What is ORP?

[C_THRU_U]

^^^^^

[Chiefsurfer]

[welcome]

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1672798

Never heard of it before, but it says it in the acronym forum above. It is something to do with oxygen

[C_THRU_U]

There are probes to measure it whatever it is.

[poolkeeper1]

Oxygen retention potential Is what I believe It stands for and It Is a way to measure water quality. ORP can actually tell you that there Is something wrong with your tank by the reading your getting. When It changes from a normal reading It usually means that something Is causing It like a dead animal or dying coral degrading your water quality. I Think, But I could be wrong!
Bill

[wooden_reefer]

It is an electrochemical concept for the ease of oxidation or reduction of a chemical species in solution. Oxygen tends to oxidize, itself reduced, decrease in valance by accepting electrons, so high oxygen content implies high ORP. O3 has greater ORP still.

Nitrification bacteria tend to thrive in higher ORP; denitrification bacteria, in lower ORP.

[Frogmanx82]

ORP is a can of worms. The factors affecting ORP in a living saltwater environment are many and while it is a measure of water quality, interpreting that measure is something else. I would agree a steady ORP is good, but water changes with perfectly fine newly mixed saltwater will lower the ORP temporarily. Is that an issue? I don't know, but as people start measuring it, I'm sure they will want to start controlling it as well.

It remains to be demonstrated what all this ultimately means for the health of our livestock.

[tgray3]

IMO you only need to concern yourself with monitoring ORP if your running ozone.

[Juruense]

This wiki article should make it clear as mud!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxidation_reduction_potential

[Playa-1]

Oxygen Reduction Potential - It can be good information to have but not absolutely necessary. It's also not something that you would want to attempt to control.

[Juruense]

Since there are so many incorrect interpretations of the acronym I will clarify that it means: Oxidation / Reduction Potential