by Saurabh Pal

Created on: January 17, 2008   Last Updated: May 24, 2010

Corals and reefs are a wonderful natural phenomenon and there has always been a strong bondage between human beings and reefs. We are helplessly in love with them and what we love, we want to have around us as well. Naturally, Saltwater Aquarium or Reef Aquaria is a sheer delight to have in our homes and is a passion for some people. The corals and fish provide beauty and add to the attraction of a room.

Even though they are wonderful to the eyes, immense hard work is required to maintain a healthy aquarium. For the proper functioning and maintenance of it, several key things are required. For example water, chemical composition, lighting etc. all need to be in the right proportion and quantity. Besides, regular monitoring is required to ensure that the critical balance of all the key ingredients is not disturbed. So it is very easy to get awed by all the chemical nuances and maintaining their requisite levels.

Let us decipher this in a very simple and understandable way by looking at the critical water parameters one by one.

There are several parameters that determine the balance of the aquaria. These can be essentially divided into 2 groups primary parameters which are the critical ones and the secondary parameters also called the non-critical parameters. The first group consists of Calcium, Alkalinity, Salinity, Temperature, pH of the water, Magnesium, Phosphqte and Ammonia. The secondary parameters are Silica, Iodine, Nitrate, Nitrite, Strontium, Oxidation Reduction Potential (ORP), Boron and Iron. As you can make out it is extremely critical to keep all these parameters at the right levels to ensure a healthy aquarium. The parameters are described below -

Name of Parameter: Calcium
Its Impact:
Corals use calcium to grow their skeletons and they use the calcium available in the water. Natural water usually has around 420 ppm and hence the aquaria levels can also be maintained around this level. The number of corals will determine the actual quantity. If levels drop then calcium chloride can be added to enhance the levels.
Appropriate Levels: 380-450 ppm

Name of Parameter: Alkalinity
Its Impact:
Some types of corals also use alkalinity to grow their skeletons. They convert bicarbonate to carbonate which is then turned into calcium carbonate and used to grow. Alkalinity is a measure of the quantity of acid (H+) required to reduce the pH to about 4.5, so that all bicarbonate is converted into carbonic acid: HCO3-+ H+ H2CO3. Baking soda or washing soda can be used

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