Salt water tests

Saltwater aquariums or reef aquariums are considered the supreme discipline in aquaristics. Fish and other creatures that live in the open sea have special requirements in terms of ambience, flow and food. These differ greatly from those of freshwater inhabitants. One of the greatest challenges in saltwater aquaristics is the water supply. Preparing salt water from tap water using osmosis technology and enhancing it with salts and other additives is challenging. You need special saltwater tests to check the water values.

Saltwater and freshwater differ in their chemical composition. Thus, the ideal water values of the saltwater aquarium also look different. The optimal parameters are as follows:

• Salt content: 34–35.7 grams per litre
• Carbonate hardness: 7° – 10° KH
• pH value: 7.8 – 8.5
• Calcium content: 420 milligrams per litre
• Magnesium content: 1350 milligrams per litre
• Nitrite and phosphate: under 0.1 milligrams per litre
• Nitrate: less than 10 milligrams per litre

Countermeasures are necessary in the case of deviations from these values. An excess of nitrate, for example, requires readjustment of the filter. Moreover, aquarium water in the sea tank must have a temperature within the strict range of 24° and 26° Celsius. The water sample to be tested should not be cooled down.

A test set for a saltwater aquarium works in the same way as the one for a freshwater tank: either by means of a test strip that you hold in the water, or with indicator drops that provide information about the values by discolouring a water sample and comparing it with a colour scale. However, the test set must be suitable for saltwater analyses; you cannot use a freshwater set. The following also applies to saltwater tests – be careful when handling chemicals and follow the safety instructions.

Saltwater animals, especially corals, react very sensitively to large deviations from the optimal values. Regular measurements help you to detect deviations before serious problems occur. The smaller the tank, the quicker there is a risk of tipping over or moving the chemical components into areas outside the tolerance limits. Saltwater tests are also very important in areas where tap water, which is the raw material for saltwater preparation, contains particularly high levels of chlorine or heavy metals. Measurements should be taken at least once a week once the aquarium has been run in. In the running in phase of the tank, tests at shorter intervals are helpful to keep an eye on the chemical processes in the water and to determine the time that is needed prior to the introduction of aquatic life. Discover saltwater tests in our online shop.