is added to the water. Water in the open ocean contains around 34 parts of dissolved inorganic materials for every 1000 parts of water (Friese 34). This is where the marine reef inhabitants live and thrive. For the hobbyists to have their inhabitants live and thrive, they must strive to keep the water in their tank as close to this as possible. Instead of using a microscope and attempting to count particles, the most accurate way to do this is by using a hydrometer. A hydrometer measures the specific gravity of the water, or how dense the water is. The higher the concentration of dissolved elements in the water, more commonly referred to as salinity, the denser the water becomes. Salinity will also change with a change in temperature, and most hydrometers are calibrated at a specific temperature. Since this calibrated temperature will most likely be different than the temperature of the water in the tank the hobbyist must read the hydrometer with care. The best way to get an accurate reading is to chill a sample of the aquarium water until it reaches the calibrated temperature of the hydrometer (Friese 35). As awkward as this can be, it will give the hobbyist the most precise reading possible without obtaining $400 plus testing equipment. Now that the aquarium has been filled with water and a correct amount of salt mix has been added, it is very tempting to add fish. This would be a costly mistake. The aquarium at this point is sterile, and the filtration systems that are connected to the aquarium are only removing debris from the water. Whether the aquarium has one filter or 100 filters connected, all they are doing is cleaning the water. Without the proper bacteria introduced in the tank the inhabitants would quickly die from their own byproducts (Shimek 63). The easiest way for the hobbyist to introduce bacteria is by adding live rock or live sand. Live rock and live sand are nothing more than roc...
