STRESS...The Biggest Killer In Our Reef Aquariums!
Stress = Disease = Death.  This article looks at our tank conditions, i.e. water quality as a potential killer.

Tank parameters consist in part of these main areas:  Temperature, Salinity, Water quality (i.e., PH, Alk, DOCs etc.).  When any one of these areas is above or below a "normal range" it causes stress to everything live in our tanks.  Stress lowers a fish's immune system making them susceptible to Ick & other pathogens but stress also threatens the health of our corals & other inverts like anemones, clams, snails, shrimp etc.  All of these "animals" come from the most stable environment in the world.  Most have never had to cope with salinity & temperature changes, high levels of NitrAte or Docs (dissolved organic compounds).  Then we add more stress by not providing adequate trace elements.  In many cases I find hobbyists with levels too high from dosing or too low from not doing appropriate water changes.

So, what are "normal" tank parameters? & what can we do to ensure they stay spot on?  Start by checking & maintaining your levels as follows:
     1.  Temperature - 78 degrees
     2.  Salinity - 1.024 - though natural sea water averages 1.026 our enclosed environments in & of themselves create some stress (vs open ocean!) so we reduce some stress by reducing salinity a bit.
     3. PH - range is 8.2 - 8.4 - normal to see this change between day & night
     4.  Alkalinity - 3.0 ppm - Critical to all corals soft or stony - reduces naturally - needs to be increased with either Baking Soda (bicarbonate) or other commercial reef products.
     5.  Calcium - Natural sea water is about 410 ppm.  Not an issue for soft corals.  Only important when a tank has a great amount of stony corals/clams that require a certain amount of calcium present in order to grow.
     4.  DOCs - Any presence of nuisance green algae &/or Cyano bacteria (Red Slime Algae) is a very good indicator DOCS are high.  Regulate by not overfeeding, rinse frozen foods to remove polluted juices, do not feed Phytoplankton products!, run a skimmer 24/7 and perform 10% weekly water changes.  Occasionally run Reef Carbon & Phosphate remover for a few days - especially when nuisance algae &/or Cyano is present.  Lastly, "storm" your tank by using a turkey baster & gently blowing your rocks around your corals.  Not only does storming suspend detritus (dirt) making it accessible to our skimmer for removal but many organisms deposit eggs, larvae etc. (natural plankton) in the rock crevices & when we blow, we lift & suspend this natural plankton which makes it accessible to corals as well as!

Finally, do your system a favor by performing 10% weekly water changes using a high quality salt like Tropic Marin Pro Reef.  This salt has the most complete & most consistent levels of trace elements of any salt sold.  Larger water changes more radically alter our water chemistry, temperature etc. & IS stressful to ALL our livestock!  Water changes also physically remove DOCs & other pollutants so do your 10% weekly water changes faithfully...the best thing you can do for your tank & beloved livestock!

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