Reef salinity and pH???

[Rycko_427]

What is a good salinity and pH range for a reef tank?? my tank temp is about 78-80 degrees

Thanks

 

[Xtremedave67]

salinity is usually around 35ppt or 1.026 specific gravity, some vary a little lower Ph 8.2-8.3 some vary as well.
Im not a know all source, just what I have read and seen in threads...so definately wait on the experienced reefers to chime in

 

[Rycko_427]

ok cool thanks

 

[NC2WA]

it depends..(don't you hate that answer)

but in this case it is true...if you are keeping only SPS, then you will see salinity around 1.026 and pH around 8.3 or 8.4, but if just fish then salinity will range from 1.022-1.025.

personally, I have mostly fish but the corals I do have are LPS and my salinity is around 1.022-23 and everything is thriving.

if have a FOWLR tank, there are some that keep their salinity low around 1.020 (supposedly it keeps parasite in check and can stimulate appetite (or so I read somewhere).

FWIW, the salinity of NSW is 1.023 (35ppt)
Here is a good general article about saltwater and refractometer:

http://www.ehow.com/how_5869170_use-refractometer-salinity.html

and if you have not gotten a refractometer yet, you might want to..much more reliable than the plastic hydrometers.

so what exactly do you have in your reef??

 

[Rycko_427]

so far in my tank I have an Eagle Eye zoa frag, an orange zoa frag, a Pink Birds Nest SPS frag, a Red Montipora Capricornus frag, a Green Star Polyp and a Branching Green Hammer LPS. I'm thinkin that since I have both LPS and SPS in my tank, that like 1.024 or 1.023 or so would be a good. Do you think that would be OK?? thanks for the help!

 

[Xtremedave67]

That article NC2WA posted above, is a good read......I keep mine at 1.026, being diligent to keep water level topped off.....I know a couple reefers that keep thiers about 1.024, with expectations that evaporation will bring it up a couple points or so.

 

[NC2WA]

1.024 should be fine, but the key with SPS is stability water parameters..once you find a level that works (meaning SPS is happy) keep the water parameters stablility (pH, Mg, Ca, Salinity).

any fluctations of your water parameters and SPS will let you know...

 

[Kurt_Nelson]

...
FWIW, the salinity of NSW is 1.023 (35ppt)
...

I thought 35ppt was closer to 1.026-ish?

Quote from http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2002/1/chemistry ...

"For example, the specific gravity of natural seawater (S =35) is 1.0278 using the 3.98 °C standard, 1.0269 using the 60 °F standard, 1.0266 using the 20 °C standard, and 1.0264 using the 77 °F standard. [I calculated these based on tables of the density of seawater, different tables may present slightly different densities that might then result in slightly different specific gravities]..."

The article you linked to even implies the same...

"...natural sea water typically measures a salinity of 32 to 37 parts per thousand (ppt), or at a "specific gravity" of approximately 1.024 to 1.027"

 

[NC2WA]

yup, brain fart..1.023 is closer to 31 ppt not 35 pptt..sorry for the confusion.