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P

pH
This is a water measurement on a logarithmic scale that will tell you if your water is considered acidic, neutral or alkaline. A pH of 7 is considered "neutral", under 7 is considered "acidic" and over 7 is considered "alkaline".

Phosphate (PO4)
Phosphate (PO4) consists of Phosphorous and Oxygen, is a primary ingredient for algae. Aquarists should try to limit phosphates in the aquarium water to prevent noxious algae blooms.

PPM
Parts Per Million, is a unit of measurement used in many test kits and is equivalent to mg/L.

PWC
PWC is abbreviation for Partial Water Change.

PVC
Poly Vinyl Chloride, is a hard plastic type material used in plumbing aquariums and for routing water throughout multiple systems.

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Q

Quarantine Tank :
is a bare bones aquarium that is set up for housing new fish, invertebrates or plants for several weeks so we can monitor them for pests, parasites or disease. Using a quarantine tank is highly recommended and can save countless headaches and money, quarantine tanks allow you to monitor new arrivals for disease and other health issues.

QT
QT is abbreviation for Quarantine Tank.

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R

Refractometer
There are several different types of refractometers, but for our purposes it is a device or piece of aquarium equipment used to measure the salinity of water. You place a drop or two of aquarium water on a prism and then while pointed at a light source, you view through the eye piece on the other end of the refractometer (opposite the prism) a reading of the salinity level. As the light passes through the water and prism it is bent or refracted. These refractometers are considered more accurate than the less expensive hydrometer because they can be recalibrated easily prior to use.

Respiration
Respiration is the process fish use to extract oxygen from the water in order to live.

Reverse Osmosis
Reverse Osmosis is a water filtration process where water is pushed through a semi-permeable membrane. This membrane only allows certain types of atoms to pass through the membrane and stops the "bad" atoms from passing through. Reverse osmosis water can sometimes be 90% more pure than regular tap water. Sometimes an RO unit is used in conjunction with a Deionization filter.

RO
RO is abbreviation for Reverse Osmosis. See: Reverse Osmosis and De ionization for more information.

Rock Scaping
This is the process of decorating or arranging the rocks in your aquarium.

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S

Salinity
Salinity is a measurement of the total amount of dissolved salts in saltwater.

SG
SG is abbreviation for Specific Gravity.

Specific Gravity
Specific Gravity is a weight ratio of one litre of some substance compared to one litre of water and is temperature dependant. Specific gravity can be measured with a hydrometer. Brackish water Opae ula aquariums need to be in the 1.008 - 1.015 range.

Spirulina
Spirulina used as food, it is a type of blue-green algae that is good for feeding to shrimp and snails.

Sponge Filter
A sponge filter is an internal aquarium filter that is very popular with shrimp breeders for their easy maintenance and durability. It basically performs mechanical filtration and biological filtration. These filters consist of a sponge material that is attached to a air pump that pulls aquarium water through the sponge. Larger particles are trapped in the sponge and beneficial bacteria can grow on and within the sponge. To clean a sponge filter all you have to do is ring it out in discarded tank water and it should be ready to go again.

Substrate
Substrate is the bottom of the aquarium and usually consists of gravel or sand.

SW
SW is abbreviation for Salt Water.

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T

TDS
TDS is an abbreviation for Total Dissolved Solids. You can measure the amount of total dissolved solids using a TDS pen/meter. Shrimp keepers use a TDS meter to check how pure their reverse osmosis or RO/DI water is after it has been filtered. Using a TDS pen/meter can indicate when it is time to replace the filters in your RO or RO/DI system or if you have purchased a bad batch of water from your local fish shop.

Temperature
Temperature for Opae ula tank purposes, temperature refers to how hot or cold the tank water is. We measure temperature in degrees Fahrenheit (°F) or degrees Celsius (°C). While keeping shrimp it's important to have slow temperature variances. Temperature swings in either direction that are too drastic can be quite stressful for the Opae ula shrimp. An aquarium heater and aquarium chiller are used to keep the tank water within a certain range.

Timer
This refers to an electrical device that incorporates an internal clock to turn the devices on/off which it is plugged into. Its highly recommend to use a timer for your aquarium lights.

Turn Over
This refers to the amount of water flow through a filter or the total amount of water movement within the tank. For example, if your filter is rated at 300 GPH and you have a 55 gallon aquarium, your turn over rate is 5.5. This simply means that you "turn over" the tank water 5.5 times per hour.

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U

UGF
UGF is abbreviation for Under Gravel Filter.

Under Gravel Filter
Under gravel filter is an internal aquarium filter that consists of plates that are placed under the substrate with rising corner tubes. Inside these corner tubes are air lines with attached air stones at the bottom. The air lines are attached to an air pump. The rising air bubbles create current that pulls water down through the gravel and up through the corner tubes attached to the under gravel plates. A UGF filter can perform mechanical filtration, biological filtration and chemical filtration.

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W

Water Change
This refers to the process of removing a percentage of the aquarium water in order to improve water conditions for your shrimp. Unlike a shrimp's natural environment, aquariums are enclosed systems that quickly become polluted with biological substance build-up, dissolved organics and nitrates. A water change is a good way of reducing the number of pollutants in aquarium water. Frequent and small water changes are considered better than infrequent large water changes.

Water Parameters
Water parameters refers to the measurement of various levels in the aquarium. For example, aquariums that have been recently set up need to have their ammonia and nitrite parameters measured frequently in order to monitor the nitrogen cycle. Some other important water parameters that are frequently measured include temperature, pH and nitrate. Measuring water parameters such as these will give the aquarist a general idea of the water quality in the aquarium.

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