Saltwater aquarium?

Question

how do you know how much salt to put in the tank (tank is 73 gal) i have no idea how to set up a saltwater tank? any info will be useful

Answer 1

To add to what Carl S. already said, most directions will tell you to add 1/2 cup salt to a gallon of water. This is a good start, but it has never been enough to get the peoper salinity no matter what brand I've tried. A hydrometer is the only way to get an accurate measurement. If you'er keeping inverts, you'll want to keep the salinity a little higher than Carl recommended (around 1.024-1.026 instead), although his figure is fine for tanks with only fish.

If you are just setting up the tank, you can mix the salt right in the tank. I use RO, some folks use tap water - it just depends on the water chemistry where you live, as Carl said. If you're using tap water, I suggest using cold water only - this is from most all saltwater aquarium books I've read. Some folks will say it's okay to use hot to mix the salt faster, but the books explain that the hot water sitting in the heating tank and pipes may pick up a bit of dissolved metals - not something you want to have if you have inverts in your tank. Other people may get away with this, depending on the age of the house & pipes, or the material the pipes are made from, but why risk it? Nothing in saltwater should be done in a hurry. If you don't have the time or patience to fill up one or more buckets with cold water and salt and wait for it to come to near room temperature to add a heater to bring it to tank temperature, you probably shouldn't be keeping a saltwater tank. BTW, you should only be measuring salinity once the temperature is around 76-78 degrees, as the temperature affects salt concentration. After the initial filling, you should always mix the saltwater to the proper salinity outside the tank - rapid fluctuations in salt concentration and salt coming in contact with live organisms can harm them.

As stated previously, a good book will help you tremendously. Unlike sources on the web (even this forum)where you will get a mix of good and bad info, a good book will explain different methods and give pros and cons of each, so you get what you need to know to make an informed decision that is agreeable with your wallet. And the book will be there to help you with future questions you'll have - even when the pet store is closed and most people here are asleep.

Some books I'd recommend to you are The New Marine Aquarium – Michael S. Paletta. Microcosm Ltd. ISBN 1-890087-52-1 and The Conscientious Marine Aquarist – Robert M. Fenner. Microcosm Ltd. ISBN 1-890087-02-5 These cover tank set-up, fish and invertebrate selection, and what to do when you encounter problems with the tank equipment, fish diseases, unwanted algae in the tank, and more.

Good luck with your tank, and welcome to the hobby!

PS - Don't tell your fish your nickname!

Answer 2

I would suggest doing some SERIOUS reading on this topic before you dive into it. Saltwater aruariums are very difficult to the novice and require very specific care. The fish and animals that live in saltwater need unchanging conditions within a very narrow tolerance. Porper care requires a lot of work and ALOT of $$$$. dont go into it without doing a lot of research, you will end up with a lot of expensive dead fish.

Just stating that you don't know how to do the first and most basic part (making saltwater) should tell you that you are nowhere near ready for diving into it.

Im not trying to keep you from having a marine tank, quite contrary, they can be beautiful and very enjoyable, but if not done right from the start they are bound to fail and leave you discouraged and with an empty wallet.

RESEARCH!!!! then do it right from the start. remember google is your friend, search for marine aquarium and you will have endless info to read ;)

Answer 3

You will need a hydrometer to measure the dissolved salt; I recommend about 1.019 to 1.022 for fish. I also recommend using RO water to mix this if your tap water has nitrates above 10 ppm

This can be a very rewarding hobby!
Please read more information about saltwater keeping before getting started. There are some good resources and some not so good resources.
Read many to get a well rounded approach. A real forum is helpful too, so is a good local fish store (they do exist)

Here is good starting article (up to date):
http://www.americanaquariumproducts.com/Basic_Saltwater.html

Answer 4

read the directions you don't put in "salt" you put in premixed packages that you buy.