Important considerations for setting up a Saltwater Aquarium

By: Roger Gordon

Anyone who has had an aquarium knows that algae is unavoidable. It is just one of the things that fish owners, both salt and freshwater, have to deal with on a regular basis.There are four main variety's of algae; green algae, brown algae, red-brush algae, and blue green algae.

The first thing that needs to be done after the purchase of a new aquarium is to cleanse the tank itself and all of its accessory parts with freshwater, sans soap, and a soft cloth. This will remove any dust and chemicals which it may have accumulated while in the factory and prevent them from harming the fish. Once all of the parts have been cleaned the tank should be set upon a level stand which has been placed an appropriate distance from the wall to enable the electrical cords to reach an outlet plug with a minimal risk of minor amounts of sloshing from the tank causing an electrical fire. A soft cloth should be placed beneath the tank to keep the condensation from the saltwater aquarium from causing damage to the surface of the stand beneath it.

It is common for brown algae to appear when a tank that has just been started. It typically puts in an appearance within the first two weeks. Its appearance in established tanks means that the aquarium owner needs to test the nitrate and phosphate levels of this tank.

At this point you can now do your landscaping. Remove approximately one half of the water and decorate your aquarium with whatever landscaping tools you choose (rocks, plants, etc.). It is important to first remove the water in order to make the landscaping easier and to prevent spillage. Once you are finished, replace the water up to the fill line (if the tank does not come with a fill line you can use a permanent marker to make your own on the side facing the wall).

This is an example of minimizing Mother Nature's perfect filtration system in order to provide your fish with the perfect habitat. Hopefully you have chosen to artificially stimulate the cycling process so that it is well established prior to inserting your fish. If you have not it is very important that you keep a very close eye on them while the tank is undergoing its cycling process. The spikes in ammonia and nitrite levels can be severely harmful to fish if they are exposed to it for too great a period of time, and they will likely begin to show signs of distress during these periods of the cycling process. If this becomes severe their conditions can be aided by changing a portion of the water in order to dilute the concentration of these products.

Aquariums are beautiful in their own right, particularly ones which are large enough to make the viewer feel as though they have been transported into an underwater wonderland. For many individuals the inside of a clear glass aquarium is as close as they will ever come to the wonders of the world beneath the ocean's surface, and for that reason an aquarium which is as close to the natural habitat of its inhabitants as possible is a joy unto itself.

Use distilled water whenever you clean your saltwater aquarium or change the water. Changing your water every two to three weeks will limit the amount of time algae can grow in your tank. When you change the water make sure you vacuum your rocks. Also keep the use of additives to a minimum. Change your prefilter pad weekly.

It is very simple to cure live rock before placing it in the aquarium, but this is an important step that must be taken in order to prevent a build up of ammonia in the tank which could negatively affect the fish. To cure live rock first select a plastic container that is of a suitable size to hold the amount of live rock which you are working with, then fill it with saltwater. Then place a heater and water pump in the "tank" for optimal temperature and circulation. Once the water has reached the desired temperature remove the heater and pump and half of the water content, then preclean the rock in a bucket of saltwater by swishing it around to remove any lose organisms and debris and place it in the prepared water. Then reinstall the heater and pump and allow nature to do its thing!

Ocean water is the natural habitat of all saltwater marine animals and, consequently, the best water source for any saltwater aquarium. If ocean water is not available, however, and the owner of a saltwater aquarium does not wish to purchase a pre-made saltwater solution it is possible to make saltwater. It is important to use a sea salt mixture that is free of impurities rather than table salt when creating saltwater in order to reproduce the natural environment as accurately as possible. These mixes can be purchased from any store that specializes in the sale of tropical fish.

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My name is Roger Gordon, I hope you found my article informative. For more information on aquariums please visit aquariummania.info
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