| A salt water fish tank is an aquarium that | | | | |
| mimics an ocean environment to support salt | | | | Calcium for reef keepers and invertebrates: |
| water fish verses freshwater fish.Salt water | | | | 400-450ppm Ca++Though keeping a salt water |
| fish tanks are considered more difficult to | | | | fish tank may sound daunting, it is a |
| keep than freshwater tanks because salt water | | | | rewarding experience to recreate the ocean |
| fish have less tolerance for fluctuations | | | | environment in your home. If new to |
| that can occur quickly within the closed | | | | fishkeeping, starting out with a freshwater |
| environment of an aquarium.Aquariums, when | | | | tank might be a good idea. Freshwater fish |
| setup properly, operate as self-supporting | | | | come from smaller bodies of water and |
| ecosystems. In an ecosystem, artificially | | | | therefore can tolerate mistakes slightly |
| created or natural, every element relies on | | | | better than their salt water relatives. Once |
| every other element for its stability. The | | | | you have the experience of basic fishkeeping |
| art of fishkeeping becomes a balancing act of | | | | under your belt, moving to a salt water fish |
| monitoring and maintaining specific | | | | tank is a natural next step. Note that |
| parameters in order to keep the entire system | | | | freshwater and salt water fish cannot be kept |
| stable. This is especially critical in a salt | | | | together. Freshwater fish will die in salt |
| water fish tank because the ocean is an | | | | water, and salt water fish will die in |
| surprisingly stable environment. Life forms | | | | freshwater.If considering a salt water fish |
| that evolved in the ocean do not have the | | | | tank bear in mind that the bigger the tank, |
| physical ability to adjust quickly to | | | | the easier it is to keep the ecosystem |
| radically changing conditions. Any changes | | | | stable. If a heater should fail, for example, |
| that occur in the ocean occur slowly. For | | | | it will take longer for the temperature to |
| example, a quick drop or rise in the | | | | begin to drop in a larger tank and it will |
| temperature of a salt water tank can cause | | | | drop slower, relatively speaking, than in a |
| salt water fish to take ill, even if the | | | | smaller tank. This principle is true of every |
| fluctuation is relatively small.Aside from | | | | water parameter. The larger the tank, the |
| temperature there are many other factors to | | | | more forgiving.Another good reason to |
| consider in a salt water fish tank. When the | | | | consider tanks of greater capacity is that |
| ecosystem is functioning properly, they | | | | salt water tanks support 50% fewer fish than |
| should all take care of themselves, but they | | | | their freshwater counterparts. A 30 gallon |
| must be monitored. A typical reading for some | | | | (114 liter) salt water tank is fully stocked |
| of these parameters might be:pH: 8.2 | | | | with just a few small fish.For those who take |
| | | | the plunge into one of the most popular |
| Nitrates: < 20ppm for salt water fish and < | | | | hobbies in the world, you'll find many |
| 5ppm for invertebrates | | | | resources to help you along the way. With a |
| | | | desire to invest the necessary interest and |
| Salinity/specific gravity measured at 77F | | | | time, you are bound to reap an experience |
| (25C) with a corrected hydrometer: 1.022 | | | | rich with reward that gives much more than it |
| | | | takes. Nothing is more primordial to |
| Temperature: 77F (25C) | | | | humankind than the ocean, and keeping a bit |
| | | | of it near is a magical gift that is well |
| Alkalinity: 3.0 | | | | worth the investment. |