Tips for your Saltwater Aquarium Set Up
A proper saltwater aquarium set up is crucial in having initial success with your new aquatic species. Fish, just like other pets, need security and a proper environment in order to survive and thrive.
Saltwater aquariums seem complex in terms of setup and maintenance, but they’re not, especially when considering the advancement in aquarium construction and related equipment over the past thirty years or so.
Let’s assume that you’ve picked out a great tank and all the related equipment (with the aid of a trusted pet store technician). Make sure to clean out your tank at home, even if it’s brand new. However, don’t use soap. Just rinse your empty aquarium out with a garden hose, as any soap residue can be extremely damaging to future fish and other species.
An initial step is placing your undergravel filter into your tank, followed by substrate material overtop of the filter. In freshwater aquariums, this substrate material comes in the form of coated rocks or colored gravel. Substrates in saltwater environments include natural coral sand, oyster shell, limestone and dolomite.
Although an undergravel filter is an awesome choice for your saltwater aquarium, you can’t combine it with a sand substrate, as the sand is fine and will clog your filter. Choose either the undergravel filter or the sand… not both.
When filling your tank about a third of the way with water, do so carefully without disturbing the filter bed. Also, try not to get any substrate underneath the filter plate. Larger rock and coral can go in next, before filling up the tank about half way to the top.
Tap water has to be treated, as it can contain several toxins like copper or chlorine that are harmful to saltwater fish. The solution to this problem involves a high-quality water conditioner applied to the tap water before mixing in the sea salts. Thus, metallic ions are rendered nontoxic through this effective process.
Check your store for some sea salts that already contain water conditioners. This will save you one step in your purification and treatment process. Once your water is treated, add it to your aquarium so that the water level is just a few inches from the top.
An outside filter (in addition to the undergravel one) and a heater are other necessities in your tank. Remember that your inhabitants are only comfortable within a certain temperature range, controlled by a reliable heater. Other equipment requirements include an air diffuser, a protein skimmer and a florescent light hood.
A proper temperature range and sea salt dissolving process is usually achieved in a tank within twenty four hours, provided you have a properly running filter and heating system.
