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
- 1. Order Live Rock (Before Week 1)
- 2. Install Equipment (Week 1)
- 3. Add Substrate (Week 1)
- 4. Add Artificial Decorations (Week 1)
- 5. Add Water (Week 1)
- 6. Turn On the Equipment (Week 1)
- 7. Add Live Rock and Sand (Week 1 or 2)
- 8. Add Hardy Invertebrates (Weeks 2–4)
- 9. Add First Fish (Weeks 6–8)
- 10. Add Corals and Anemones (Week 8–on)
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 Set Up a Saltwater Aquarium
Once you’ve got all the essential supplies and decorations, take the following steps to set up your aquarium.
1. Order Live Rock (Before Week 1)
Live rock may take several weeks to prepare, depending on how cured it was when it shipped. If you want live rock in your aquarium, check with your aquarium dealer to see how long he or she wants you to wait before you can pick up the rock. Time your aquarium setup accordingly.
2. Install Equipment (Week 1)
Choose the location for your fish tank and place the tank on its stand. Install the protein skimmer, filter, heater(s), thermometer, hydrometer, powerhead(s) and wavemaker, and lighting, making sure that you have enough space to access the equipment. Do not turn on the equipment before you add water to the tank.
3. Add Substrate (Week 1)
Spread a layer of substrate about 2–3" (5–8 cm) deep. If you plan to include burrowing fish (see Saltwater Fish for Beginners) or scavenging echinoderms (see Saltwater Invertebrates for Beginners), you may want to make the substrate a bit deeper.
4. Add Artificial Decorations (Week 1)
If you’ll be adding any artificial decorations to your tank, place them after you place the substrate. Make sure to rinse the decorations before adding them to the tank.
5. Add Water (Week 1)
Add premixed saltwater to the tank. Note that the water will be cloudy for up to a week or more, until the sand settles.
6. Turn On the Equipment (Week 1)
After you add the water, turn on the filtering equipment, powerhead(s), thermometer, and lights. Allow the water temperature to settle and monitor the specific gravity level as the water warms up.
7. Add Live Rock and Sand (Week 1 or 2)
After the water clears—which can take up to a week or more—add your seeded live rock and live sand. Before adding the rock, remove and reserve about half of the water to allow for displacement.
8. Add Hardy Invertebrates (Weeks 2–4)
One to two weeks after you add the live rock, you’ll start to see alga blooms. These are normal and indicate that your tank is cycling properly. Once the algae appears, you can add mollusks and crustaceans, such as snails and hermit crabs, that consume algae. Add a few invertebrates per week over the next three weeks until you have about one invertebrate per gallon (3.8 L) of water.
Keep testing the water over the next few weeks. First the ammonia level will spike, followed by the nitrite level. After about 6–8 weeks, the ammonia and nitrite levels
will fall to zero, and the nitrate levels will become negligible
(below 0.25 ppm).
9. Add First Fish (Weeks 6–8)
At this point, you may start adding fish according to the following guidelines:
- Quarantine fish: In case they’re ill, new fish should be kept in a separate tank for a month before joining your community tank so that they won’t spread their illness to other fish. If you don’t have a quarantine tank, consider asking the dealer to quarantine the fish for you if he or she has available space.
- Acclimate fish: Do the following steps to acclimate your fish:Gently empty the bag in which your new fish arrived into a container that can hold several times the volume of the original water in the bag.Tie a loose knot in a length of airline tubing.Put one end of the tube into the aquarium, and suck on the other end to start a siphon.As soon as the water begins to flow through the tube, tighten the knot until the water is merely dripping slowly from the tubing into the container. (You want just a drop or two to escape per second.)When the volume of water in the container has doubled or tripled, stop the drip and net the fish out of the container—then release it into the tank. Dispose of the water in the container. Do not put it into your tank.
10. Add Corals and Anemones (Week 8–on)
After you’ve introduced fish and have established your tank, you may add corals and anemones. But don’t rush these
additions. Wait until you’re confident that your tank is stable.
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