# Aquarium test results and what they mean



## GetITCdot (Aug 4, 2009)

*Temperature: *
78-82 degrees Fahrenheit is best however opinions may differ. 

*Salinity/specific gravity:*
A specific gravity of 1.025-1.026 right around correct. Most people will use a hydrometer or refractometer to measure their salt levels. I would not recommend the swing arm hydrometer just my opinion.

*pH: *
1.0 (acidic) to 14.0 (alkaline). pH is a contraction that stands for pondus Hydrogenii (weight of hydrogen). For a saltwater tank, we want to have a higher pH, with a level between 8.2-8.4.

*Ammonia/Nitrite: *
These should ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS BE ZERO!. When a tank is first set up, these levels should be monitored weekly or even a few times per week. After that I test mine maybe once a month.

*Nitrate: *
Ammonia is broken down by bacteria into nitrite and then into nitrate by a different bacteria. Nitrate can wreak havoc on inverts and promotes algae growth.

*Phosphate:*
Like nitrates, phosphates are another fuel for algae and can even inhibit the ability of corals to utilize Calcium from the water. 

*Calcium:* 
Corals, clams, coralline algae (and other calcareous algae like halemida), feather dusters and many other organisms rely on Calcium to build their skeletons or skeletal structures. 



I got the information in this post from Comparing Reef Aquarium Test Kits by Keith MacNeil, a Marine Depot Staff Member

The article goes into depth about some of the stuff covered in this post.


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## phil_pl (Apr 10, 2009)

thanks for the info


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## JIM (May 27, 2009)

very good info, thanks for posting, this should be very helpful to new folks in the hobby,


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## Nicole85 (Aug 17, 2009)

thanks for that...i thought you a were saltwater genius till you said it was from an article...lol hey do you know what would be causing pieces of live rock to break off,only a couple small ones...but weird?


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## petlover516 (Nov 12, 2008)

pretty good


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