Setting Up a Reef Aquarium

Setting up a reef aquarium is a much more expensive undertaking than a freshwater aquarium, or even a saltwater aquarium. Reef tanks are an especially costly and time consuming endeavor. But they can be so much more rewarding than any other aquarium setup if done correctly. In this article I will be taking you through a bit of a step by step in starting and preparing your reef aquarium.

The first thing I want to impart unto you is to RESEARCH, RESEARCH, RESEARCH! This is single handedly the most important aspect of starting your new reef aquarium. You want to make sure you know your P's and Q's before you start to lay down the money it is going to cost to start your reef aquarium. You need to make sure that you can meet the needs of the fish and creatures you are going to be putting in your aquarium.

Another helpful tip for starting and running your reef aquarium, pick up a log book. Keeping a log book is going to make tracking the problems in your aquarium much easier. You can also use the log to keep track of the different chemical levels in your reef aquarium.

Next, you want to purchase the right equipment for your reef aquarium. Take a look at the coral and fish you want to place in this aquarium and then adjust accordingly what type of filter, lighting, and other elements you are going to need to get for the aquarium. When you are purchasing a stand for your aquarium, you need to factor the weight of the aquarium at its full capacity. A good formula is to multiply the amount of water you have in your aquarium by 10. For example, if you have a 55 gallon aquarium, it would weigh 550lbs when completely full.

After you place all of the equipment and such in your aquarium, it is time to start adding the live rock to your aquarium. You want to adjust the levels to your live rock before you start to add fish to the mix. Cycling your aquarium can take quite a while. You need patience when starting your reef aquarium, and a lot of it will be tried as you try to get the water levels to their absolute best before you start acclimating fish.

I obviously could not include everything involved in setting up your own reef aquarium. I was just trying to give you a general idea on how to go about setting up your reef aquarium. The web is a great source for finding more in depth guides for creating and maintaining your reef aquarium. Starting up your own reef aquarium can seem like a bit of a chore, but once you get the hang of it, it can be extremely rewarding. If you are a beginner to reef aquariums I would strongly advise against getting more difficult species of coral and fish to care for. You are going to putting their lives and your money at stake if you do this, start out with something easier. There will always be time to expand on the aquarium.

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