Is it difficult to set up a saltwater tank?

Question

I have a freshwater tank, and I was thinking of starting a saltwater tank too, since there are so many beautiful saltwater fish.

Answer 1

Before you dive in to this addictive and expensive saltwater hobby, its best to first decide which direction you would like to head with your tank. There are three basic categories of saltwater tanks.

Fish Only (FO): This is exactly what it sounds like. Fish, Invertebrates and Live Sand (LS)

Fish Only With Live Rock (FOWLR): Again, just as it sounds. Fish, Invertebrates, Live Rock (LR) and LS.

Reef: Usually consist of LS, LR, Corals, Fish, and Invertebrates.

That being said, there are three different types of coral: Soft corals, Long Polyp Stony (LPS), and Small Polyp Stony (SpS), and each require specific conditions. This article is meant to be an introduction to Saltwater, and as such, we will only briefly touch on these three.

Soft corals are ones that have no calcareous base and are composed entirely of soft tissue. Common examples of these are Mushroooms, Leathers, and Xenia.

LPS: These Corals are easily recognized by their bone like skeletal structure or base and their fleshy body structure. They can range from the fat, fleshy meat of an open brain to the delicate leafy folds of a Fox Coral.

SPS: These are primarily made up of a skeletal structure with small polyps protruding from very small openings on the body of the coral. Montipora and Acropora’s are two common species.

Now that you are familure with the basic components of the saltwater tank you need to decide what direction you would like to go. The first few steps are the same for all of the different types of saltwater tanks.

Basic Set Up
All tanks require five basic components to run properly: Heat, Water, Filtration, Lighting, and the Tank. Most of the fish, corals and inverts available to aquarist today come from tropical waters and need to be kept in water ranging from 78-82 degrees. Due to the issue of salt creep, submersible heaters must be used.

Saltwater is obviously the key part of keeping a reef, and for that very reason it can be the most intimidating part of setting up the tank. For beginning aquarist, I always suggest purchasing your water from a reputable Local Fish Store (LFS). This will remove one more burden from the already intimidated hobbyist. However, it is still important to know what your water parameters are.

Water Basics

Never use tap water. Ro/Di water is a must.

Salinity should remain between 1.024-1.026.

Ammonia should always read zero (except during the curing cycle)

Nitrites should always read zero (except during the curing cycle)

Ph should be between 8.2 and 8.4

Nitrates should be as close to zero as possible.

It can be more involved, but those are the basics

Filtration
There are 2 different basic types of filtration. Mechanical and Biological. Very simply put, Mechanical is anything powered by electricity. Biological involves the natural processes that take place in a open reef environment.

Generally, the biological filtration is considered to be far more effective than mechanical, but there are certain issues that it cannot compensate for in our closed reef environments. For example, the removal of Dissolved Organic Compounds (DOC’s) that exsist in the water column. In the ocean, these would be removed by a wide range of naturally occurring events such as the foam that is created by a wave crashing on the beach. In our system we rely on a Protein Skimmer.

This is a device that generates micro bubbles into a closed cylinder, creating a dense foam that is deposited in a collection cup. It works by a simple process of attaching the DOCs to the bubbles, then lifting them out and into the collection cup. Because of this, a protein skimmer is by far the most important mechanical filtration available today.

In addition to the skimmer and the heater, the one other mechanical component of the tank that is a must, is a power head. They pull water in one side and push it out the other. It is vital to maintain proper circulation (water volume x 10 gph) in a reef or fowlr environment.

Biological filtration is broken down into two basic groups. Bacterial and Macro filtration. Bacteria is the key ingredient to the normal nitrogen cycle that is responsible for breaking ammonia down into a harmless gas that is released into the air. (This process will be discussed in a later article) These bacteria feed on ammonia and multiply very quickly, growing on everything in the tank that is not alive. Live Rock and Live sand are the two major media’s for this source of filtration. A functioning Deep Sand Bed (DSB) should be between 3-4 inches deep. The suggested amount of LR for adequate filtration is 1.5 pounds per gallon.

When determining how much live rock to get it is also good to consider the type of fish you would like to have. A Powder Blue Tang isn’t going to be happy in a 100-gallon tank that is crammed full of LR. They need a lot of swimming room. However, smaller fish such as Mandarins require a lot of rock because their only food source is the pods that grow in the rock. So, this can be a vital part of the equation when setting up a tank.

Lighting
Lighting is the last key factor in a successful reef. The best approach is to decide what corals you would like and then decide what kind of light you need. A general rule is that Soft corals and LPS will do well under Power compacts and VHO’s (Very High Output). Sps corals almost always require Metal Halides. All of these will be discussed at a later time. A good rule of thumb is to have at least 3-5 watts per gallon of lighting on a reef... this is considered a minimum for keeping softies and the hardier LPS corals.

Choosing a Tank
Choosing a tank is a balance between one’s budget and the room available, against the “long term stability” of the tank. Generally, the larger the tank, the more stable it will be. Look at it this way, which would be effected more? Pouring a cap full of bleach into a 55-gallon aquarium or into the ocean? This is obviously on a much larger scale, but the principle is still the same.

