How To Set Up A Salt Water Aquarium

Many people want to know how to set up a salt water aquarium as an awesome addition to their home. A salt water aquarium requires a lot more money and time to setup. However, salt water fish are some of the most unique and beautiful.

To set up a salt water aquarium, you will need:

• A 55 gallon or larger tank
• A tank stand 
• A substrate, such as sand, that will fill the bottom of the tank 3-4 inches deep
• A minimum of one pound of live rock per gallon
• A quality protein skimmer; a sump system with pump
• A heater
• Lighting
• Salt
• Hydrometer
• power heads

1. Purchase the necessary products. In order to set up a salt water aquarium, first you must purchase all of the items you will need.
2. Set up the salt water aquarium with the products you purchased. Begin by placing the tank stand in an appropriate place in your house. Remember to leave room for electrical cords to fit between the stand and wall. Clean the tank with water only and place on the stand. To set up the salt water aquarium you will need to then connect all electrical components- the sump system, pump, heater, lighting, protein skimmer, etc. You will have to read the manufacturer's directions to set those objects up, because the directions vary from product to product. 
3. Finally you can put in the substrate, water, and salt. Measure the specific gravity of the water with the hydrometer; it should read 1.025. The water temperature should be set to 80 degrees. You can now also add in any tank decorations you wish to place in your tank.
4. Place live rock in aquarium 24 hours after set up. Twenty-four hours after you set up your salt water aquarium, you can purchase and place the live rock. The live rock needs to be left in the tank several weeks before buying fish. Once there are no ammonia or nitrate readings in the tank, you are ready to add fish. 
5. Purchase your fish. Finally you can purchase the fish and place them in your salt water aquarium. The fish you choose completely depends on personal taste and the size of your tank. Talk to your local pet store employees to get advice on fishes that wont eat each other, and will live comfortably in your tank size. Some popular choices are clown fish, angelfish, damsel fish, eels, gobies and more.

Finally you have completed setting up your salt water aquarium. It is a long, hard, time and money consuming process. But it can result in a beautiful addition to your home or business.