Tips for Reef Chemistry Beginners

[WhoIsCandice]

What are some tips / tricks that you wish were known or were publicized more frequently such that reef-newbies would be exposed to the idea / concept?
Some examples I can think of that I wish I knew when I first entered the hobby:
1. The role of alkalinity and relation to PH, and what that means
2. How the reagents in many of our test kits work from a chemistry standpoint (I'm a chemistry noob and it has been so long since I took it in HS, college-chemistry was more Physics based)
3. What elements and at what rate of consumption does X, Y, Z species of coral consume, in its natural seawater environment?

 

[blaxsun]

Get decent test kits from the outset...

 

[lmfbs]

Reef chemistry is complicated, and you can get about as complicated as you want. But you can engage on a simplier level and still find success. For me, this has made me way more confident in engaging in the chemistry, because I don't feel like I have to understand everything perfectly, I can just keep learning.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

What are some tips / tricks that you wish were known or were publicized more frequently such that reef-newbies would be exposed to the idea / concept?
Some examples I can think of that I wish I knew when I first entered the hobby:
1. The role of alkalinity and relation to PH, and what that means
2. How the reagents in many of our test kits work from a chemistry standpoint (I'm a chemistry noob and it has been so long since I took it in HS, college-chemistry was more Physics based)
3. What elements and at what rate of consumption does X, Y, Z species of coral consume, in its natural seawater environment?

FWIW, answer 3 is not known in a detailed way that is useful to reefers.

IMO, one of the most useful general tips about reef chemistry is to not simply accept any manufacturer assertion about a product of theirs without independent verification. Many are misleading or incorrect.

Same applies to random reefer comments on places like facebook or youtube where it is not easy to challenge false claims. The number of false assertions and misunderstandings of reef chemistry, even by some of the leading names in reefing, is the specific reason a reef chemistry forum exists.

Finally, I'd strongly urge folks to not fall for the idea that one can gauge the desirability of any chemical method or process by looking at how nice a tank is that uses it. There are several issues with this common practice:

1. What works in one scenario may not work at all in another due to differences that new reefers may not recognize as important.

2. A reef aquarium may thrive in spite of one or more suboptimal practices, not because of them.

Happy Reefing!

 

[Reefer Matt]

My advice for beginners is to do adequate and routine water changes. The chemistry will work itself out until the coral frags grow into colonies. By then, you will have had time to learn about tank chemistry and know what to dose, if anything.

 

[KStatefan]

When testing water follow instructions and do it the same each time.

 

[jda]

Many people miss these basics of chemistry and biology.

Nitrogen and nitrate are not the same thing. Phosphorous and phosphate are not the same thing. Living tissue need nitrogen and phosphorous and there are many ways that they get it that are not from phosphate and nitrate. Phosphate and nitrate are not forms of energy, so ignore anybody telling you to dose these to "feed" your corals.

Phosphates bind to aragonite to an equilibrium with the aragonite amount and the water column level of po4. The more po4 that you have in the water, the more po4 the rock and sand will bind.

The complete nitrogen cycle removes nitrate from the tank. Plants, algae, reactors or anaerobic bacteria can do this.

There are more to protein skimmers than removal of organics. Gas exchange is very important in most tanks.

To reiterate above, believe no manufacturer claims. While a few might be OK, the majority of the garbage ruins it for them all.

Make your own supplements out of ingredients with known purity levels. Nearly anything worth dosing has been figured out with simple instructions. The buying, making and dosing also teaches you a lot.

Lastly, there are Chemistry Articles linked at the top of this forum. I would read through them if you have a chance. They are free from any manufacturer false claims. This also where you can learn to make your own supplements.