Is a saltwater fish tank really that difficult to start? I'll tell you how to do it!

I am just your average, everyday guy. I don't have a degree in marine biology, I'm not a fish guru, I don't claim to know everything there is to know about marine life. But what I do have is a saltwater aquarium that has been set up and successful for 5 years. When I first started, I knew nothing about and had no experience with saltwater fish tanks/reef tanks other than people telling me that they were hard to take care of. The reason I am telling you this is because I want to let you know that if you are new to this, a saltwater tank can be your FIRST tank. You do not have to waste your time "learning" with a freshwater/tropical tank if a saltwater tank is what you really want.

Once you have decided to put together a saltwater tank, your first step is to choose the right aquarium for you. The main considerations are the amount of space you are willing to donate to the tank, if you want to go acrylic or traditional glass and the size of the tank.

From my experience you will need anywhere from 6 to 10 inches from the back of the tank to the wall for equipment and access. You will also want to keep a few feet of floor space in front of the tank clear for your cleaning and maintenance duties so it wouldn't be a good idea to place the tank on a sofa table behind your couch.

Currently, aquariums are constructed from two materials: Glass and Acrylic. Each has advantages and disadvantages. Glass tanks are made from multiple panes of glass sealed with a silicone rubber cement and can come in various multi-sided shapes. While glass tanks won't scratch as easily, they get substantially heavier as size increases.

Acrylic tanks are lighter and can come in exotic shapes, are generally stronger/shatter resistant and can have more visibility due to not having "seams". However, acrylic tanks are scratched easily and can be quite a bit more expensive.

Which ever way you decide to go, make sure that you get a quality stand, this will be the foundation of your aquarium and will bear the weight of the entire setup. Avoid any stand made of particle board as it will fall apart.

Tip: If you decide to go glass, ensure that the entire bottom of the tank is supported by the stand or whatever you decide to place your tank on. Also cut a piece of cardboard slightly larger than the bottom of your tank to set in between the tank and the stand. This cardboard will serve as a buffer so that there is no or minimal flex of the tank when water is added. My first tank, a 35 gallon, sprang a LARGE leak after 2 weeks due to flex. Luckily I was home when it happened, but it still dumped about 20 of those gallons on the carpet of my apartment before I was able to pump the rest out.

When it comes to size, other than space constraints, you will want to go as large as your budget will allow. A larger tank will be easier to care for because a greater volume of water will be more resistant to changes and/or take longer for the inhabitants to feel the effect of those changes. With a smaller tank, anything short of a minor mistake could lead to catastrophic results. But don't worry, it will not come to that!

Your next step will be to get all the equipment you will need to run your tank.

Just a quick browse on the web will turn up countless types of equipment for setting up and running your saltwater tank. If you are on a budget, you will need the following items to get your tank up and running. Additional equipment can be added down the line as the need arises.

At a minimum, you will need:

• Filtration system


• Aeration and Circulation system


• Heating equipment


• Lighting equipment


• Cleaning equipment

Now let's break these down,

Filtration Systems:

There are two types of filtration that you will want to utilize in your tank, mechanical and biological. There is also chemical filtration, but I classify that within mechanical.

Mechanical filtration is pretty straight forward, it's simply any device that in some form takes water from your tank in, runs it through some type of filter medium and returns the filtered water to your tank.

Biological filtration can be described as "good" bacteria that colonize in any material in your tank where they can live, such as the foam material inside your mechanical filter or in the substrate, or sand at the bottom of your tank. This bacteria "feeds" on and thus removes harmful molecules, like ammonia, from the water in your tank.

The majority of quality filters out there will incorporate both types of filtration to some degree. Live rock is an additional contributor to biological filtration and will be discussed later.

Choosing the right mechanical filter can be a daunting task as there are so many types and so many different manufacturers. The main types are:

• Box filter


• External Power Filter


• Canister Filter


• Undergravel Filter


• Protein Skimmer

Keeping to the basics I'm going to refrain from going into detail on each type but I will recommend that you use a canister filter and a protein skimmer, as I have had great success with the combination.

A good canister filter will have multiple layers/compartments for filter medium. This will allow you to add to utilize different types of medium in each compartment, thus allowing you to include biological and chemical filtration in one location.

When shopping for a filter, take note of the size tank it is designed for, I advise that you go one step higher than what will serve your tank. Never a bad idea to have a little extra firepower.

You can pass on the protein skimmer to begin with, but as your tank becomes more inhabited, the work load on the canister filter will increase and you may find it a necessary addition.

Aeration and Circulation System:

Depending on the filtration system you choose, and the layout of your tank, you may be able to pass on these items until the need for them arises. If the filter you choose has a return hose that returns the filtered water and you have an open layout with minimal obstructions, the return nozzle of the filter can be positioned to provide circulation.

However, If you are deciding to build up a "reef" with lots of live rock and coral, you will find that to provide the required aeration and circulation, you will need to add one or more powerheads.

A powerhead is simply a small submersible water pump that has an output that can be pointed in different directions to create the desired current flow in your saltwater tank. Most also include an air hose that that will draw in air from above the waterline and aerate the output. In addition, there will normally be a mixer valve which will adjust the air/water mixture.

