Calcium and alkalinity are vitally important chemical parameters in reef aquariums. They are used by stony corals to build their calcium carbonate skeletons. A lack of calcium and alkalinity in the water will inhibit the growth of reef-building corals and…
The Role of Magnesium in Marine Aquarium Chemistry
One of the big differences in moving from freshwater systems to saltwater systems is a greater emphasis on water chemistry. There is a pretty steep learning curve to get a handle on all the different chemical parameters, and it can…
Marine Aquarium Antacid: Understanding Alkalinity
When I first made the switch from freshwater to marine fishkeeping, I was somewhat befuddled by the term “alkalinity” as it’s typically used on the saltwater side of the hobby. During all my years of keeping freshwater systems, I had…