Understand the Basic Parameters of a Marine Aquarium

In the previous article, How To Setup a Healthy Marine Aquarium for Your Marine Creatures , I gave a basic overview of the marine biological filtration system and the importance of the cycling process. Only when the cycling period is completed around the 30th day, and you have tested that all the toxic components of salt water in a newly set-up tank have been processed to harmless levels, should you begin to stock up slowly with fish. Difference Between Marine Fish and Freshwater Fish Marine or saltwater fish are adapted to life in an ecosystem that is totally different from that of their freshwater cousins. The former are much more sensitive to changes in their environment. Most of the marine fish for sale are commonly caught from the tropical seas of the Indo-Pacific regions. The water quality and parameters of salt water in your tank should thus closely resemble the natural seawater in such regions. Basic Parameters of Marine Fish Tank The critical parameters of a saltwater tank are pH, nitrate, salinity, and temperature. pH Level: The pH of a marine tank is one of the most important features. All marine creatures like a pH near 8.2 ranging from 8.0 to 8.4. Marine fish and invertebrates are especially sensitive to rapid changes in pH levels, so keeping pH fluctuations within 0.2 each day is crucial. Nitrate Level: The next critical parameter is the nitrate level. Saltwater fish are generally more tolerant of higher nitrates than invertebrates, but they still like nitrate levels below 20ppm with less than 5ppm being required for most invertebrates. A good goal would be to keep the nitrate level below 0.5ppm. Salinity: The next parameter of concern is salinity, or specific gravity (the amount of salt in the water). Specific gravity is temperature-dependent, while salinity is not. Instruments that measure specific gravity are called hydrometers, and these will read the correct specific gravity at 59˚F. Most hobby-grade hydrometers, however, are temperature-corrected to read specific gravity at 77 deg F (25˚C).

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