Phosphate is an ion of great concern to reef aquarists. In fact, aside from calcium and alkalinity, it is probably the chemistry topic on which reef aquarists focus the most. Much of this concern is warranted, with phosphate potentially contributing to algae problems, poor coloration of corals and other invertebrates, and growth of most photosynthetic organisms.…
Last month I reported on the purity of several brands of calcium chloride, including the relatively inexpensive Dowflake 77-80% Calcium Chloride available at Home Depot for about $12 for 50 pounds.…
Calcium chloride is a compound of significant interest to many marine aquarists. Besides its potential use in formulating artificial salt mixes, it is also useful in directly supplementing calcium to aquaria.…
One of the most common concerns of reef aquarists is pH. Some aquaria have pH that is too high, some too low. Some have pH just right, but don’t know it. The first step in solving this Goldilocks problem is to ensure that you are measuring pH correctly.…
Many aquarists ask whether it is acceptable to use tap water for their reef aquaria. The answer obviously depends on what is in their tap water. We have all heard of aquarists who use only tap water and are seemingly very successful.…
In previous articles I have dealt in detail with issues involving magnesium1 and strontium2 in reef aquaria. While information on the amount of strontium and magnesium delivered by calcium carbonate/carbon dioxide reactors has been previously shown, similar information has been unavailable for limewater.…
Much has been written about the need for strontium in reef aquaria. Some authors have described it as an important additive,1 while others have described it simply as a poison.2,3 Why are there such divergent opinions on strontium?…
Magnesium is the third most abundant ion in seawater, behind sodium and chloride. It is also intimately involved in a great many biological processes in every living organism. Nevertheless, the only time that it comes to the attention of most reef aquarists is when it is suspected of causing a problem in maintaining appropriate calcium and alkalinity.…
In a recent article I described in detail various attributes of boron in the reef aquaria.1 These attributes include providing pH stability and the potential for toxicity from excessive boron.…
Nitrate is an ion that has long dogged aquarists. The nitrogen that it is formed from comes in with foods, and in many aquaria it builds up and can be difficult to keep at natural levels. A decade or two ago, many aquarists performed water changes with nitrate reduction as one of the primary goals.…