Water Parameter Help

[Capoe126]

Hey guys,

I am just getting ready to start up a tank (most likely in a classroom setting). I am still doing quite a bit of research on water chemistry and ideal parameters for my tank. I understand that depending on the type of the tank the ideal parameters may vary. I was wondering if a poster (graphically/ visually interesting) or something exists that includes the ideal water parameters for a tank. I would like to display that along with my tank and possibly use it as a handout for the students that will be assisting with the tank.

 

[Zach B]

From Live Aquarias site

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I'm not a fan of that list. If one literally followed within the specs for each one, it could easily end in disaster. For example, alk 12 dKH, and less than 0.01 ppm phosphate and less than 1 ppm nitrate. That would starve corals, potentially cause burnt tips on some SPS, and high potential for dinos.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

The salinity is also low, and ridiculously, they even have it wrong on coral reefs.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I give my recommendations here, but since I wrote that years ago, folks have found a need for higher N and P somehow. if you provide those by nitrate and phosphate, then 2-10 ppm nitrate is good, as is 0.02 to 0.05 ppm phosphate.

Optimal Parameters for a Coral Reef Aquarium: By Randy Holmes-Farley

[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...

www.reef2reef.com

 

[Capoe126]

I'm not a fan of that list. If one literally followed within the specs for each one, it could easily end in disaster. For example, alk 12 dKH, and less than 0.01 ppm phosphate and less than 1 ppm nitrate. That would starve corals, potentially cause burnt tips on some SPS, and high potential for dinos.

Hmm alright. Thanks for the heads up!

 

[Capoe126]

I give my recommendations here, but since I wrote that years ago, folks have found a need for higher N and P somehow. if you provide those by nitrate and phosphate, then 2-10 ppm nitrate is good, as is 0.02 to 0.05 ppm phosphate.

Optimal Parameters for a Coral Reef Aquarium: By Randy Holmes-Farley

[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...

www.reef2reef.com

Wow this is perfect thank you!

 

[Uncle99]

Hey guys,

I am just getting ready to start up a tank (most likely in a classroom setting). I am still doing quite a bit of research on water chemistry and ideal parameters for my tank. I understand that depending on the type of the tank the ideal parameters may vary. I was wondering if a poster (graphically/ visually interesting) or something exists that includes the ideal water parameters for a tank. I would like to display that along with my tank and possibly use it as a handout for the students that will be assisting with the tank.

Keep in mind that the chemistry may differ dependent on what you are keeping.

If it was just fish, I would run salinity lower than NSW at 1.020-1.021, but if you add inverts and corals, now we want to be up in the 1.025-1.026 range.

The prob with the list is the wide ranges on some parameters.

If you pick NSW parameters, you will have the best parameters IMM.