Reef Water Parameters

Maintaining correct reef water parameters in your aquarium is extremely important. Everything in your reef tank depends on the proper balance of chemicals and trace elements in your water.

The most abundant substance in your reef will be the water. It is really important that you use the purest form of water you can get.

As I stated in another section of this site, please don’t use tap water for your reef. Tap water almost always contains many trace elements that will lead to problems in your tank. It is very likely your tap water will contain phosphate, silicate, and nitrate, as well as lead and copper. These trace elements will heavily contribute to nuisance algae growth and other problems. Use RO or RO/DI water instead.

The brand of sea salt you use is another factor to consider. There are many brands to pick from and they are all a little bit different. You must read the label to see the amounts of trace elements they claim to have in them. Depending on the contents of your reef you may need more of some trace elements and less of others.

Click on the following links to learn about your reef aquarium water parameters.