What are the recommended water parameters?
How often should I test the aquarium water?
Why does the salinity of water increase and what should I do?
How can I automate the top-off process?
How do I connect a reverse osmosis (RO) water filter?
Why is good water movement so important?
How can I increase water movement?
Why are wave makers so important?
What type of wave maker should I use?

What are the recommended water parameters?

• Vivid Aquariums recommends maintaining a constant water temperature between 75°-80°. Higher temperatures, up to 83°, are OK, but will result in the growth of excess nuisance algae.
• An established aquarium should maintain Ammonia levels of 0.0ppm, Nitrite levels of 0.0 ppm, Nitrate levels of 0.0-30ppm, pH of 8.1-8.4, and dKH of 8-12.
• For reef aquariums, the specific gravity (sg), or salinity, should remain constant between 1.023-1.025.
• Using a lower specific gravity of 1.020-1.022 in fish only aquariums can help to keep fish healthier. Live rock will not be harmed by lower salinity levels.
• Reef aquariums should maintain a calcium level of 400-450ppm to allow stony corals and invertebrates the calcium they need to grow their skeletons and shells.
  - Maintaining a good calcium level is also vital to encouraging the growth of desirable pink and purple coraline algae.
• Do not use tap water!

How often should I test the aquarium water?

• For newer aquariums less than three months old, you should test your aquarium water every 4-5 days until you find that all levels have remained constant for at least one month.
• Unless you have an automatic top-off system to replace water lost to evaporation, you should check the specific gravity twice a week and use fresh top-off water to keep the salinity constant.
• For established aquariums you can reduce your water testing to once every 1-2 weeks. It is a good idea to test the aquarium water before adding new fish and several days after their introduction.
• Anytime you notice potential problems in your aquarium you should test the water. Poor water quality is the root of most problems one experiences when keeping a saltwater aquarium.
• Remember, maintaining proper water quality saves lives.

Why does the salinity of water increase and what should I do?

• When water evaporates from your aquarium the salinity of your water increases because the salt does not evaporate.
  - Therefore, it is necessary to add fresh water to top-off your aquarium system to replace the water that evaporated.
  - Adding this top-off water will dilute the aquarium water and bring the salinity back to normal.

How can I automate the top-off process?

• Topping-off your aquarium can become quite a chore for some hobbyists, especially those who use cooling fans. There is a simple way to automate the topping-off process.
• Connect a reverse osmosis (RO) water filter from a water line in your home to a float valve in your aquarium sump.
• When water evaporates from your aquarium system, the water level in your sump will drop, and the float valve will open releasing perfect RO water into the sump to replace the evaporated water.
• As it fills the sump, the float valve will close to prevent too much water from being added.
• This way you never have to top-off your aquarium again. Instead, you only have to replace the RO filter cartridges about once per year.

How do I connect a reverse osmosis (RO) water filter?

• To connect an RO water filter, you can use a piercing valve on any ½” cold water pipe in your home to connect your home water supply to the RO filter.
• To install the float valve, you must drill a small hole in the sump at the level you want the water to stay.
• Make sure you leave enough space in the sump to accommodate any water that would drain down from the aquarium should your power shut off.
• Once you have affixed the float valve in the sump, attach the filtered (blue) hose from the RO filter to the end of the float valve protruding from the sump.
• RO Filters also have a waste water (orange) line coming out from them that must be attached to a drain in your home.
• Usually you can drill a ¼” hole in the top of a sinks drain pipe just after the trap and stick the waste water line through the hole into the drain pipe.
• Make sure to use silicone to seal around where the tubing enters the drain pipe.
• Finally, turn on the piercing valve all the way and check for any leaks.
• No leaks - you are finished.
  - If you find any leaks turn off the piercing valve and fix them.
  - If you need help call a plumber to install it for you.

Why is good water movement so important?

• Good water circulation helps the filter system to do its job by stirring up waste and allowing the filter to trap it. This results in a cleaner aquarium.
• For fish only aquariums, good water movement keeps fish in shape by creating natural currents like the ones they must swim against in the ocean.
• For reef aquariums, good water movement is important for corals as well. It circulates plankton and other free-floating foods that corals must eat for survival.
• Without good water movement many corals do not have enough food floating by to keep them well fed.
• Changing water currents create the most natural water movement for all marine livestock. Ocean currents change constantly as a result of weather and tides.
• Corals will thrive under changing currents, waving back and forth beautifully.

How can I increase water movement?

• The easiest way is to add powerheads to your aquarium.
  - Place several powerheads on opposite sides of the aquarium and direct their flow at an angle to the aquarium glass.
  - This will create a nice deflected current throughout your aquarium.
  - The total gallons per hour of all of your powerheads should equal about 6-10 times the size of your aquarium in gallons depending on what type of livestock you are keeping.
• Another way, which alleviates having powerheads in your aquarium, is to use an additional return pump, or stronger return pumps, to pump more water from the sump through the aquarium.
  - Make sure your overflow box can handle the excess water volume, or you could have a flood.
  - Saltwater aquariums should cycle 10-15 times per hour.
  - For example, a 100 gallon aquarium should have between 1000-1500 gallons pumped through it every hour.

Why are wave makers so important?

• Using a wavemaker to create changing currents is easy and will make a big difference in the success and appearance of any reef aquarium.
• Wavemakers allow us to simulate the changing water currents of a real coral reef, on a small scale.

What type of wave maker should I use?

• If you are using powerheads in your aquarium, use a Wavemaster Pro Controller to turn your powerheads on and off at ramdom intervals.
• If you have connected return lines from your sump to the aquarium, use a SCWD Wavemaker to T off one or two return lines.
  - Simply install the SCWD on the return line from the pump and connect each of the two returns from the SCWD to return jets on opposite sides of the aquarium.
  - The SCWD will alternate the water from the return pump from one return jet to the other creating constantly changing currents. Your corals will come alive with movement as they sway in the currents.