The last thing to consider before choosing a tank is the shape. Fish swim back and forth, not up and down. For this reason, and several others, long tanks are a better choice than tall tanks (i.e. Hex tanks).

Answer 2

To set up a Saltwater Aquarium for a few pretty fish? - No, it's pretty easy

To Set up a Saltwater Aquarium, with live rock and live sand, invertebretes and all the colors of the sea? - It's a bit more of a challenge and work

To Set up a Reef Aquarium and grow and culture Hard Acropora Corals and delicate inverts like Seahorses? - yes, it's hard, its a lot of work, its very VERY expensive and its VERY VERY rewarding.

But do yourself a favor, research research research. Learn as much as you can and take your time. Setting up a good sustainable reef aquarium should take NO LESS than 6 months before the first fish goes in. There are numerous books that can help you out. Websites too, I recommend the one below...

they propagate most of their own corals, they work with you during tank startup and they have a lot of great information - read the pages specifically about starting a tank.

I've been in this hobby for over 25 years and It's VERY rewarding if you have the patience for it!

Answer 3

* STEP 1: Check the tank for leaks.
* STEP 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.
* STEP 3: Install the filtration system. Follow the manufacturer's instructions carefully since models vary in their installation.
* STEP 4: Wash the substrate thoroughly before you put it in the tank. Figure on 1 lb. of gravel per gallon the tank holds.
* STEP 5: Put the plants in, anchoring the bottoms in the substrate.
* STEP 6: Fill a large bucket with clean, dechlorinated water.
* STEP 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.
* STEP 8: Fill your tank with the saltwater, leaving about an inch at the top.
* STEP 9: Start the filter system.
* STEP 10: Add the heater and thermometer. Most marine fish do best between 75 and 80 degrees.
* STEP 11: Let everything run for at least 72 hours and get the temperature settings right and the water moving.
* STEP 12: Cycle the aquarium. A just-set-up fish tank lacks the bacteria that it needs to form a steady biological cycle.
* STEP 13: Add your fish when the chemical levels are all okay and the tank temperature is within suggested limits.
* STEP 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.
* STEP 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.
* STEP 16: Keep in mind that you'll also need an external water pump and possibly an air pump for your skimmer.

Answer 4

Yes, the fish are really beautiful that you can get for a salt-water tank as compared with a fresh water tank. Salt water is a LOT of work though. Its not just setting it all up but its constant monitoring of the ph balance of the water, temp., ect. or your expensive salt water fish could easily get sick and die. Not only that if you want more than one variety of fish you have to look into if those types can live harmoniously together, but if your into fish and you have the time its the only way to go.

Answer 5

If it is your first time with a saltwater tank, do not worry with something less than 50 gallons. something smaller than 40 gallons is considered a nano tank and should be left to the specialist saltwater keeper purely, and that i do advise specialist. A 2 gallon tank is transferring into the variety of p.c.. tanks. some specialists manage to keep some coral in them with journey, voodoo magic, and an excellent type of success, yet 2 gallons is a strategies too small for any saltwater fish. that's really too small for any freshwater fish both, and freshwater fish tend to be smaller and adapt to smaller tank circumstances. The bare minimum for any clownfish is 20 gallons. For a pair, absolutely the minimum is 30 gallons. The fish keep ought to have juvenile clownfish in a nano exhibit tank, yet that is meant to be non everlasting and is maintained through saltwater specialists with an limitless arsenal of severe priced maximum functional kit. the rationalization for you to not initiate with something less than 50 gallons is that saltwater is amazingly tricky to keep strong, fantastically once you're basically taking off. you've an finished new form of water parameters to visual exhibit unit. that's now no longer basically pH, ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate. you even ought to visual exhibit unit certain gravity, calcium, magnesium, iodine, and different hint factors. mild fluctuations in any of those parameters spell demise on your fish. Saltwater fish are used to residing in, properly, the sea, the position the ecosystem is amazingly almost entirely static except for mild differences because of the season. they're very tender to any variations in water composition or high quality. you want a minimum of a 50 gallon tank, an finished battery of astounding kit, an excellent type of study, and a minimum of a month of retaining the water without fish in it. It basically takes a lengthy time period to study the thanks to maintain the water. the different rationalization for no longer something less than a 50 gallon is that that's tricky to keep something exciting in a very small tank. a pair of clowns can stay in a 30 gallon, yet they may be the purely inhabitants. Saltwater fish want a lot extra area than freshwater fish because back, their widely used is the sea. What sounds like an massive tank to you is only a thimble finished of water to them.

Answer 6

start reading books and marine magazines to learn. You really have to be an expert. The water has to be tested daily for nitrate amonia, Ph level etc.. Its not like a freashwater tank, you have to let the water age and mature, which takes weeks, start with snail , crabs, see if they survive then add some fish.

Answer 7

My ex & I had one once, and for us it was a lot of work. And the fish were expensive, and they didn't live long. My ex wasn't very good at taking care of things, so we probably didn't have the pH etc... correct.

It was too much for us, but yes they are beautiful fish.