| Saltwater aquarium known as well as marine | | | | add your rocks total weight. Wash out your tank |
| aquarium, this type of tank is more expensive | | | | (and your sump) with water only, using chemicals |
| and more demanding then a freshwater aquarium | | | | or soap can poison your tank, same thing with |
| but with a little help and with the right guide you | | | | your gravel, be sure to wash it with water only in |
| can setup your own saltwater tank, I believe that | | | | order to remove dirt, do the same with the |
| if you have the suitable equipment it will help you | | | | rocks, If you have live rocks don’t wash |
| to avoid future problems. | | | | them at all, after wash put gravel and rocks in a |
| Equipment list: 1- Aquarium- as much as the tank | | | | bucket, you will need them later on. If you want |
| is bigger it will by easy to maintain it, in small | | | | to paint the back glass tank this is the time to do |
| tanks any water parameters changes or drop in | | | | so, blue and black are common paints that give |
| temperature will lead to disaster wile large | | | | the tank illusion of depth and highlight fish colors, |
| tanks are more tolerating, in this type of tank | | | | after painting let the tank to sit for 1-2 days to |
| (saltwater) as the tank go bigger the expenses | | | | allow the paint to dry. When the aquarium is dry |
| are more significant. 2- Aquarium gravel- | | | | you can place it on the stand, now you should |
| substrate such as crashed corals is ideal for | | | | hook up your sump to the main tank. Install your |
| saltwater tank. 3- rocks- high quality rocks are | | | | heater, protein skimmer (if he is not external), |
| essential; as the hobby develops we can see | | | | and other equipment you have in the sump, |
| more and more fish keepers using live rock. 4- | | | | don’t plug the equipment yet just place it. |
| Saltwater mix. 5- Hydrometer or refractometer- | | | | Now it will be a good time to fill your tank with |
| in order to check and monitoring your salinity you | | | | reverse osmosis, be patient the process take |
| should use hydrometer or refractometer, | | | | time, while the tank fills with water you can add |
| refractometer is very accurate while the | | | | the salt wile monitoring water salinity with the |
| hydrometer use to fake, to my opinion purchase | | | | hydrometer or refractometer, hook up your |
| refractometer will be the smart move, you | | | | wave box in order to mix the salt, after the tank |
| don’t want your tank to crush because your | | | | is half full with water (stop water at this point) |
| hydrometer fakes. 6- Heater. 7- Protein | | | | test your salinity again till you have got specific |
| skimmer-don't cheap on this equipment, the | | | | gravity between 1.020 and 1.024, make sure that |
| protein skimmer is one of the most important | | | | all the salt mix have dissolve before you make |
| and essential equipment in saltwater aquarium. 8- | | | | your last salinity test, let the water "run" for at |
| Powerheads and wave box. 9- Sump- to my | | | | least 2 days. High quality rocks are essential in |
| opinion working with a sump is the right thing to | | | | order to built prosperous bacteria colony, some |
| do in saltwater aquarium, it is easy to maintain, | | | | use live rocks wile some prefer dry rocks. To my |
| media capacity are huge and you can store the | | | | opinion in this type of tank (marine) you can save |
| hearer, Powerheads and other equipment in it. 10- | | | | some money and purchase dry rocks. Now you |
| Replacement media such as filter floss, crushed | | | | can add your substance (crushed corals) and then |
| rocks and activated carbon. 11- Aquarium | | | | and place your rocks in the tank. Before adding |
| vacuum, fish net, aquarium scraper, 2-3 five | | | | any fish you have to wait your tank to be cycled, |
| gallon clean buckets, aquarium thermometer. 12- | | | | this process can take several weeks, in this |
| Saltwater fish food. 13- Saltwater test kits- in | | | | period of time you need to monitor your |
| order to test and to monitor your water | | | | aquarium water with your test kits, check your |
| parameters you will need test kits such as | | | | PH, Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrate and Carbonate |
| Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrate, Phosphate, and Alkalinity | | | | hardness levels, also check your water salinity, |
| 14- Quarantine Tank. 15- Reverse Osmosis. | | | | this are the parameters that you will need to |
| First thing before entering the hobby is the need | | | | keep: Temperature: 24-27c (75-85F).Ph- 8- |
| to understand that tropical fish are animals just | | | | 8.4.Salinity – 1.020-1.024. Ammonia: 0. Nitrite: 0. |
| like a cat or a dog and responsibility comes along, | | | | Nitrate- 10 ppm or less. Carbonate hardness: 7-10 |
| responsibility expressed by the need to perform | | | | DKH. |
| water changes, feeding the fish on daily basis, | | | | After your tank has cycled you should pass |
| monitor water condition end even to spend some | | | | water to your quarantine tank and operate |
| money on them (fish food, media, medicine), in | | | | equipment, when your quarantine ready it is time |
| saltwater aquarium expenses are something you | | | | to purchase your first marine fish, in order to |
| cant ignore, recommended to know this before | | | | acclimate the fish dump the bag into a clean |
| you start your aquarium setup. Before you | | | | bucket and then add about 1 cup of aquarium |
| purchase an aquarium you should do your | | | | water to the bucket every 10 minutes, continue |
| homework and make your self list of fish that | | | | to add 1 cup of aquarium water to the bucket |
| you want, if you will know what kind of fish you | | | | every 10 minutes, do this acclimation process for |
| want it will be easy to match a tank, sump and | | | | an hour at least, then take the fish net and |
| equipment. Purchasing equipment should be done | | | | carefully introduce the fish to its new home |
| slowly with a lot of homework, make sure to buy | | | | (quarantine tank), in the first day there is no need |
| appropriate equipment at the beginning instead of | | | | to feed the fish, month pass by and it is time to |
| purchasing something you will regret on later and | | | | move the fish to the main tank, acclimate the fish |
| then you will be need to replace it. After deciding | | | | carefully for at least half hour. Do the same |
| what equipment you will need and after you | | | | process with every new fish that you are going |
| decide what size tank you will need it is time to | | | | to purchase. Now, it is time to lay down and |
| think where to place it, you should place it away | | | | enjoy your fish tank, but never forget if you |
| from windows because you don’t want | | | | want your tank to look good as it looks right now |
| temperatures and light affect your tank, sunlight | | | | you have to work for it by monitor the salinity, |
| that enters the room can cause to algae | | | | temperature and water parameters. Change your |
| problems and affect the temperatures, it will be | | | | tank water one time a month, exchange of |
| smart to avoid it. It is also recommended to place | | | | 15%-20% will be great, don’t forget to |
| your tank on a massive stand that will be able to | | | | replace media and to clean your protein skimmer |
| hold the tank weight, to know your total tank | | | | as well. If you will do so, enjoyment |
| weight you just need to multiply gallon tank 10 | | | | guaranteed….. |
| times, for example 100 gallon tank will weight | | | | For more free information visit us at: |
| 1000 pounds (including water), to this calculation | | | | Aquariumpassion. |