Setting Up A Saltwater Aquarium

Congratulations! You're about to create one of the most unique forms of entertainment that there could ever be. Whether you're a lone pet lover or a staff biologist - you've got to admit that aquariums are pretty cool! In no other receptacle can you literally take a slice of aquatic life and enjoy its beauty on dry land. Just think about it - the only thing separating you from exotic plants and interesting swimming or crawling creatures is... glass. Ready? Let's go!

Prepare the Aquarium

If necessary, clean the tank with a non-soapy solution of warm water and elbow grease. We're not kidding about the non-soapy solution. You never want to use soap while cleaning any part of your tank because in doing so, you may inadvertently pass on toxic chemicals to your fish (regardless of how well you think you rinsed everything). The only place that's appropriate for a soapy application is the outside of the tank!

Once the aquarium is dry, place it in - and on an area that is capable of supporting a heavy object. The aquarium may not feel heavy now, but it will feel heavy after you've added the water. If your home is filled with other pets or a couple of curious young children, you might want to place the aquarium in a place that is easy to view, but difficult to topple over.

Add Gravel and Plants

Insert the aquarium's filtering system according to manufacture instructions. If you're including gravel, gently pour or scoop in 1 lb. / gallon of gravel. If you're including plants, now is the time to snugly positing them within the gravel that you just put in.

Add Water

You can fill your tank with regular tap water because you'll immediately apply a conditioner that will remove all present toxins. Because this is a saltwater aquarium, you're going to add a little bit of tank salt. Using a hydrometer, you'll want to add this salt until you reach a concentration of 1.022.


You're halfway there!

Now you can turn on the aquarium's filtering system after you've added its heater and thermometer. The whole aquarium should be about 70 degrees F, so while you let the filtering system operate for at least twenty-four hours, monitor the temperature so that you can get it to read at the proper mark.

After verifying that the aquarium's temperature, pH level, and salinity level is safe for your particular kind of fish, you can add the fish you've always wanted but you should add them in small numbers. Adding a large number of fish at one time will upset the balance of the cycle that's begun and prolong its completion!