else say on youtube.

Apparently, you didn't read my post. Please read again re 8300.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Apparently, you didn't read my post. Please read again re 8300.

His point was that they are saying something negative about a material that is an alternative to the BRS material.

 

[AKReefing]

His point was that they are saying something negative about a material that is an alternative to the BRS material.

Yes, which is unusual for a BRS video, but my point was only about the large amount of lithium in 8300. I know lithium isn't very toxic, but SafeStep 8300 put me in the OMG zone at 4013.00 µg/l.

 

[AKReefing]

Yes, which is unusual for a BRS video, but my point was only about the large amount of lithium in 8300. I know lithium isn't very toxic, but SafeStep 8300 put me in the OMG zone at 4013.00 µg/l.

I think the original question remains. Where can bulk magnesium chloride be found that doesn't have high levels of contaminants? Even ACS/Reagent, Technical (lab) and food grade chemicals allow 5% of impurities or even much more.

 

[AKReefing]

They likely dont.
I use a product from HD called safe step 8300 and it says 100% pure mag chloride hexahydrate.
Yet when disolved in water does not appear crystal clear but rather a tint of yellow/brown.
Cant find anything in the sds that says otherwise.

Yes, it says "Made from100% magnesium chloride hexahydrate", as opposed to "contains...". I have to wonder if that's legalese meant to give an impression of purity. Since it's meant for melting ice outdoors, they probably didn't test for impurities. The SDS seems to omit any mention of the percentage of magnesium chloride present.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I think looking for magnesium chloride that can be traced back to manufacture by teh Dead Sea works can be useful.

Bear in mind that the "purity" mentioned is mostly water in a product like ACS reagent grade (which is 1%). There are numerous specifications that keep it from being particular impurities:

Specifications for a typical ACS reagent magnesium chloride hexahydrate

• Assay: 99.0–102.0%
  
  
• Insoluble matter: Maximum of 0.005%
• Nitrate Maximum of 0.001%
• Phosphate Maximum of 5 ppm
• Sulfate Maximum of 0.002%
• Barium Maximum of 0.005%
• Calcium Maximum of 0.01%
• Iron Maximum of 5 ppm
• Potassium Maximum of 0.005%
• Manganese Maximum of 5 ppm
• Ammonium Maximum of 0.002%
• Sodium Maximum of 0.005%
• Strontium Maximum of 0.005%
• Heavy metals: Maximum of 5 ppm (by ICP-OES)

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Yes, it says "Made from100% magnesium chloride hexahydrate", as opposed to "contains...". I have to wonder if that's legalese meant to give an impression of purity. Since it's meant for melting ice outdoors, they probably didn't test for impurities. The SDS seems to omit any mention of the percentage of magnesium chloride present.

A claim of 100% anything typically means it is the only added ingredient and says nothing about impurities that may be present.

 

[AKReefing]

A claim of 100% anything typically means it is the only added ingredient and says nothing about impurities that may be present.

That's what I've always assumed, also. I roll my eyes any time they say "made with 100% _______". I guess it pays to be skeptical. Based on the BRS video test results, it concerns me that there is such a wide variation in contaminants, some of them potentially harmful.

I don't trust labels much, either. I had bought "2 Pounds Magnesium Chloride Hexahydrate | Pharmaceutical Grade Ingredients" from Amazon a while back. After seeing reports (like the BRSTV video above) the number of contaminants present in so many mag chloride products, I took a closer look at the product label on mine. In a 1.65 gram serving it contains 197 grams of magnesium. Huh?

 

[AKReefing]

A little searching led me to "The World’s Most Pure Natural Magnesium Chloride. Originating from a 250-million-year-old unique source, the Zechstein Sea in Veendam, the Netherlands."
"Genuine Zechstein® - Magnesium Chloride is 100% naturally occurring, solvent free and contaminant free." Contaminant free seems to be a relative term.
Here's their analysis:

Randy, what are your thoughts on this "most pure" magnesium chloride?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

A little searching led me to "The World’s Most Pure Natural Magnesium Chloride. Originating from a 250-million-year-old unique source, the Zechstein Sea in Veendam, the Netherlands."
"Genuine Zechstein® - Magnesium Chloride is 100% naturally occurring, solvent free and contaminant free." Contaminant free seems to be a relative term.
Here's their analysis:

Randy, what are your thoughts on this "most pure" magnesium chloride?

It’s likely fine, but I might test it for ammonia. That’s a typical concern with magnesium chloride.

 

[AKReefing]

Thanks. I found a source that will ship to me up here for free. I'll test for ammonia when it gets here. If nothing else, I can throw it on the sidewalk.

 

[Jungle Blue]

I want to buy MgCl USP in 50 lb bags...I seem to not be able to find it easily online.....is BRS' USP Mag Chloride the best deal out there? I would assume you could do better if you went direct.....

Hiya, this for $21 at Home Depot if you’re willing to try. Ingredients says pure from dead sea, not sure to trust.
Great value if safe for reef.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Hiya, this for $21 at Home Depot if you’re willing to try. Ingredients says pure from dead sea, not sure to trust.
Great value if safe for reef.

That’s the product I originally recommended for the recipe. Good to see it is still available. I used it.

 

[rtparty]

With how little magnesium most of us need, I can’t imagine trying to save a couple dollars on unknown items.

The BRS video was not one sided. They released all the documentation from the ICP testing.

 

[AKReefing]

Hiya, this for $21 at Home Depot if you’re willing to try. Ingredients says pure from dead sea, not sure to trust.
Great value if safe for reef.

We've been discussing the meaning of "pure". "Pure", apparently, doesn't exclude any contaminants that rode along with the mag chloride. Considering the bulk magnesium chloride is intended to be used on sidewalks and driveways, nobody is concerned about contaminants.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

We've been discussing the meaning of "pure". "Pure", apparently, doesn't exclude any contaminants that rode along with the mag chloride. Considering the bulk magnesium chloride is intended to be used on sidewalks and driveways, nobody is concerned about contaminants.

Not sure what you mean. This is the material I studied and recommended years ago.

 

[AKReefing]

I was merely stating that "pure" doesn't mean the product is 100% magnesium chloride.

Have you declared that all Dead Sea Works (source of the MgCl2 in the HD product pictured) magnesium chloride is coral-safe?