Mylesweaver
New member
I monitor my orp constantly to see how clean my piece of the reef is. I want to know who else does this and what your numbers are. I think there is a lot to tell about your water by this number and I don't hear a lot about it.
Orp
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Mr sea water
New member
I agree, I like it running around 390-400mv!
Mylesweaver
New member
I would say it's a must. Everyone test for nitrate and phosfate but not orp,why? I've been getting my water super clean for about two years now and my orp is climbing. It's now 490. I think there is a direct reflection on how clean your water is. I started with an orp reading of about 350 and now my tank is so clean and clear I hit my nose on the glass all the time.
Mr sea water
New member
Please can you tell me what you are useing to get 490mv?
I personally skipped using an ORP meter. I don't think they indicate much, except as a safety net when running ozone. This article has more:
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2003-12/rhf/feature/index.htm
I am skeptical that the 490 mV measurement is accurate. That's rather high, and might indicate that the probe needs to be cleaned or recalibrated.
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2003-12/rhf/feature/index.htm
I am skeptical that the 490 mV measurement is accurate. That's rather high, and might indicate that the probe needs to be cleaned or recalibrated.
490 mV can not be correct without ozone, or peroxide or permanganate dosing. And if its correct there almost certainly will be bromine, at the point where the probe is. 490 is too high for reef animals and bromine is the same as having bleach in the water.
Realistic ORP values for us without oxidants will be about 270-370. Up to about 400 is possible but for most those last few mV will be probe drift.
Realistic ORP values for us without oxidants will be about 270-370. Up to about 400 is possible but for most those last few mV will be probe drift.
You would need a dead whale behind the rocks to drive it down.
Mylesweaver
New member
I don't use ozone I just have clean water. My water is almost 16 years old. My level started out at around 350 and the cleaner I got it the higher it went. I carbon dose with the skimmer air inlet outside the house getting fresh air I use carbon and gfo and I use coral snow. I feed more than anyone so my bacteria population is most likely very high. I also dose bacteria.most of my rock come in a trash bag from Fiji about 16 years ago and I've yet to smell or see live rock like it. It still had plants and dead crabs on it but it went straight in anyway, no cureing just raw , live , nasty rock. My sand is also about 16 years old some 8" deep some only 6. I've never cleaned it just stirred it up a couple times. No water changes. It's packed from top to bottom with coral and fish. Yes sps do just fine.i have every label of coral in it with a carnation that has spawned about 12 or so baby's
Mylesweaver
New member
If you have to change your water to clean it your filter it not working. If your water is clean your orp will read high
Mylesweaver
New member
I've been monitoring this reading for two years
slief
RC Sponsor
I agree.. His ORP probe needs to be calibrated or is defective.
I use ORP but only for trending and alarms via my Apex. I can tell from my ORP if something has gone wrong or died. I don't look at the number as much of an indication unless it changes fast. My number averages 325-350 depending on the time of day.
slief
RC Sponsor
I would suggest getting a new probe and or at least trying to recalibrate your probe. You tank may be stable and very clean but you don't have a true 490 ORP. My tank is very clean as well with a great skimmer, four filter socks, mostly bare bottom, large refugium, 650 gallons of volume and is 20 years old. I've been monitoring ORP for over 15 years now and have even run ozone over the years. Trust me when I tell you, your tank is not at 490 ORP.
I have monitored orp daily for the last 6yrs or so ,since I have a meter/contoller which I acquired when contemplating ozone use and then decided not to use ozone . Daily readings run 310 to 350 mv.Never see 400 plus ,rarely a dip under 300.I doubt 490 is accurate . Waht's the nitrate level ?High nitrate can raise orp .Low pH will also raise it? Neither is an indicator of "cleaner" water.
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Mylesweaver
New member
Ok I just cleaned it in fresh water with a toothbrush moved it as far away from my skimmer as I can unplugged it let it settle and it reads 430? My fresh water was reading 550 and climbing.
slief
RC Sponsor
I'm still betting that is not accurate. I would try calibrating.
Mylesweaver
New member
Back to my question why isn't this monitored more? It's a clear indication of how clean your water is. It's very complex and deep and from my experience the higher the number the better my animals do. When my reading was 350 my tank looked nothing like it does now.
I monitored ORP for many years (and wrote articles on ORP and on ozone, etc.), but it just end up not being a very useful number for me.
It is not a sign of clean water, nor is it a sign of "health" of the reef.
It is only directly a sign of the speciation of certain trace metals (like how much of the iron is Fe++ and how much is Fe+++). Indirectly it may be a sign of the organics in the water, and that is what most people relate it to, but one wouldn't (at least I wouldn't) want to strip them all out.
If I add an oxidizer to the water (ozone, hydrogen peroxide, bleach, I2, even Fe+++) the ORP rises. Is the water cleaner? Generally, no.
FWIW, aquaria with refugia often run a lot lower in ORP than similar aquaria without them. But that doesn't mean, IMO, that the refugium is undesirable.
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