TPS

TPS stands for temperature, pH and specific gravity (S.G.). It’s the Aqua Care Guide™’s shorthand for the three major parameters in Step 1, Environmental Parameters™.

The Guide uses TPS to lay out the recommended values for those three.

Why It’s Important

• Step 1 is the foundation. Your salt and these three parameters come before anything else you dose.
• pH drops most often from carbon dioxide build-up and alkalinity swings, which are likelier with overstocking, power outages or restricted flow.
• An S.G. reading is only as good as the calibration behind it.

How It Works

The Guide’s recommended TPS levels for reef aquariums:

• Temperature (T): about 25°C (77°F)
• pH (P): 8.3–8.5
• S.G. (S): 1.024–1.026

To check S.G. with a refractometer, the Guide suggests calibrating it to 1.000 with room-temperature RODI water. Then submerge only the prism in your aquarium water for 60 seconds and note the reading. Do this three times and take the average.

TPS and Related Terms

Each letter has its own entry: Temperature, pH and Specific Gravity. S.G. is measured with a refractometer, calibrated with RODI water or a calibration solution.

The Bottom Line

TPS is temperature, pH and specific gravity, the base of Step 1. Each Quantum salt has its own targets; start with the Aqua Care Guide™ and the environmental salts.