Articles by Randy Holmes-Farley

Randy Holmes-Farley
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Ammonia is Our Friend By Randy Holmes-Farley Yes, I know the title is provocative, and likely goes against much of what you read and hear in the reef aquarium hobby. I believe, however, that the hobby may have been harmed by the continual vilification of ammonia as something that one wants to...
Randy Holmes-Farley
17 min read
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How a Two Part Alkalinity and Calcium System Works, and Why it Matters By Randy Holmes-Farley This article is intended to help aquarists understand some of the important differences between the great variety of two and three part alkalinity and calcium dosing systems presently available...
Randy Holmes-Farley
18 min read
5.00 star(s) 4 ratings
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Reef Aquarium Salinity: DIY Calibration Standards By Randy Holmes-Farley One of the most important issues facing marine aquarists is providing a suitable environment for their aquaria's inhabitants. Among the important properties for a marine environment's suitability is the water's salinity...
Randy Holmes-Farley
23 min read
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When Do Calcium and Alkalinity Demand Not Exactly Balance? By Randy Holmes-Farley Calcium and alkalinity are generally supplied to reef aquaria in order to offset losses caused by the formation of calcium carbonate. There are many ways to replace these loses, and every method has its own pros...
Randy Holmes-Farley
4 min read
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In a previous article I discussed my thoughts on trace elements https://www.reef2reef.com/ams/randys-thoughts-on-trace-elements.951/ This article expands on that discussion by providing specific guidance for all elements one might dose. First, some explanation. I have listed many elements as...
Randy Holmes-Farley
8 min read
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Since this topic comes up over and over, I thought I give a summary of my current general thoughts on trace elements for reef aquariums. 1. First, a standard definition. Trace elements are those elements in seawater at very low concentration. It does not include the major ions of seawater...
Randy Holmes-Farley
31 min read
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Salinity is one of the most important parameters measured in reef aquaria. It controls not only the salt balance between an organism and its surrounding environment, but also the levels of a host of ions in seawater that aquarists neither measure nor control independently. Consequently...
Randy Holmes-Farley
Updated
23 min read
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For many aquarists, pH is not something that they have much experience with aside from their aquarium. For many, pH is almost a black box measurement: something to be considered, but whose physical meaning makes little sense to them. This article will describe pH in an intuitive way (as...
Randy Holmes-Farley
14 min read
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Most reefkeepers know they need to measure alkalinity, and most know it has something to do with carbonate. But what is alkalinity exactly? Why is it important? How is it measured? This article will answer those questions and give you all of the information that you need to fully understand one...
Randy Holmes-Farley
Updated
29 min read
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The phosphorus atom is one of living matter’s basic building blocks. It is present in every living creature and in the water of every reef aquarium. Unfortunately, it is often present in excess in reef aquaria and that excess has the potential to cause at least two substantial problems for...
Randy Holmes-Farley
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23 min read
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Introduction Nitrate is an ion that has long dogged aquarists. It is typically formed in aquaria through the digestion of foods, and in many aquaria it builds up and can be difficult to keep at natural levels. In the past, many aquarists performed water changes with nitrate reduction as one of...
Randy Holmes-Farley
Updated
12 min read
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There are many different ions in seawater, and as reef aquarists we generally only test for a small number of these. Calcium, magnesium, “alkalinity”, nitrate, phosphate, and ammonia, for example, are relatively easy for hobbyists to test at home using kits. Other ions, however, are more...
Randy Holmes-Farley
13 min read
5.00 star(s) 6 ratings
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Alkalinity is one of the most important measurements that a reef aquarist can make. It can become rapidly depleted in many aquaria, requiring frequent measurement in order to maintain stable levels. While hobby test kits for alkalinity can be simple to use, some aquarists find them either...
Randy Holmes-Farley
Updated
29 min read
5.00 star(s) 3 ratings
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There is no aspect of reef aquarium chemistry more important than calcium and alkalinity. Many of my previous articles have described various aspects of these systems in detail. In reading those articles, aquarists will note one pervasive theme: that maintaining appropriate levels of each are...
Randy Holmes-Farley
Updated
31 min read
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[note: edited on 5/29/2022 to update the nitrate and phosphate sections with higher recommended levels.] One of the main roles of an aquarist with a coral reef aquarium is to ensure that the conditions are right for their tank inhabitants. There are many different attributes of the aquarium...
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