水测试
Testing your water isn’t the most exciting part of reefkeeing, but it is an important weekly ritual. Without water testing, it is difficult to know what’s happening in your aquarium and what corrections you can make to create the optimal living conditions for your animals.
Knowing what to test and how to test is the first step, while interpreting the tests and understanding what caused the results can help you become a better reefer.
Nitrates
Nitrates are the byproducts of nitrifying bacteria in your aquarium breaking down ammonia and nitrites. During this period nitrifying bacteria are colonizing your tank and establishing the biological filtration needed to complete this process.
硝酸盐会随着有机废物在油箱中破裂而产生的。它们可以从过度喂食和鱼垃圾中积累。硝酸盐水平升高会在水族馆中喂养不良的藻类，并导致SPS珊瑚的生长缓慢。另一方面，LPS珊瑚将欣赏更高的硝酸盐水平，因此，当您考虑解决测试结果的解决方案时，您需要牢记您正在生长哪种类型的珊瑚。
硝酸盐的一百万分部分测量，您希望将这些水平保持在0和10ppm之间。您可以让这些级别累积，并根据您的要求，在50ppm以下的任何地方仍然被认为对您的水箱安全。
Removing Nitrates
The easiest and most effective way to remove nitrates from your aquarium is by doing regular water changes. If you are trying to lower your nitrate levels you want to do this gradually. If you have high levels of nitrates say +50ppm start by doing a 10% water change and then testing your water again in a few days.
您希望您的硝酸盐在没有戏剧性挥杆的情况下开始跌落。继续测试您的水并进行每周换水，直到您的水平在10ppm左右或更低的情况下恢复到下降。对于鱼类和珊瑚，逐渐降低这些水平更容易。
Phosphates
试图控制滋扰藻类时，硝酸盐和磷酸盐齐头并进。磷酸盐通常是藻类生长的限制营养素，磷酸盐过高会加剧藻类的生长。过多的磷酸盐也可以抑制珊瑚的钙化，而根本没有磷酸盐可以饿死珊瑚。
理想的水平phosphate但是，像硝酸盐一样，低于0.02ppm，这取决于您问的人。一些礁石的成功在0.05至0.07ppm之间，而另一些礁石则在0.02ppm或更少的情况下发誓。重要的是要理解的是如何在水族馆中积累磷酸盐以及如何减少磷酸盐。
磷酸盐可以通过未经处理的自来水进入您的水族馆，这就是为什么建议将Rodi水混合水族馆水。磷酸盐也可能来自鱼类食品，鱼类废物和从水族馆中除去磷酸盐，而不仅仅是定期换水，还需要更多的工作。
去除磷酸盐
蛋白质撇油器努力从水族馆中去除有机废物，这是磷酸盐积累中的主要罪魁祸首。确保您的蛋白质撇渣器适合您的水箱，并确保定期清洁撇油器。如果您在微调撇渣器后仍注意到高水平的磷酸盐，也许您的鱼过度喂食，或者在小型水族馆中含有高密度的鱼。
Another way to reduce phosphate is through the use of a media reactor and Granular Ferric Oxide (GFO). GFO can be placed in a bag in an area with enough current but it is most effective when it is in a media reactor. GFO is especially popular because it will absorb phosphate slowly, avoiding any dramatic parameter swings.
You can also control phosphate by adding a refugium with macro-algae in line with your aquarium. The plants use phosphate to grow, removing it from the aquarium. Macro-algae can also help reduce nitrate levels and can be a nice addition to a reef tank.
还有其他控制磷酸盐的方法氧化铝, and biological nutrient reduction with products like Red Sea NO3-PO4-X.
Whatever method you use to control these nutrients, is less important than devoting yourself to a regular testing schedule and tracking the changes in your tank. Regular testing gives you a peek into the invisible world of nutrient accumulation in your aquarium and keeping these parameters in check will provide the ideal habitat for your fish and corals.
