The process of setting up a salt water aquarium may seem like a daunting task, but it is relatively straight forward provided you follow a few guidelines. The beauty and satisfaction that results from setting up an aquarium can be truly amazing. I often find myself gazing blankly into the depths of my reef.
The Tank
First of all, select an area of the house where you want the tank to go.
Next think about the desired size. My advice to you on this is to buy the largest tank that suits your budget and space. As larger tanks provide a more stable environment than smaller ones, it makes sense to go for a larger one where possible. A good rule of thumb regarding budget is to think that the aquarium will cost twice as much as first anticipated.
When choosing a tank, avoid getting one too deep unless you have long arms else you won't be able to reach the bottom! A typical depth is usually 18 inches. Remember that the wider the tank the better depth of view, therefore a more natural look and feel.
Lighting
Your next consideration is tank lighting. This will be dictated by your budget and whether or not you want to keep live corals or fish only.
If you want to keep live corals then the best recommendation are metal halides. These provide the best quality lighting to support adequate growth and health. They are however, a lot more expensive than a basic fluorescent tube used in a fish only setup.
Fluorescent tubes, or T5's, provide sufficient lighting for fish only setups as fish don't require intense light to promote health or growth. Many aquarists choose to install both metal halides and T5 tubes by installing a blue ‘actinic' tube which is more pleasing to the eye.
Filtration
There are a number of methods you could adopt to filter your system but here are my recommendations and the types I use.
An external canister filter takes in water from an inlet pipe, filters the water through a number of media trays then pumps the water back into the tank.
These are good for taking out unwanted waste materials like uneaten food, bits of floating algae and such like. Many aquarists place activated carbon and Rowaphos into the media trays for additional filtering. Activated carbon takes the yellow tinge out of the water, and Rowaphos eliminates phosphate which promotes pesky algae growth.
In addition to a canister filter it is a good idea to add a protein skimmer. I use the red sea prism pro and I a microscopic filter. It filters the water by taking in water and air creating tiny bubbles in its main chamber. Microscopic waste particles stick to the bubbles and the bubbles rise and collect in a small reservoir which needs emptying every so often. You will be surprised at the colour of water in the reservoir!
And finally I recommend an ozone filter such as an eco-aqualizer which installs along the outlet pipe of an external canister filter. If you are keeping corals this is a must as the water quality results are just fantastic.
Heating the tank
Next you need a good quality thermostat to heat the water. These are fairly reasonable in price and there are lots to choose from so it personal preference. If you keep slow moving invertebrates then it would be wise to purchase thermostat covers. This is because slow movers, like starfish, tend to creep over thermostats when there off and when they switch back on all of a sudden, they can't move quick enough to get off and end up being scalded or even worse.
A marine tank should be heated to around 23-28 degrees Celsius (73-82 degree Fahrenheit).
Maturing
You are ready to start maturing the tank so you can add livestock. The process of maturing the aquarium ‘matures' the filters and overall stability. You cannot add fish until this process is complete.
You will know when this stage is complete when the water tests negative for ammonia and nitrite. This can take 1-2 weeks. Only then can you start adding livestock.
Adding Livestock
The first fish you purchase should be a hardy breed. I recommend Damsels as they are an all round hardy fish and can deal with the unstable conditions. They can be territorial so do your research before you go mixing breeds.
Add a cleaning crew to help clean your tank. Think about turbo snails, hermit crabs and starfish etc. All these inverts help clean glass, sift sand and get rid of any uneaten food along with all other waste scraps.
Spend time choosing your fish and corals. I spent three years building my reef! Whatever your budget or space your sure to create a stunning, beautiful display. Enjoy!
