How to Start a Saltwater Aquarium
Many have been enticed to the beauty of saltwater aquariums.
Many have ventured into this pursuit with a significant number of them failing.
As budding aquarists who want to venture in this endeavor, the first question to face will always be 'How do I start?' The answer to this is quite simple, 'as soon as you are ready.
' Being ready for a saltwater aquarium does not only denote the will of the budding aquarist.
Readiness for it entails a level of perseverance, diligence and, of course, money.
It is never good to start a saltwater aquarium half-prepared.
Unlike the freshwater varieties, saltwater fishes are more sensitive to the littlest change in their environment.
This came as an adaptation to avoid predators and detect prey.
The first step in getting ready for an aquarium is to know what you want, what you need and what you have.
This will help you find what type of saltwater aquarium will be best for you.
Let us take a look into reef aquariums for an example.
You want a reef aquarium with a pair of fishes, a couple of plants, and an invertebrate.
This may sound simple, but it actually is very complicated.
Let us start with the fishes.
A saltwater fish is used to large volumes of water.
Most of the time, they have established territories and hiding places.
Moving a saltwater fish to a tank makes it claustrophobic and therefore stressed.
What you will need is, at the very least, 5 gallons of water for every inch of fish.
The general rule is 'the bigger, the better.
' The best bet for most fishes is 55 gallons.
This will allow plenty of fish to swim around as they are accustomed to.
Now, you want another fish.
Do you need another 55 gallons of tank? Not necessarily.
A lot of differing fishes live together in the same niche; therefore, territories overlap.
The rule of thumb in selecting fish tandems is 'the more different a fish is, the less likely the other will be interested.
' Putting fishes of the same species in a single tank will yield disastrous results.
They will tend to fight off each other away from the only territory they can get.
Have this in mind every time you want to add a fish in your tank.
Next, let's tackle the plants.
Plants are quite simple creatures.
All you need is proper lighting and they will be fine.
Proper lighting means about three to five watts of lighting per gallon of water in your tank.
Yes, that bright.
Give them lighting lesser than three watts per gallon and the plants stop synthesizing and start withering.
Plants in an aquarium help oxidize it.
Oxygenation not only helps your fishes breathe but also encourages the nitrification process.
The invertebrates are quite harder to maintain.
If you really want one (or a couple) you will need calcium supplements as they need this to make their exoskeletons.
They also need trace elements that may only be given to them through supplementation.
They are also very sensitive to low pH levels and may die if unaided.
On the brighter side, when nurtured enough, most invertebrates will actually help you rid your tank of the pesky variants of algae.
The next part of being ready is getting prepared for any challenge that will come along.
These challenges include poisoning by ammonia found in your fish waste, algae overgrowth, unbalanced nitrification process, fluctuating pH levels, and improper lighting conditions.
Be prepared for those and you are set to start your very own saltwater aquarium.
Many have ventured into this pursuit with a significant number of them failing.
As budding aquarists who want to venture in this endeavor, the first question to face will always be 'How do I start?' The answer to this is quite simple, 'as soon as you are ready.
' Being ready for a saltwater aquarium does not only denote the will of the budding aquarist.
Readiness for it entails a level of perseverance, diligence and, of course, money.
It is never good to start a saltwater aquarium half-prepared.
Unlike the freshwater varieties, saltwater fishes are more sensitive to the littlest change in their environment.
This came as an adaptation to avoid predators and detect prey.
The first step in getting ready for an aquarium is to know what you want, what you need and what you have.
This will help you find what type of saltwater aquarium will be best for you.
Let us take a look into reef aquariums for an example.
You want a reef aquarium with a pair of fishes, a couple of plants, and an invertebrate.
This may sound simple, but it actually is very complicated.
Let us start with the fishes.
A saltwater fish is used to large volumes of water.
Most of the time, they have established territories and hiding places.
Moving a saltwater fish to a tank makes it claustrophobic and therefore stressed.
What you will need is, at the very least, 5 gallons of water for every inch of fish.
The general rule is 'the bigger, the better.
' The best bet for most fishes is 55 gallons.
This will allow plenty of fish to swim around as they are accustomed to.
Now, you want another fish.
Do you need another 55 gallons of tank? Not necessarily.
A lot of differing fishes live together in the same niche; therefore, territories overlap.
The rule of thumb in selecting fish tandems is 'the more different a fish is, the less likely the other will be interested.
' Putting fishes of the same species in a single tank will yield disastrous results.
They will tend to fight off each other away from the only territory they can get.
Have this in mind every time you want to add a fish in your tank.
Next, let's tackle the plants.
Plants are quite simple creatures.
All you need is proper lighting and they will be fine.
Proper lighting means about three to five watts of lighting per gallon of water in your tank.
Yes, that bright.
Give them lighting lesser than three watts per gallon and the plants stop synthesizing and start withering.
Plants in an aquarium help oxidize it.
Oxygenation not only helps your fishes breathe but also encourages the nitrification process.
The invertebrates are quite harder to maintain.
If you really want one (or a couple) you will need calcium supplements as they need this to make their exoskeletons.
They also need trace elements that may only be given to them through supplementation.
They are also very sensitive to low pH levels and may die if unaided.
On the brighter side, when nurtured enough, most invertebrates will actually help you rid your tank of the pesky variants of algae.
The next part of being ready is getting prepared for any challenge that will come along.
These challenges include poisoning by ammonia found in your fish waste, algae overgrowth, unbalanced nitrification process, fluctuating pH levels, and improper lighting conditions.
Be prepared for those and you are set to start your very own saltwater aquarium.