Below is a guide to what your general water quality parameters should be. Aquariums with poor water quality will cause inhabitants to become more prone to disease.
Environmental Parameters
-
Fish Only Systems
- temperature 24°C to 27°C
- salinity 1.022 to 1.026, whatever your salinity in this range, being constant is most important
- pH 8.3
- ammonia 0 ppm, may increase during feeding, but should drop to 0 ppm within 2-3 hours
- nitrite 0 ppm, may increase during feeding, but should drop to 0 ppm within 2-3 hours
- nitrate up to about 50 ppm, but have seen healthy live stock in a well stocked system of 150 ppm (included Tangs, Butterflies and Angels, but I would not recommend it)
- Invertebrate Systems
- temperature 24°C
- salinity 1.024
- pH 8.3
- ammonia 0 ppm
- nitrite 0 ppm
- nitrate up to about 10 - 15 ppm, but the closer to zero the better
- calcium 400 - 420 ppm
- phosphate 0 ppm is best, but not easy to achieve
- Recommended Extra Equipment
- protein skimmer (essential)
- uv steriliser (recommended)
- osmolator (recommended for invertebrate systems, but may by all means be used in fish only systems)
- ozone generator (if you feel the need)
