Contents
Saltwater Aquarium Basics
How to Plan Aquarium Inhabitants
How to Choose a Saltwater Tank
Saltwater Aquarium Filtration
Saltwater Aquarium Equipment
Saltwater Aquarium Decoration
How to Make Aquarium Seawater
How to Test Marine Aquarium Water
How to Set Up a Saltwater Aquarium
How to Feed Fish
How to Keep Fish Healthy and Happy
Saltwater Aquarium Maintenance
Saltwater Fish for Beginners
Saltwater Invertebrates for Beginners
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How to Plan Aquarium Inhabitants
Before you start buying equipment for your saltwater aquarium, you should plan the tank combination, or mix of organisms, you want to keep. The tank combination you choose will influence which equipment you need to buy.
Common Aquarium Marine Organisms
Before you can plan your tank combination, you need some background information on the three main groups of marine organisms kept in saltwater aquariums:
- Fish
- Invertebrates
- Live rock and live sand
Fish
In contrast to most freshwater aquarium fish, which are bred in aquariums and farmed for generations, saltwater aquarium fish are often harvested directly from the ocean. (For information on specific fish that are good for beginners, see Saltwater Fish for Beginners.)
Invertebrates
Invertebrates, marine creatures that lack backbones and spinal columns, are a huge and diverse group. Some of the more common invertebrates are:
- Crustaceans: Common crustaceans include crabs and shrimp. Some are exceptionally easy to keep and are helpful in cleaning the aquarium.
- Mollusks: Common mollusks include snails and clams. Like crustaceans, a number of mollusks are easy to keep and help to clean the tank.
- Echinoderms: Common echinoderms include sea stars, sea urchins, and sea cucumbers. Many echinoderms are scavengers that feed on the waste and uneaten food left by aquarium fish.
- Corals and anemones: With their swaying arms and leafy structures, corals and anemones look as if they’re half plant and half animal. They're photosynthetic, so they require abundant light and excellent water quality.
(For information on invertebrates that are good for beginners, see Saltwater Invertebrates for Beginners.)
Live Rock and Live Sand
Live rock, a type of rock harvested directly from the ocean, contains a variety of tiny organisms and bacteria. Live rock adds visual appeal to a tank, and because of the beneficial bacteria it contains, it also acts as an effective biological filter (see Saltwater Aquarium Filtration).
Live sand should be harvested from an established
saltwater aquarium. It contains beneficial bacteria but doesn’t have enough surface area to provide significant biological filtration.
Curing Live Rock
Before it can be added to your tank, live rock must be cured. The two-month curing process reestablishes live rock’s
microorganism colonies, which usually die during harvesting and shipping. You can buy fully cured live rock, but it costs hundreds of dollars. You’re better off purchasing uncured seeded live rock and curing it yourself in your own tank (see How to Set Up a Saltwater Aquarium).
Tank Combinations
The three most common tank combinations are:
- Fish only
- Fish with live rock
- Mini reef
Fish Only
Tanks that contain fish and, perhaps, a few compatible crustaceans and mollusks are called fish-only tanks. These tanks may also include artificial decorations. Fish-only tanks are less expensive to set up than other types of saltwater tanks, but they may require more maintenance since they can’t support a wide variety of beneficial bacteria.
Fish with Live Rock
Tanks that contain fish, crustaceans, mollusks, and live rock are known as fish-with-live-rock tanks. These tanks cost more to establish but are usually more visually interesting than fish-only tanks. In addition, since live rock is an effective filter, aquariums that contain live rock are more stable than those that don’t. They require less maintenance and provide a healthier living environment for fish.
Mini Reef
A miniature version of a complete coral reef is called a mini reef. A mini-reef tank can contain fish, crustaceans, mollusks, echinoderms, corals, anemones, and live rock, though some fish may not be suitable. Setting up a mini-reef tank is expensive and time-consuming. It requires special lighting for the photosynthetic corals and anemones and at least eight weeks for its tank environment to stabilize before you can add fish.
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