Saltwater fish aquarium setups need to be planned carefully and you need to make sure that you have purchased all the right equipment first. As you will soon discover, there is really no right or wrong way in which one should be setting up a saltwater fish aquarium, but you do need to know the basic procedures. Also it is a good idea to plan in advance before you actually start working on setting up your first saltwater aquarium.
What Kind Of Saltwater Fish Aquarium Should One Choose?
When it comes to setting up a saltwater fish aquarium, one first has to make a decision what kind of saltwater aquarium system it is you want. There are three different types of saltwater fish aquariums to select from, and each one needs to be set up in a slightly different way from the others. These are known as the Fish Only (FO), the Fish Only With Live Rock (FOWLR) and the Reef Tank systems.
The first saltwater fish aquarium system, known as the Fish Only system contains only fish such as Angelfish, Clownfish or Guppies. It does not contain any kind of coral or live rocks, but rather will contain artificial, dried or synthetic ones along with shells.
The second saltwater fish aquarium system is known as Fish Only With Live Rock. While these kinds of saltwater fish tanks do contain live rocks, they do not contain live corals. They will have some live invertebrates and crustaceans, as well as sessile invertebrates in the tank also. Sessile invertebrates are those which are capable of growing on live rock.
The third and final saltwater fish aquarium system is known as the reef tank setup. This system of aquarium not only contains various species of saltwater fish and marine life, it will also include live rocks and corals, as well as sessile and motile invertebrates and maybe some crustaceans also. You may even find with this particular saltwater aquarium, that some aquarists prefer not to keep fish in theirs.
What Next When Setting Up A Saltwater Fish Aquarium?
Once you have made a decision with regard to the kind of saltwater fish aquarium you want from the three mentioned above, you need to now start purchasing the right equipment and supplies for your saltwater fish tank. Along with the tank, you need good lighting, good filters and filtration system (which will help to remove food and waste from the saltwater aquarium tank), substrate (sand/gravel), a good heater and a thermometer. Also you will need the right kind of saltwater or sea salt mixture to turn your freshwater into saltwater.
The other supplies that you will need, along with the ones we have mentioned above, are a hydrometer, a test kit, supplements and additives, such as calcium and nitrate and particular tools that will help you to care for and maintain the saltwater fish tank.
When keeping a saltwater fish aquarium, it may well be advisable to purchase these other supplies for yours also, but you do not need to. A power head is a great tool for your saltwater fish tank as it makes sure that the water actually circulates around the entire aquarium properly, and throughout the whole system. A protein skimmer is advisable, as this can help you to remove any yellow waste products produced by the fish after feeding, and ensure that your fish remain healthy.
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