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Start with a large vessel (large buckets or plastic trash cans work well) of reverse osmosis (RO) or distilled water. Altering salinity of your tank significantly may also alter alkalinity, calcium, magnesium, and other ions to the point where they will need adjustments, so be sure to have test kits on hand to monitor these levels.

Make sure all salt is completely dissolved before testing to ensure accurate readings. Add more salt mix to raise the salinity or more fresh water to lower salinity. Concentrations are based upon published manufacturers product literature.įollow the manufacturer’s directions on how much mix to use, and check the solution for proper salinity as you add mix.

All readings are based upon mixing salt water to a concentration of 35 ppt or a specific gravity of 1.026. The following chart is a comparison guide for Calcium, Alkalinity, and Magnesium levels in our most popular artificial marine aquarium salt mixes. Even each brand of marine salt mix varies from natural seawater’s concentrations of the four major ions (sodium, chloride, sulfate and magnesium), as well as other trace elements. General aquarium salt, which is simply sodium chloride and other specialized mixes such as cichlid salt are not suitable for a marine or reef set-up as they do not include the ions necessary for oceanic organisms to thrive. Not all salt is created equal in the aquarium world. Many aquarists prefer RODI units that combine reverse osmosis (RO) and deionization (DI) to remove impurities and undesirable compounds from tap water. There are many water filtration systems available that will produce purified water for use in your aquarium, which may be the safest solution. Tap water, whether drawn from a well or from a municipal supply, can contain various chemicals or dissolved minerals that can be harmful to your tank. Making saltwater for your aquarium begins with finding a pure water supply. Ideally you’ll be looking for a salinity of 34 to 36 ppt or a specific gravity from 1.021 to 1.026. These devices provide values for specific gravity or salinity. There are a number of tools used to measure salinity, but a simple hydrometer or refractometer will give you accurate results. It is important to know the salinity of your tank and any new seawater you make before topping off. Such a system can require almost constant supplementation. In a healthy reef tank with rapidly growing stony corals and tridacnid clams, the demand for calcium, magnesium and other trace elements can be so high that salt mix alone will not provide enough. In a closed system like an aquarium, the supply of certain dissolved substances can become severely depleted between water changes with no natural replenishment as would occur in the ocean. Using a commercial salt mix, you create water for the aquarium that is in many ways superior to natural sea water, with buffers to help maintain the proper pH, as well as additional calcium and other trace elements to maintain corals, clams and other reef invertebrates. Normal seawater is about 35 ppt salts.īut sea water is not just “salty” it contains a precise mix of trace elements, all of which should be present in an artificial replacement. Salinity is the measure of the concentration of dissolved salts (ions) in the water, often given in ppt – parts per thousand. The main ions are sodium (Na), chloride (Cl), magnesium (Mg), and sulfate (S04), forming the salts (NaCl and MgS04). Seawater is composed of many different ions (salts) in different concentrations.

Clean, pure saltwater is crucial to the health and well-being of creatures in your marine aquarium.