Live Corals: Natural Water Quality Parameters and LSS Design considerations

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Live Corals Natural Water Quality Parameters
and LSS Design considerations

• Mike Brittsan, Curator

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Can you design it?
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Geological Perspective

• In general terms corals have been around for
  roughly 500 million years.
• Most of the Genera we see today evolved about 25
  35 million years ago.
• Most contemporary reefs are
• a mere 5 10 thousand years old.

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Diversity of Corals

• There are more than two thousand species of
  Living Corals presently classified.
• The greatest concentration of classified species
  are in the Indo-Pacific with roughly 90 Genera.
• In the Atlantic/ Caribbean there are about 40
  Genera.
• Corals primarily belong to the order Scleractinia
  and are reef building (hermatypic) corals.

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Geographic Locations

• Generally coral reefs are confined to warmer
  waters between 30o N and 30o S latitude.
• Well developed coral reefs are not well
  established at water temperatures much below 21o
  C.
• Active reef building is diminished below depths
  of 30 40 meters.

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Water Quality Parameters
Salinity

• Hermatypic corals require salinities from 32 40
  ppt.
• Persian Gulf corals 40 ppt.
• Indo-Pacific corals 34 35 ppt.
• Atlantic/Caribbean corals 35 36 ppt.

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Water Quality Parameters
Temperature

• Temperatures on natural reef communities vary
  from 21 30o C.
• When keeping corals you need to consider the
  origin of the species.
• Indo-Pacific average 24 27o C
• Atlantic/ Caribbean average 26 27o C
• In general avoiding temperature swings greater
  than 1o C (in closed systems) over a 24hr period
  is advisable.

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Water Quality Parameters
pH

• pH is a measure of the concentration of hydrogen
  ions and hydroxyl ions.
• pH of wild reefs vary 8.0 8.5
• Most would agree that pH values of 8.2 8.4 are
  acceptable for the reef aquarium
• The ideal rate of calcification occurs with a pH
  closer to 8.4

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Water Quality Parameters
pH

• Acceptable methods to buffer pH
• Kalkwasser (saturated calcium hydroxide solution)
  
• Calcium reactors
• Sodium bicarbonate
• Algal Turf Scrubbing
• You need to understand the idea and chemistry
  behind each technique

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Water Quality Parameters
Alkalinity

• Alkalinity reflects the waters buffer capacity
  against changes in pH
• Natural seawater has an alkalinity of about 2.5
  meq/L (125 ppm) (7dKH)
• Coral reef Aquariums operate well at
• 3.0 4.0 meq/L (150 200 ppm)

H CO3    gt   HCO3- H HCO3-  gt  H2CO3
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Water Quality Parameters
Nitrogen - Ammonia

• Levels of NH3 N reported in natural waters near
  coral reefs can vary from .001 - .007 ppm and
  higher (.1 - .5 uM)
• NH3 N in closed system aquaria should be
  maintained below .007 ppm (.5 uM)
• Some methods for controlling Ammonia
• Appropriate plant to animal biomass ratios
• Algal Turf Scrubbing
• Foam fractionation

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Water Quality Parameters
Nitrogen - Nitrite

• Nitrite is an intermediate product of
  nitrification, and like ammonia toxic to marine
  life.
• Levels of NO2 - N in the Caribbean and Florida
  Keys can vary from .001 - .005 ppm (.1 - .36 uM)
• Closed reef systems should operate at or below
  these values.

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Water Quality Parameters
Nitrogen - Nitrate

• Nitrate - end product of nitrification and the
  starting product of denitrification
• Levels of NO3-N near clear coral reefs rarely
  exceed .28 ppm (20 uM)
• Most might agree that levels of NO3-N in the
  reef aquarium should not exceed 1.0 ppm (71uM)

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Water Quality Parameters
Water Quality Parameters
Phosphate
Phosphate

• Phosphate levels in the wild can vary from .002 -
  .100 ppm (.07 3.3 uM)
• Phosphate levels in the reef aquaria should be
  kept below .06 ppm (2.1 uM)
• Foam fractionation and algal turf scrubbing are
  effective for the reduction of orthophosphate.
• Be careful with the use of commercial phosphate
  removing compounds some contain aluminum-oxide
  products.

(P2O5)
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Water Quality Parameters
Calcium

• Calcium is an essential element in seawater for
  the growth of many organisms- particularly
  corals.
• Levels of Calcium in the wild near coral reefs
  are typically 400 430 ppm.

