| Setting up a saltwater aquarium takes some time, | | | | behind is often harmful to fish. |
| but it's well worth the effort. As long as you prepare | | | | Add your chosen background to the tank or paint it |
| for each step of the process, you shouldn't run into | | | | an appropriate color. If you choose to paint the |
| any significant problems along the way. | | | | aquarium, allow the paint to dry for a couple of days. |
| The first step is to purchase an aquarium and the | | | | Once this is accomplished, install the heater, filter, |
| equipment you'll need to set everything up. You have | | | | protein skimmer and anything else you have decided |
| a choice when it comes to filtration equipment, but | | | | to add to the aquarium. Use a drip loop on all the |
| it's recommended to stay away from undergravel | | | | power cords for safety reasons. |
| filters, which are unnecessary and can cause a lot of | | | | Before you plug anything in, go ahead and add |
| problems. Live rock is a more efficient biological filter | | | | pre-mixed saltwater to the aquarium. There are many |
| perfect for use in saltwater tanks. For mechanical and | | | | mixes available on the market, so the one you |
| chemical filtration, a simple filter works best. | | | | choose depends on your own personal preferences. |
| The protein skimmer is the next big part of the | | | | This step is very easy - just follow the instructions |
| installation, and an integral part of the whole aquarium. | | | | on the package. Make sure to test the saltwater |
| Spend the extra money and invest in a high quality | | | | with a hydrometer or refractometer before adding it |
| protein skimmer that will do the job right. Next, look | | | | to your tank. |
| for a heater that can handle the size of aquarium you | | | | Once this is done you can turn on the aquarium - let |
| plan on creating. | | | | it circulate for a few days before adding anything |
| Once these key pieces of equipment are on hand, | | | | else to the tank. |
| you can move on to other aspects of the aquarium | | | | If you've decided to use live rocks, they will have to |
| setup, such as adding the live rock, sand, and a | | | | be cured before you add the fish to the aquarium. |
| power strip. Typically, a saltwater tank can take | | | | This can take a long time, but it's worth it for the |
| about 1-2 pounds of live rock per aquarium gallon and | | | | filtration benefits derived from live rocks. Once the |
| ½ pound to 1 pound of sand per gallon of | | | | rocks are ready, you can move on. |
| water. Avoid sandbox sand because you don't know | | | | Add the substrate (make sure you turn the power |
| what other material may be present in the sand that | | | | off first) and then wait a few days for the tank to |
| could harm your fish. Aquariums require live sand, an | | | | settle down. Test the water and make sure all the |
| aragonite based sand, or crushed coral. | | | | readings are where they should be. |
| Setting it all up | | | | After the tank has cycled, add the saltwater fish |
| Now that you have the equipment ready to go, it's | | | | from a quarantine tank. Add only a few at a time so |
| time to set everything up. Rinse the tank with water | | | | that the filtration system has time to adjust. |
| but don't use any soap, as the residue that gets left | | | | |