Basic Steps of Setting Up Saltwater Fish Aquariums

Saltwater fish aquariums are not that easy to set up as you would first imagine. In fact there are a number of things that you can do before you are actually able to introduce any kind of marine life (fish, coral or plants), into your saltwater fish aquarium.

By setting up your saltwater fish aquarium correctly, you will ensure that at all times the saltwater fish and other marine life will remain healthy. Also you will know that you have purchased all the right kinds of saltwater aquarium supplies for your aquarium as well.

Steps To Take When Setting Up Your Saltwater Fish Aquariums

Of course it is important that you purchase the right kind of tank for your saltwater fish aquariums to keep the fish in. Preferably it is a good idea to go with a recommended tank that has been suggested by the staff in the store where you are purchasing it from. Once you get the tank home, you need to start on the next stage of preparing the tank before you actually introduce the fish and other marine life into your saltwater fish aquariums.

1. First off you need to get some clean freshwater and thoroughly clean out the tank. When setting up saltwater fish aquariums for the first time, this should be done and even before you apply any kind of background at the back of the tank (if you are having one).
2. Now get the stand and place this in the location where you are looking to situate your saltwater fish aquarium. Make sure that it is close to a power outlet, and also that the place where the saltwater fish aquarium stand is going to be, is level. Also make sure that there is sufficient space for you to have access to the tank itself.
3. Before placing any kind of saltwater fish aquariums on their stands, make sure that some kind of under pad has been put in place. This will not only help to level up the tank, but also cushion its base as well.
4. Once the tank is in position, now is the time to start placing the essential pieces of equipment into your saltwater fish aquarium. The first thing that should go in is the filtration system, especially if you are going to have one that is situated under the gravel. If not, then this will then be placed on the side of the tank. Now you need to put the gravel into the tank. Ideally lay a good couple of inches or so into the tank's base and make sure that some is banked up at the back.
5. Now one can move onto putting in the water, if you can allow the water to stand for several days, or else add a special saltwater mixture to it prior to actually putting the water into any saltwater fish aquarium. At this stage you should still not be thinking about putting any plants, fish or other marine life into it.

Saltwater Fish Aquariums - - - Now That The Water Is In

After you have put the water into the tank, before you actually do start to put any tropical fish, coral, or plants into the saltwater fish aquarium, allow all the equipment to run for 24 hours. This will give you a chance to test all the equipment to ensure that it is working correctly. Plus you will able to test if the water has reached the necessary temperature that the aquarium fish and other marine life will find comfortable to live in.

However, at this stage you will not really be able to see if the protein skimmer in your saltwater fish aquarium is running correctly. But what you will be able to detect, is the production of bubbles which means that water is running through it correctly.

If you want to ensure that the saltwater and other protein and pH levels are correct in the water before placing any fish into the tank, it is advisable that you carry out a test first. There are home test kits available which you can purchase from a reputable saltwater fish aquarium supply company, either locally to you or online.

It is important that you follow the above steps before you actually move on to the next stage with your saltwater fish aquarium, which is actually to put the saltwater fish, plants and coral into the tank. If not, you may find yourself having to replace all these at a later date, as they just could not cope with the changes.

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