Skeptical Reefkeeping: Test Kits, Chasing Numbers and Phosphate

[Mrsalt]

Water holds more oxygen at lower temps, thus less carbon dioxide which increases ph slightly is what I got told...

 

[glennf]

i agree
i believe NH3/4 and NO2 testing are only necessary when cycling or when you're in trouble (dying fish and corals)
i test weekly for Alk (KH), Ca, and PO4, the others are reasonably stable parameter, so i test those once 2-4 weeks.

Alk, calcium and magnesium are the 3 basics for water chemistry - critical for SPS, LPS, snails, clams, etc. anything that builds a a calcareous skeleton or shell.

Ammonia, nitrites, nitrates and phosphates are the 4 basics for water quality - critical for everything in the reef aquarium.

I think we got on the topic when someone posted about their RBTA - which does require very good water quality but does not build a calcareous shell or skeleton and is less dependent water chemistry.

I'm running a mixed reef with LPS, SPS and 3 huge RBTA's - if I let water chemistry get out of balance (I usually battle low magnesium and low alk) I see the impact almost immediately with my LPS corals (acans are the first to pout in my tank, then GSP), SPS it takes awhile for me to notice any problems and my RBTA's don't seem to react at all.

 

[Oxylebius]

Ph can be temperature related, so yea I'd agree

Never heard that. Resistivity is temperature dependent, but pH? Can we get a confirmation on that?

It is true, pH of a solution does change with temperature. This is encountered in labs all the time. Anyone working a pH meter in a lab should take the temp along with the pH of a solution for accurate recording. For example, water has these pH readings at these temps: 0C@pH7.47; 25C@pH7; 50C@6.63.

But, not sure if this really applies with our tanks, as the temp shouldn't be swinging so much that the pH will read differently at 77degress vs 80degrees. Your pH readings shouldn't show differences (unless something is throwing your pH way off from a different parameter other then temp).