This is for anyone interested in learning how to set up a saltwater aquarium. Starting a saltwater aquarium doesn't have to be difficult. It just takes some effort on your part to learn about and research the necessary topics in order to have a good saltwater setup.
What do I need to start a saltwater aquarium?
Well, for the type of saltwater fish tank setup (marine aquarium) described in this article you will need the following equipment:
Well, for the type of saltwater fish tank setup (marine aquarium) described in this article you will need the following equipment:
- Aquarium
- Aquarium Photo Background or Paint the background - see Aquarium Aquascape Design for more info on painting the tank background.
- Aquarium substrate such as live sand or crushed coral
- Live Rock
- Saltwater Mix
- Saltwater Hydrometer or even better a refractors
- Aquarium filter (not absolutely necessary if running with adequate amounts of live rock, but nice to have if you need to use a mechanical filter or activated carbon, etc.)
- Replacement filter media like filter floss and activated carbon (if you get a filter)
- Multiple Power heads (2 or 3)
- Heater - be sure to get one large enough for the size tank you're getting
- Protein Skimmer - See the equipment reviews section for protein skimmer reviews
- Saltwater test kit(s) to test water parameters and monitor the infamous aquarium nitrogen cycle
- Saltwater fish food
- Aquarium vacuum
- Fish net
- Rubber kitchen gloves
- Aquarium Glass Scrubber or make your own DIY Algae Scraper
- Two, clean, never used before, 5-gallon buckets
- Aquarium thermometer
- Brush with plastic bristles (old tooth brush) - needed for cleaning the live rock
- Quarantine Tank for acclimating new arrivals and monitoring for signs of fish disease
- Power Strip
- Optional but definitely recommend getting a Reverse Osmosis or RO/De ionization filter for the make-up water.
