There is a moderately steep learning curve associated with aquarium chemistry and hobbyists often get conflicting or confusing responses when they ask questions of their local aquarium/pet stores or other hobbyists. The main goal of this course is to dispel some of the confusion and mystery that surround subjects of marine aquarium chemistry. It will do so by providing the background necessary for understanding basic subjects such as the differences between atoms and ions as well as complex subjects such as ionic strength and the marine carbonate buffer system. It is the instructor's goal that, by the end of the course, students feel comfortable with both the science-specific end of aquarium chemistry and what it means in the real world. This course is a review, but it will have information for a range of aquarist experience from early beginners to more advanced individuals.
Week 1: Atoms, Molecules, Ions, and large Subatomic Particles
Goal: To define terms and notation. Review the differences, similarities, and interactions between the basic building blocks of matter.
Week 2: Concentrations
Goal: A review of what concentrations mean with an emphasis upon interpreting aquarium test kit results.
Week 3: Acid-Base Chemistry and pH
Goal: To learn about the basics of acid-base reactions and what pH really means.
Week 4: Ionic Strength
Goal: To provide a basic understanding of ionic strength as a concept, how it determines how much solute is "absolute" vs. how much is "available" and outline why this is key in marine aquaria.
Week 5: Alkalinity
Goal: To dispel some of the mystery surrounding the concept of alkalinity and it's meaning for marine aquaria.
Week 6: Marine Carbonate Buffer System
Goal: To provide an outline of the carbonate buffer system and a basic understanding of how it influences almost all other water chemistry in marine aquaria.
The first three weeks of the course will be devoted to laying the foundation necessary to facilitate discussion of more complex subjects in the latter weeks. During week 1, we will review the basic building blocks of matter, the notation that chemists use to represent them and we will talk about basic ways in which these particles interact with each other. Week 2 will include a discussion about what aquarium wet-chem tests really mean with regard to detection limits and how they may or may not tell you what is actually present in your tank. Week 3 will include a review of basic acid-base interactions, including a discussion of how water can be both acid AND base, as well as a discussion of how this influences pH and what pH really means. Week 4 will include an introduction to the concept of ionic strength and a discussion of how it can determine what ions can participate in chemical reactions. In week 5 we will define alkalinity from a chemistry perspective and discuss what it means in the real world of aquarium water chemistry. In the final week we will tackle the complex concept of the marine carbonate buffer system and how it determines the pH of marine aquaria.