Heating Equipment:

Honestly, there is only one way to go here, and that is the fully submersible heater, fortunately it is also the most common type. When fulfilling your heating needs, use this rule of thumb:

5 watts per gallon up to 50 gallons
3 watts per gallon above 50 gallons

This, again being due to the larger body of water resisting minor changes. You can also have two heaters in separate areas, to reduce the workload of a single heater. This could also come into play if a heater burns out while you are off on a long weekend.

To prevent hot spots and to facilitate consistent temperatures throughout the tank, ensure that you place the heater in a location that gets ample circulation. Placing the heater lower in the tank will also maximize the use of the heater's output thus making it more efficient. You will also need a thermometer to monitor the temperature in the tank. I have found that a stick on, strip type thermometer that attaches to the outside of your tank will suffice.

Lighting Equipment:

In my opinion, There are only 3 types of lighting equipment you need to worry about. They are also the most commonly available and can be used in combination with each other depending on the lighting requirements of your saltwater tank.

The first type and least expensive is the Fluorescent light. For a saltwater fish only tank, a Fluorescent light fixture will suffice. Lights of different spectral qualities are available and can be mixed to provide the desired light output.

The next type and of increasing expense is the Power Compact Fluorescent. They have the same qualities as the standard Fluorescent light, except they produce a much higher light output which is required for lighting saltwater reef tanks.

The final type of lighting and most expensive is the Metal Halide. These types of lights produce a powerful spotlight that penetrates deep into the tank. The spotlight effect can create some very exotic visual effects. These lights provide a full-spectrum light that is required for many invertebrates and ideal for reef tanks in general.

I recommend that you start off with a Power Compact fixture if you can afford it in the beginning, as this light will take you from fish only all the way to the addition of your reef decor. It will also be sufficient for some invertebrates when you decide your tank and you, are ready for the transition.

A common misconception with tanks is to leave the light on all the time. Most inhabitants in your tank have been harvested from the wild and therefore are accustomed to a natural day/night cycle. You, as a responsible tank owner should try to imitate this cycle. The ideal setup would use multiple light fixtures which you can set up on an automatic timer. Setup the timer so that the main set of lights go out an hour or so before the secondary lights, and come on an hour or so after the secondary lights. This will help keep your inhabitants from the shock of a sudden lighting change.

Tip! Many of your tank inhabitants may be nocturnal and will rarely be seen when the lights are on. Set up a simple red light in your aquarium hood for night time viewing. Ensure that all the other lights in the room are out, and after an hour or so you can watch your nocturnal friends come out and go about their business. Many times I have discovered creatures that I didn't even know I had using this method. (You will get stowaways in live rock, some welcome and some not so welcome)

Cleaning Equipment: Getting Down And Dirty

I'm not going to go into detail about cleaning equipment because there are literally thousands of products out there designed to clean fish tanks. So what you use is entirely up to what works best for you.

At a minimum you will need:

• Some type of algae scrubber


• 1 or 2, 5 gallon buckets


• Nets


• Some form of pump to get water out of your tank

The algae scrubber is for, well, scrubbing algae off of the tank walls. If you have an acrylic tank, be sure to get one that is acrylic safe and will not scratch your tank. You will need the buckets for storing inhabitants and decor, transporting water from and to your tank, conditioning water etc. Make sure that these buckets are brand new and will be aquarium use only for obvious reasons.

At this point, you have almost everything you need to start your tank. However here is where you need to make a decision on what kind of tank you want in the end. Not that you can't change your mind down the road, just that knowing from the start can save you a lot of time and wasted money. I'll categorize the types into 3 main groups.

• Fish-Only


• Reef Tank


• Hybrid Tank

Fish-Only:
This type of tank is as the name implies, primarily fish. In this type of setup, you will want artificial decorations or "dead rock". Dead rock is NOT rock that you dig up from your back yard. DO NOT do this, you will probably kill everything in your tank. Typical dead rock types are Tufa and Lava Rock and are best found at a dealer.

Reef Tank:
For this type of tank you most likely will fore go any fish at all and focus on live rock and invertebrates. Live rock is packed with bacteria and organisms that are beneficial to your tank and provide additional biological filtering. This is by far the more time consuming setup, it could take years to complete but can also be the most beautiful if done right. I use the word "complete" loosely because as you will see, a saltwater tank is never really complete, it is always growing and changing. Word of advice, with a reef tank, you must really take your time, most invertebrates are very sensitive to tank conditions and many can die easily.

Hybrid Tank:
A Hybrid Tank is a mix between live rock and select invertebrates, and select "coral friendly" fish. This can be an exciting setup because you will be able to witness the interaction between all the different animals living in your tank. The key to this setup is only selecting inhabitants that will get along with each other and not eat each other.

Regardless if you purchase cured or uncured live rock you will want to put it through your own curing process as different dealers have varying definitions and methods of curing live rock. If you are going to cycle your tank with the live rock then it can go straight into your main tank as the curing process will help to cycle your tank. One of the best places I've found to stock your tank is LiveAquaria.com. However, whichever type of tank you decide to create, you should refrain from adding living inhabitants until after your tank is cycled. Tank "cycling" will be discussed later.

