Newbie with a new toy

[jgvergo]

I splurged for an APEX Gold on my new tank and got a very good deal on an ORP probe. Of all the equipment I bought, it is the one piece that I'm not sure if/why I need it. I have it installed and the tank has been running for a couple of weeks. The ORP has been steadily (though not monotonically) climbing. At present, it is up around 200.

My questions:

1) What are typical ranges for ORP?
2) What is considered a good ORP level?
3) Should I be doing anything to improve the ORP?

Thanks in advance.

 

[fab]

It takes time for an ORP probe to stabilize before it will produce useful readings. Be patient. Meanwhile, read up on ORP probes. It will help a lot.

 

[jgvergo]

Fab, I found this very useful article: http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2003-12/rhf/feature/

 

[Robthorn]

My orp runs between 350 and 400. It runs inverse of your ph.
Does it help anything in my tank? Probably not. Lol
If the probe goes bad I will probably not replace it.

 

[jgvergo]

My orp runs between 350 and 400. It runs inverse of your ph.
Does it help anything in my tank? Probably not. Lol
If the probe goes bad I will probably not replace it.

Thanks Rob. Randy's article backs up your observation too. I guess I'll monitor it casually to see if there are any precipitous drops that might indicate a problem. I'll focus on other water parameters.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

IMO, it's primary use is when you use ozone to make sure you are not overusing it.

Otherwise, it is mostly a fine to watch sort of instrument.

 

[fab]

jvergo,

I use ORP as a strategic indicator, not a tactical tool. By that I mean that I watch for large excursions outside a band of values. When I see that happen it will put me into a higher level of attention to details of what is happening with the critters in my tank. If I see something happen rather quickly with a large swing, then I suspect that some significant, perhaps bad, oxidizing or reducing event has happened in my tank that may soon cause bad reactions with my critters. It is not a diagnostic tool to determine what has gone wrong; rather it is an indicator of something happening that may have worrisome consequences already or soon. If it returns quickly back into my reference band of values and all else seems well I figure the ORP battle ran its course naturally and I reduce my level of attention to details in the tank.

If my remarks seem to be full of "mights and maybe's" it is because of what I said in my opening sentence. ORP is a very high level indicator with only uncertain immediately practical meaning and implications for my tank. Is it useful? Only when it is! That is why I keep an eye on it, but do not obsess over it.

fab