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Water Quality Parameters
Calcium

• Levels of calcium in closed system reef tanks
  should be maintained at or above 400 ppm.
• Methods of adding calcium
• Kalkwasser
• Carbonate buffering components
• Calcium chloride
• Calcium reactors

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Water Quality Parameters
Strontium

• Corals utilize strontium in skeletal growth and
  may replace calcium ions with strontium ions
• Levels of strontium in sea water can vary
  from 8 - 10 ppm.
• If calcium levels are above 400 ppm (in closed
  systems) levels of 10 ppm of strontium should be
  sufficient.

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Water Quality Parameters
Iodine

• Iodine is found in natural sea water in levels
  ranging from 55 65 ppb.
• Potassium iodide is available in a number of
  commercial preparations as well as Lugols
  solution.
• Closed systems with less than 60 ppb of iodine
  might warrant adding commercial preparations.

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Water Quality Parameters
Elements to Consider

• Magnesium
• Molybdenum
• Iron
• Bromide
• Fluoride
• Vanadium
• Barium
• Lithium

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Lighting

• Types of Measurements discussed here
• Photon flux (quantum) uE/m2/sec
• Illuminanance (photometric) lux
• Light in the Wild (Bahamas) 1000 hours
• Surface 1,600 uE/m2/sec (80,000 lux)
• 5.0 meters 800 uE/m2/sec (40,000 lux)
• 10.0 meters 200 uE/m2/sec (10,000 lux)

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Spectrum/ Color
Lighting

• Visible light is roughly 380 760 nm
• Light transmission changes with depth
• At 2.5 meters, UV (below 380 nm) is reduced
• At 5.0 meters, red and orange are reduced
• At 10 meters, yellow is reduced
• At 15 meters, green is diminished, blue and
  violet continue.
• Color is measured in degrees Kelvin
• Sunlight is nearest 5500 6500 K
• Sunlight has a Color Rendition Index (CRI) of 100
  

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Lighting
SPECTRUM/ COLOR

• Metal halide and fluorescent are good choices for
  reef lighting
• The key Simulate the natural intensity and
  spectral distribution of the corals you are
  trying to maintain.

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Photoperiod

• The use of multiple timers and or dimming systems
  can be quite valuable. Generally a 12 14 on
  period is a good average

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Existing Husbandry Methods for Corals

• Lee Chin Eng Method late 50s
• Algal Turf Scrubber Method mid 70s
• Berlin Method late 70s
• Jaubert Method early 1980s

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LSS Design Considerations

• Water Chemistry - Provide the appropriate matrix
  of sea water (natural or synthetic)
• Lighting includes intensity, spectrum, and
  photoperiod considerations
• Adequate water movement (both laminar and surge)
  !
• Food consideration!
• Source and chemistry of make-up water

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Makeup water

• Municipal
• Alkalinity - 1.1 meq/l (56 ppm)
• Total Hardness - 125 ppm
• Calcium 70 ppm
• Magnesium 60 ppm
• Iron - lt.5 ppm
• pH - 8.3 8.8
• Chlorine - 3.0 ppm
• Nitrate - 2 4 ppm
• Fluoride - 1.07 ppm
• Phosphate - .02 ppm
• Copper - .04 ppm (city) .22 ppm (tap)
• Lead - .004 ppm (city) .01 ppm (tap)
• Barium - 13.0 ppb
• Nickel - 10.0 ppb
• Cyanide - lt 5.0 ppb
• Mercury - .2 ppb
• Turbidity - .3 NTU

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Makeup water

• Columbus Zoo Well Water
• Total Alkalinity 234 335 ppm (4.6 6.7
  meq/l)
• Total Hardness 430 1170 ppm
  (8.6 23.4 meq/l)
• Calcium 288 ppm
• Magnesium 109 ppm
• Iron - .2 ppm
• pH 8.2 8.6

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Water Quality Survey sent to 27 US Zoos and
Aquariums - 63 response rate.

• Responses from
• Waikiki Aquarium Charles Delbeek
• Toledo Zoo Jay Hemdal
• Newport Aquarium Jeff Gibula
• Rutgers University Sam Jones
• Atlantis Marine World Aquarium Joe Yaiullo
• New England Aquarium Brian Nelson
• Virginia Marine Science Museum Beth Firchau
• Birch Aquarium at Scripps Fernando Nosratpour
• Landrys Downtown Aquarium Rob Brynda
• New Jersey State Aquarium Nicole Grandinetti
• Omahas Henry Doorly Zoo Sean Putney Mitch
  Carl
• John G. Shedd Aquarium James Go Mark Schick
• Tulsa Zoo Andrew Branson
• Mystic Aquarium Catherine Ellis
• Riverbanks Zoo Aquarium Melissa Salmon
• National Aquarium in Baltimore Jessica Spino
• Columbus Zoo Aquarium Carrie Beauregard

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USA Aquarium Coral System water quality values
Parameters Mean Standard Deviation
N Range
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Thank you
CORALS ROCK!!