| A salt water fish tank is an aquarium that mimics | | | | especially critical in a salt water fish tank because |
| an ocean environment to support salt water fish | | | | the ocean is an surprisingly stable environment. |
| verses freshwater fish. | | | | Life forms that evolved in the ocean do not have |
| Salt water fish tanks are considered more difficult | | | | the physical ability to adjust quickly to radically |
| to keep than freshwater tanks because salt | | | | changing conditions. Any changes that occur in the |
| water fish have less tolerance for fluctuations | | | | ocean occur slowly. For example, a quick drop or |
| that can occur quickly within the closed | | | | rise in the temperature of a salt water tank can |
| environment of an aquarium. | | | | cause salt water fish to take ill, even if the |
| Aquariums, when setup properly, operate as | | | | fluctuation is relatively small. |
| self-supporting ecosystems. In an ecosystem, | | | | Aside from temperature there are many other |
| artificially created or natural, every element relies | | | | factors to consider in a salt water fish tank. When |
| on every other element for its stability. The art | | | | the ecosystem is functioning properly, they should |
| of fishkeeping becomes a balancing act of | | | | all take care of themselves, but they must be |
| monitoring and maintaining specific parameters in | | | | monitored. A typical reading for some of these |
| order to keep the entire system stable. This is | | | | parameters might be:pH: 8. |