Starting your first saltwater aquarium!
This guide is for setting up a FOWLR (fish only with live rock) aquarium, if you would like to know how to set up a coral or a more advanced saltwater aquarium check out the other guides.

saltwater fowlr

You will need the following equipment to successfully start your saltwater aquarium.

  • Aquarium - preferably the larger the better, there is less chance of a problem
  • Buy a background, i often prefer tanks without a background although it completely depends on your preference and placement.
  • Some sort of substrate, usually crushed coral are the best, their is also arrays of white sand or darker substrates.
  • Saltwater Hydrometer - to measure the correct salinity of the water
  • Live Rock - can be bought from you local fish store
  • Aquarium Filter - Cannister filters will work very well, so do all in one tanks
  • Heater - With the correct wattage for your tank
  • Fish food for the fish you are getting
  • Thermometer
  • A protein skimmer is needed for all saltwater tanks
  • A glass cleaner to remove algae
  • A brush to clean your live rock
  • Clean buckets - a few

Much like with Freshwater aquariums, before you begin you must make sure of the following:

  • If the floor is able to take the weight of the tank
  • The slope of the floor which it is on should be level
  • There are enough power points nearby or power board
  • The tank is away from direct sunlight
  • You ENJOY the placement of the tank!

You must realize the large cost and effort involved with a salt water aquarium. Like any pet you will need to spend both money and time looking after it. If cost is a factor then beware, saltwater aquariums are far more expensive to set up than there freshwater counterparts, not to mention most saltwater fish carry a much higher price tag.saltwater aquarium

If you feel this is something you would like to do, i also recommend you spend time reading up on anything and everything. Research the fish you want, look at basic pointers, look at other people's downfalls. It is easy to make the same mistakes as everyone else but with a little research you can easily avoid these and this guide will walk you through the proper way of setting up your aquarium with hints and tips.

The Aquarium

You will want to purchase the largest one you can afford and care for. This is not only for stability but for aesthetics and changes in the future. If there is a specific type of fish you want in your aquarium, be sure to research how big it gets. If it grows quite large you will obviously need a very big aquarium to house it, make sure your prepared to take that path. If you purchase a smaller tank have a look at the type of fish available, maybe there not as attractive as what you wanted?

A good rule is to try to purchase anything over 40 gallons, but with todays emerging technologies it makes keeping a smaller or even 'nano' marine tank very easy. Be sure to know what your doing if you choose a smaller tank, as they will be less consistent and you are more likely to run into larger problems.

Buying your Equipment

You will need to purchase your basic equipment to start up your aquarium. With filtration, you will only really need a basic mechanical filter as the live rock will handle the biological process. None the less i recomend canister filters, just becuase of there low noise and energy consumption, they are also fairly easy to maintain and allow a high flow rate in the aquarium. Otherwise any other means of filtration will work just fine, it's really up to your personal taste and budget.

You will need to purchase a protein skimmer as well. Don't be cheap when it comes to buying a skimmer, a poorly made protein skimmer will be near useless. They are essential to both fish only tanks and coral tanks by removing the excess waste and protein build up.

You will also need to buy live rock. Make sure you choose pieces that look very nice but also do not have too much living garbage on them. During the cycling process it is possible for the organisms to die on the rocks leaving an awful mess. Another thing to look out for are mantis shrimp i can tell you i have had many in times past and they are so very annoying. Make sure you check ALL the holes in the rock you buy, if you are unsure or something may be living inside DON'T buy the rock. Mantis shrimp can easily crack the glass of your tank and are extremely hard to eliminate. They have also been known to kill fish.

 

The major steps

  1. Clean out your aquarium with plain water, don't use soap or detergent! Make sure it is free from dust and foreign materials.
  2. If you have a background attatch it now with some tape or basic glue. Alternatively you can paint the outside of the tank but i never do this, in fear that i will want to change it and once its painted it can be more than a challenge trying to remove it.
  3. Before adding your substrate be sure to give it a solid rinse and wash to remove dust and fine particles that would otherwise pollute the water.
  4. Add your substrate to the tank, whatever it is, sand, crushed coral etc add it to the base of your aquarium making about a 1-2" thick layer. It does not have to be completely flat and you can scape it to your liking.
  5. Position and set up your filter, light, skimmer, heater etc but do not turn any of these on. Be sure to create a drip look to prevent water running down the lines and ruining your circuits. A drip loop is basically a U shape before the power cord enters the wall. By going down and then back up it is impossible for the water to reach the powerpoint.
  6. Make up your salt water solution. Follow the directions on the packaging to make your premixed salt water. Remember it is always easier to add less and then add more later than the reverse. Alternatively you could fill your tank with real saltwater from the store, but this can be pricey and inefficient.
  7. To mix your salt water, place water in a bucket and add the salt. When the specific gravity between 1.021 and 1.024 is reached, you may add this water to the aquarium. Repeat this process.
  8. Make sure to add a DECHLORINATOR otherwise there will be a build up of chlorine and chloramine and your tank will never cycle.
  9. Turn on your filter and heater, letting the water flow for a few days.
  10. The next stage is adding and curing your live rock.
  11. This is the most important stage of setting up and will provide you with the valuable biological process that will keep your fish alive. Live rock can be very expensive so be sure to choose pieces of rock that you like.
  12. You should set up a powerhead to help in the curing and cleaning process of the live rock stage.
  13. Place the live rock in the tank and leave it for a few days. Every few days turn off the filter and do routine maitenance, which consists of cleaning the rocks with a small haired brush to remove the dying creatures and replacing some of the water.
  14. Your tank will probably smell horrible at this stage, but do not stress for this is only temporary. When it begins to stop smelling it will be almost cycled.
  15. After a few weeks, or anywhere from 2-8 weeks, if the tank begins to smell a little better (more like the ocean) test your water to check your ammonia and nitrites.saltwater aquarium
  16. If they are at 0 you can expect that your tank is almost through the cycling stage!
  17. Before adding fish be sure to check ALL your water parameters so you do not throw any money down the drain. These are
    1. Specific gravity (should be between 1.021 and 1.024, measure with your hydrometer)
    2. Temperature - should be between 75°F - 80°F (24°C - 27°C)
    3. Ammonia should be at 0!
    4. Nitrites should be at 0!
    5. pH should be around 8.0 - 8.4 (This does not usually need changing due to the rock and crushed coral changing the pH, but alternatively you can buy a pH buffer)
    6. Nitrate - less than 20ppm (if its too high, throw in a water change)
    7. Carbonate hardness should be from 7-10 dKH
  18. After you have reached this stage you are able to add your fish! For a more detailed analysis on the possible types of fish and what will suit you best, look at the saltwater fishes page.
  19. I would only add about 1 or 2 fish a maximum of twice a week. Be sure to properly aclimatize them by following these easy steps:
    1. Allow the bag to float in the tank water for about to 10 minutes
    2. Open the bag and put one cup of tank water in the bag every 5 minutes
    3. After about three cups let the fish into the aquarium by using a gentle net as not to hurt its fins.
  20. Keep your fish and aquarium healthy by doing constant maitenance
    1. You will need to change about 5% of the tanks water a week or 10% every fortnight to replace lost minerals and elements.
    2. Be sure to clean the glass and substrate from algae to give it that super shine
    3. Don't add freshly mixed saltwater to your tank, this can be caustic to the fish
    4. Clean out the filter media every month or so from excess food and dying organisms.

Your saltwater FOWLR aquarium is now complete! Once set up properly should provide years of fun and enjoyment for yourself and the family or workplace. You will be suprised at the little effort needed to keep your new tank appealing and beautiful!

 

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