Need Advice with Water Parameters and Maintenance

I am new to keeping a saltwater reef aquarium. As part of my research, I'm looking for general information relative to water parameters. I found a good reference for suggested levels for water parameters.

I would like more information relative to the cause if the parameters falls out of the suggested level, what effect it has on the aquarium enviroment, and what type of corrective actions or preventative maintenace I can do to keep all of my water parmeters in check.

I would like like information on Specific Gravity, temperature, pH, Alkanity, Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrate, Phosphate, Calcium, Magnesium, Iodine, and Strontium.

I greatly appreciate getting some great information from experts in this forum!! Thanks!!

 

If I where to answer your ? to the fullest, this would be a very, very long thread. But I will keep it short. One's paras are for the most part, one's personal pref. People who keep they're numbers on the high side are ppl who sell frags, so the corals need to grow fast so they can sell them. The following levels are for a reef tank setting;

Temp..........77-81.....................................79 is ideal
SG..............1.024-1.026............................1.025 is ideal
PH...............8.0-8.3..................................but can be +/-
DKH/ALK........9-12ppm/3.20-4.32 meg/L........10ppm is ideal
Cal................400-500ppm..........................440 is ideal
Mag..............1300-1500ppm........................1420ppm is ideal
Strontium......8-10 meg/L
Iodine........... .06 meg/L
No3.............. 20ppm........................and below and could be 0 too
Nh3, No2, and Po4......all should be 0ppm


Hope this helps.

Luna

 

Here's a few articles to get you up to speed.

Reef Chemistry Articles