Steps To Start a Saltwater Aquarium
As a person who loves exotic saltwater fishes, you will see that you will definitely want to own a saltwater aquarium. It is a great investment and you will be able to get a lot of joy taking care of your saltwater fish collections. However, if you don’t know a thing about setting up a saltwater aquarium, here is the step by step process on how you can set it up.
First of all, you have to prepare the things you need. These are:
- Dechlorinated water
- Three buckets
- Hydrometer and testing jar
- Mildewcide or bleach
- Distilled water
- Heater
- Plants
- Decorations
- Tank
To prepare the tank, you have to first check the tank for any leaks. Then, clean the tank with a solution of 1 teaspoon of bleach for every 5 gallons of water. Then, rub the tank dry along with the decorations, plastic plants and the rocks. When rinsing it, never use soap or detergent to clean it. Instead, only use clean water.
The next step is to put in a quarter of an inch sheet of Styrofoam under the tank. This will be bale to facilitate in equally distributing the weight. , you might want to remember that the tank should be placed near an electric outlet and should be placed away from direct sunlight or drafts.
It is very important that you shouldn’t use any metal gear in a saltwater aquarium as the water will corrode it.
To set up the filtration system, you just need to follow the manufacturer’s instructions as models vary in installation. Then, fill the tank with gravel. The basic rule is to put in a pound of gravel for every gallon that the tank holds. After that, put the plastic plants in as well as the rock and decorations.
The next step is filling the tank with saltwater.
To do this, you first need to fill a large bucket with dechlorinated water. Then, while using the hydrometer, measure the salinity of the water while adding salt in the water. Your target salinity concentration is between 1.020 and 1.023. When you achieve this salinity level, your next step is to fill the tank with the saltwater and leaving approximately an inch of space at the top.
After that, start the filtration system. Then, add the heater and thermometer. As a general rule, most marine fish will be able to cope better in waters between 75 to 80 degrees. You might want to leave it like this for 72 hours in order to keep the water moving and get the right temperature settings.
When the denseness of chemical compounds is now in agreement to the indicated limitations you are now ready to add your fish. A power head is essential in the aquarium as it will keep the water in motion. However, don’t purchase one that is too large that will cause a whirlpool effect.
These are the basic steps in setting up saltwater aquariums. Remember these things and you can be sure that you will be able to set up the perfect saltwater aquarium that will be able to accommodate your pet saltwater fishes.