Setting Up A Salt Water Aquarium

Aquariums are great for both indoors and outdoors. Many people really love to watch the fish inside go about their business. More interesting is the salt water aquarium because this can contain many different variants of fish with many different colors and shapes. The sea is a host to such diverse flora and fauna that we have not even tackled all the creatures in it.

A salt water aquarium can showcase compatible fish and other sea creatures that interest the owner. Care must be taken when setting up a salt water aquarium because very much like the freshwater aquarium, what you put into the tank can affect the soon to be inhabitants.

What You Need

The needs for setting up a salt water aquarium are similar to those of a fresh water one. A filter, heater and aerator are still needed by both types of aquariums. Lighting is also essential to a salt water aquarium especially if your tank will be situated in a dark area.

The gravel and other bigger rocks or wood that you might like to include in the decoration will be different in the sense that they will suit the type of fish or marine life that will inhabit the tank. For a salt water aquarium, you might like to choose between fine sand or crushed coral as your gravel bed.

Make sure that the rocks or coral that you will place in the salt water aquarium is free from chemicals and other cleansers that may have been used to whiten or clean them. Some people employ strong bleach or cleansers to clean up natural decorations which placed in aquariums. These can affect the health of your fish and may even kill them if the chemicals are strong enough.

Testing Your Salt Water Aquarium Set Up

Before you place any marine life into your salt water aquarium, it is best to try out the tank and see if everything works fine. The aerator should be pumping pout air well and the filters should be in place so that they regularly move the water and provide much needed air. If you have any live plants or corals that you intend to place in the salt water aquarium with the fish or other marine life, this would be the right time to put them in. It is also a good idea to first test the water and check if the right salinity has been achieved.