How to Set Up a Saltwater Aquarium

If you are a fan of exotic fish and aquariums you should invest in a saltwater aquarium. The pleasure you'll get from your fish makes a saltwater tank worth the trouble involved in setting it up.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Three Buckets
• Hydrometer And Testing Jar
• Dechlorinated water
• Thermometers
• Plants
• Mildewcide Or Bleach
• Heater
• Distilled Water
• Decorations
• Tank

1. Check the tank for leaks.
2. Clean the tank with a solution of 1 tsp. pure bleach for every 5 gallons of water. Scrub the tank, plastic plants, decorations and rocks. Rinse everything thoroughly several times with clean water.
3. Install the filtration system. Follow the manufacturer's instructions carefully since models vary in their installation.
4. Wash the substrate thoroughly before you put it in the tank. Figure on 1 lb. of gravel per gallon the tank holds.
5. Put the plants in, anchoring the bottoms in the substrate.
6. Fill a large bucket with clean, dechlorinated water.
7. Using a hydrometer (a device used to read how much salt is dissolved in the water), add salt. Your goal is a specific gravity between 1.020 and 1.023.
8. Fill your tank with the saltwater, leaving about an inch at the top.
9. Start the filter system.
10. Add the heater and thermometer. Most marine fish do best between 75 and 80 degrees.
11. Let everything run for at least 72 hours and get the temperature settings right and the water moving.
12. Cycle the aquarium. A just-set-up fish tank lacks the bacteria that it needs to form a steady biological cycle.
13. Add your fish when the chemical levels are all okay and the tank temperature is within suggested limits.
14. Buy a powerhead. In saltwater aquariums, water movement is an absolute must. Be careful not to get one so big that it causes a whirlpool effect.
15. Get a protein skimmer, which is a necessity for marine tanks. This removes organic debris from the water before it has time to convert to nitrates.
16. Keep in mind that you'll also need an external water pump and possibly an air pump for your skimmer.

Tips & Warnings

• Remember that the tank will need to be positioned near an electrical outlet and away from direct sunlight or drafts.
• Never use soap or detergent to clean anything that will go into your tank.
• Avoid using any equipment made of metal. Saltwater will cause it to rust.
• Put a 1/4-inch sheet of Styrofoam under the tank to help distribute the weight more evenly. If a tank isn't level, stress will be put on the seams and could cause an eventual leak.