Remember in the last segment I said you had "almost" everything you needed. Well the last few items needed before putting your tank together are:

• Water Conditioner


• Salt


• Hydrometer


• Water Test equipment


• Substrate

While purified bottled water would be the ideal choice for your tank, it is neither inexpensive nor is it practical. Tap water is not pure, therefore you will be required to condition the water prior to use. This can be done a few different ways but the easiest is probably through the use of a chemical conditioner. After the water is conditioned, you can then add salt.

You will want to add the amount of sand that will bring the water to the specific gravity in the range of 1.021 to 1.024. This is a general range and will vary depending on who you ask. Either way, the specific gravity can be measured through the use of a hydrometer.

You will need a Water Test Kit to test and monitor the levels of various chemical compounds present in the water. You will want a kit that tests for, at a bare minimum the following compounds:

• pH


• Ammonia


• Nitrite


• Nitrate


• Alkalinity (optional for fish-only)


• Phosphate (optional for fish-only)

As your tank becomes more complex you can add test kits to test for more compounds as needed. All these items can be purchased at your local dealer or online.

Substrate is the sand or gravel that will go at the bottom of your tank. You can also purchase live sand which, like live rock, is packed with bacteria and organisms that will also lend to biological filtration.

And finally, the step-by-step setup.

#1 Place your stand:

Place your aquarium stand in a location that is away from windows and doors, this will minimize the effect of outside temperature variances due to drafts and such. Keep in mind visibility, access to electrical outlets and floor stability. Don't forget to leave 6 to 10 inches behind the tank for hoses and equipment.

#2 Rinse that aquarium:

Your brand new aquarium has been sitting in a store or warehouse for who knows how long, rinse it out with fresh water to remove dust and debris. Do not use any detergents or cleaning supplies. A brand new, never used sponge can be used if desired, but a simple rinse should suffice.

#3 Tank to stand:

Set the tank on the stand. Make sure that the tank is fully supported by the stand surface. If it hangs over even a tiny bit ABORT and get a stand that fits. Don't forget to put the cardboard between the tank and stand to help relieve flex due to slightly uneven stand surfaces. Now is a good time to put your tank background on if you opted for one, completely optional.

#4 Set up filter:

Follow the instructions provided with your chosen filter but do not plug it in yet. A little planning ahead here will go a long way. Try to run any hoses and cables in an orderly manner and keep in mind access to the filter for maintenance.

#5 Place your heater:

Place but do not plug in your heater. Remember the considerations to keep in mind when placing the heater.

#6 Substrate:

Add your chosen substrate to the tank and any dead rock or decorations, if you chose to also use live sand or live rock you should wait until you have finished setting up your tank. Substrate should be no deeper than about 2 inches, less if you are going to also use live sand.

#7 Salt...Water:

Fill the tank to approximately 80% leaving 20% for adding salt or more water if you add too much salt. At this point, dry the outside of the tank and let it sit for a few minutes. During this time, closely inspect the seams to ensure that there are no leaks. Now you can use your chemical conditioner and begin adding salt, checking the specific gravity often until you reach the desired level. Add premixed, conditioned water to top off your tank.

#8 Plug it up:

Plug up the heater and attach the thermometer to the tank. If there is not a temperature setting on the thermometer, adjust the dial to approximately half way. You will need to monitor and adjust the heater over the course of the next few days to allow the tank temperature to stabilize. The ideal temperature is between 75 and 78 degrees. Follow the manufacturers instructions for starting up your filter. At this point you may wonder why your tank is cloudy. Don't worry, as the tank stabilizes and settles it will clear up, usually overnight.

#9 Let there be light:

After all the other equipment is set up, you can finally position your lighting equipment over the tank and plug it in!

#10 Live rock live sand:

After your tank settles and the temperature is stable, you can add live rock and live sand to add biological filtration and begin cycling your tank. Before you add sand or rock, use your bucket to remove 10% to 20% of the tank water so it doesn't overflow when you add the rock and sand.

No..No..No..my friend, after your tank is set up and running smoothly, your work as just begun. Before adding any inhabitants, your tank must mature, or "cycle" first. It is a good idea to keep a test log to keep track of your daily water chemistry tests. With the addition of live rock and live sand your tank has all it needs to begin this process. If you just can't stand to see a bare tank, you can add a few hardy fish that will also help the tank cycle along. Just don't get too attached to the fish, although their chances are good, they may not make it through the cycling process.

While you are cycling your tank over the next few weeks, you will want to test and document primarily nitrogen levels. There are many resources that can be found online that will go into further detail on all the measurements and levels for all the various chemicals in your tank as it cycles. Just do a search on "cycling a saltwater tank" or "nitrogen cycle" and choose a resource that works for you. A more in depth resource that can help you avoid costly mistakes and answer many of your other questions, including stuff that many "experts" don't even know about can be found Here.

Well I hope this guide was helpful and should be more than enough to get you started and busy for the next few weeks.

If this article helped you in any way please don't forget to rate me and leave me a comment!

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