Aquaforest
Well-Known Member
Do you know how important it really is?
Salinity is one of the most important water parameters in saltwater aquarium. Basically, it's the measure of sodium ions dissolved in water. Typically, it's measured in ppt – parts per thousand and the more salt in your water, the readings are higher.
Usually hobbyist keep salinity at 32-33 ppt, but during years of our reefing experience we've met aquarists with 28 to even 40 ppt. What's the reason for that? As the major factor of your corals' condition it should be measured regularly, but most probably it's often overlooked. The other possibility is that aquarists don't know how to measure it properly. It happens that refractometers dedicated for food industry are used to check marine water. It's a common mistake, that leads to major measurement error.
Evaporating water may be the reason of salinity fluctuations in your aquarium. Especially in nano tanks, even the small amount of evaporated water can lead to a significant salinity jump. An auto top off system can help you solve this trouble and save your tank from daily fluctuations. Another mistake in keeping stable parameters is dissolving the salt directly in the tank. You should never do that, even if you plan to place salt into a high flow area of the sump. You won't be able to control, if everything dissolved correctly and secondly, salt crystals can burn your corals or fish delicate tissue.
Speaking of salinity it's a necessity to mention... all the other parameters. It's really simple - the more salt you use, the more elements you provide to the water – all their levels raise together with the salinity. That's why speaking of element's levels you should always analyze them referring to salinity. We ran some thorough tests to show you how it exactly affects the chemical elements levels. The results are conclusive. Each and every parameter level changes depending on the amount of the salt used. Why is it crucial for your aquarium? Because neither excess nor deficiencies of elements are healthy for your tank's inhabitants.
In order to run the test properly, we used two perfectly calibrated ICP-OES spectrometers and analyzed data from marine water samples with salinity of 30 to 40 ppt. This method helped us collect and verify reliable data. Why we did this? It happens that you ask us about various parameters recommended values without mentioning salinity. Here's why we think it is the key to keep the other parameters in range.
Salinity is one of the most important water parameters in saltwater aquarium. Basically, it's the measure of sodium ions dissolved in water. Typically, it's measured in ppt – parts per thousand and the more salt in your water, the readings are higher.
Usually hobbyist keep salinity at 32-33 ppt, but during years of our reefing experience we've met aquarists with 28 to even 40 ppt. What's the reason for that? As the major factor of your corals' condition it should be measured regularly, but most probably it's often overlooked. The other possibility is that aquarists don't know how to measure it properly. It happens that refractometers dedicated for food industry are used to check marine water. It's a common mistake, that leads to major measurement error.
Evaporating water may be the reason of salinity fluctuations in your aquarium. Especially in nano tanks, even the small amount of evaporated water can lead to a significant salinity jump. An auto top off system can help you solve this trouble and save your tank from daily fluctuations. Another mistake in keeping stable parameters is dissolving the salt directly in the tank. You should never do that, even if you plan to place salt into a high flow area of the sump. You won't be able to control, if everything dissolved correctly and secondly, salt crystals can burn your corals or fish delicate tissue.
Speaking of salinity it's a necessity to mention... all the other parameters. It's really simple - the more salt you use, the more elements you provide to the water – all their levels raise together with the salinity. That's why speaking of element's levels you should always analyze them referring to salinity. We ran some thorough tests to show you how it exactly affects the chemical elements levels. The results are conclusive. Each and every parameter level changes depending on the amount of the salt used. Why is it crucial for your aquarium? Because neither excess nor deficiencies of elements are healthy for your tank's inhabitants.
In order to run the test properly, we used two perfectly calibrated ICP-OES spectrometers and analyzed data from marine water samples with salinity of 30 to 40 ppt. This method helped us collect and verify reliable data. Why we did this? It happens that you ask us about various parameters recommended values without mentioning salinity. Here's why we think it is the key to keep the other parameters in range.
