Things You'll Need:
- Aquarium
- Live Rock
- Live Sand
- Wet/Dry Filter Sump
- Heater
- Light Fixture(s)
- Synthetic Sea Salt
- Pump
- Protein Skimmer
- Various PVC parts, hoses, etc.
- Reverse Osmosis/Deionized water
- Water quality test kit
- Filter Sock
- Refractometer
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Step 1
A reef type setup.Determine what size tank you want and what type of saltwater fish tank you want to have: Fish only(FO), Fish only with live rock(FOWLR), or Reef(a tank containing live corals). Since this guide is using natural methods for filtration, it will only cover FOWLR and Reef type setups. The accepted practice is to purchase the largest tank you can afford to buy and maintain. This isn't to impress your friends, it is because a larger body of water is not as susceptible to fluctuations in water temperature and water quality as a small tank is, and is actually easier to maintain in the long run. A 60 gallon tank is usually a pretty good place to start. The basic setups for both FOWLR and Reef are very similar, but the differences in the two will be mentioned throughout the process.
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Step 2
The higher the light output, the more options you have for coral selection.After you have decided on what size tank you want, and the type of tank you want, you can begin to piece together the other parts of your aquarium's hardware. First let's deal with the issue of lighting. In a tank that only has live rock you can stick with lower lighting solutions such as Normal Output fluorescents or compact fluorescents. Both of these light types will give you plenty of light to enjoy your tank without the high energy prices of some other light technologies. However, if you have decided on a Reef tank, you will need to incorporate lighting that will allow your corals and other photosynthetic animals produce their own food. This is usually accomplished with these lighting types, in order of light intensity lowest to highest: T5 High Output fluorescents, Very High Output fluorescents, or Metal Halide lighting. For more on lighting copy this link to your browser: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marlgtganthony.htm
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Step 3
External pumps usually provide more water movement than their submersible counterparts.Next, you can begin to look at how you are going to move water in your tank. The ocean is a very dynamic ecosystem, and the most successful tanks try to replicate this by circulating water at a high rate. Some of this will depend on which animals you intend to keep. If you want seahorses or delicate corals, you cannot move the water too quickly in the tank, otherwise you may end up injuring or killing these types of animals. However, in most cases you are going to want to have a pump that has the ability to circulate your tank volume between 10 and 30 times per hour, with more being better. For more on water pumps and circulation copy this link to your browser: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/circmarart.htm
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Step 4
A typical protein skimmer.The size of your tank also dictates what size you need of the other components mentioned: Heater, protein skimmer, and sump. For heaters, you will want to find one that has a wattage representing 2.5 to 5 times the volume of your tank. In the case of a 60 gallon tank, a 200 watt heater would be acceptable. For more on heaters copy this link to your browser: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/ca/volume_2/cav2i3/heater_impressions/heaterimpressions.htm Protein skimmers help maintain water quality in between water changes, and are an absolute must with larger tanks and reef tanks. Whichever brand of protein skimmer you choose, it should be rated for a tank twice the size of yours. This may sound like overkill, but a good protein skimmer is a very important part of your set up. For more on protein skimmers copy this link to your browser: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/proskimrart2.htm
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Step 5
Your tank's plumbing system can be as complicated or as simple as you would like.The sump and overflow system are the way water passes from your tank to the pump, and are part of the tank's plumbing system. Inside the sump you can put all kinds of different devices and filter mechanisms that you can play with to give you pristine water quality. There are a million different ways to design a plumbing system for a saltwater tank, and ultimately you have to decide which one makes sense for you and your tank. For more on plumbing, sumps, and overflow copy this link to your browser: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/plumbingmarart.htm
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Step 6
Live rock is the best filtration media for a saltwater aquarium.After you have decided how you are going to set up the hardware and plumbing of your tank, you can then determine how much live rock and live sand you are going to need. These two components are going to be the bulk of your filtration through the method outlined in this guide. The rule of thumb is to have at least one pound of live rock for each gallon of water in your aquarium, i.e. a 60 gallon aquarium would require 60 pounds of live rock, minimum. In addition, more live rock will be beneficial to a reef type setup. For more on live rock and its benefits to a saltwater tank, follow these links: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/ca/volume_2/cav2i3/Live_Rock/live_rock.htm and http://www.wetwebmedia.com/liverock1.htm
Live sand can be used in your tank a few different ways, and you should decide which method you feel most comfortable with. The newest fad in live sand use is to incorporate a deep sand bed, which is usually 4 inches or more of sand. For more on live sand, copy this link to your browser: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/livesand.htm -
Step 7
A quality test kit is an important tool in this hobby.Cycle your tank. Luckily placing live rock and live sand will quick start your tank's biological filtering system and all you have to do is sit back and test your water quality with a saltwater test kit to determine when it is safe to add animals to your tank. Usually this process takes anywhere from one week to three weeks, but it must be completed before you add any animals otherwise they are likely to perish from the unnatural/poisonous water chemistry during this period. For more on cycling your tank, copy this link to your browser: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/estbiofiltmar.htm
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Step 8
A refractometer used for measuring the salinity of the water.Fill up the tank with water and run all the components, checking for proper operation and leaks. It is much easier to work out any bugs now then when your tank is full of animals, rock, and sand. If everything is working properly, then go ahead and add the salt. You will need a device to measure the salinity of the water, and a refractometer is a pretty affordable and accurate option. The salinity should be 35 ppt, which is equivalent to a specific gravity of 1.026.
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Step 9
Caves and arches can provide interest and appeal to your tank.Then add the rock and sand. Arrange the rocks so that they are aesthetically pleasing, but also so that there are plenty of caves and tunnels for your fish to hide or rest at night. It is best to place the rock on the bottom of the tank rather on top of the sand for added stability. When stacking rock make sure the structure is stable. You don't want them to topple onto any animals or cause damage to the tank or its components. For great ideas on stacking rocks search for pictures of other people's tanks in Google images, etc.
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Step 10
A great example of a well maintained reef tank.You're done! Add animals slowly, as each new fish or invertebrate will be a burden on your tank's filtration capabilities. Usually you can add a couple small fish or one large fish per week without problems. However, there is a limit to how many animals can live in a given volume of water, and you need to make sure that these animals can peacefully coexist with one another. For more on stocking your tank with animals copy this link to your browser: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/MarLvSel.htm
