Setup a saltwater aquarium: Choosing your tank

Saltwater Aquarium setup: Choosing the right tank

There are some factors involved when choosing the type of saltwater aquarium setup. Some major factors include what type of species do you want to stock, how much space do you have available, what is your spending power? Buying the largest saltwater aquarium setup you can afford which will fit within the environment you have chosen to use should be your first goal.

The first priority is to the comfort of your saltwater fish and any other species as they grow in your aquarium. The invertebrates and fish which will be in your tank require room to swim and grow but also need an environment where there is plenty of oxygen in order to survive. This is determined from the size of your tank. You can give your fish a great chance with the right saltwater aquarium setup.

One important aspect of your saltwater aquarium setup is oxygen. The surface area of your tank is the major contributing factor to the amount of oxygen it holds. This equates to the area of water exposed to the atmosphere at the top of the tank. As oxygen transfers to your saltwater aquarium from the surface of the tank the greater that area is means there is more chance of oxygen transferring from the air into the water.

The surface area of your saltwater aquarium is not only for the intake of oxygen but also to let harmful substances like carbon dioxide t leave. The aquarium will be much healthier the more this process is allowed to develop. Water temperature is one more factor that determines the amount of oxygen it holds. The cooler the water the higher the oxygen content will be in general.

With warmer water tropical fish with temperatures above 75 degrees less oxygen is available. This is why it is most important to have a larger surface area for your saltwater aquarium or else you may have to stock smaller or less marine animals. The bigger the tank you can acquire makes it much better for your marine life.

Determining your requirements needs thought as saltwater aquariums come in all shapes and sizes? It is the shape that determines the surface area not the size or volume. A tank could have a much larger volume but less surface area than a smaller tank because of its shape. Tall and narrow aquariums will not have the ideal area for the gas cycle. The exchange of gas will be much better in a short wide tank.

With this in mind and your aquarium tank chosen, its time to move on to the inhabitants. Like we mentioned depending on the size of the tank will determine the amount of inhabitants you can keep in comfort. One of the worst problems with a saltwater aquarium setup for beginners is overcrowding the tank. Your aquarium relies on an efficient filtration system and too many inhabitants will overload it. One of the major causes of fish death and disease is cramped conditions that stress the fish.

Do not rush and stock up you fish slowly. Introduce only a small amount at a time. First calculate how many gallons of water your aquarium holds. In the beginning and up to six months for every four gallon of water introduce one inch of fish. A sixty gallon saltwater aquarium setup would therefore have 15 fish. After the six months you can increase the amount of fish and have one inch of fish for every two gallons.

A 60 gallon tank example would be:-

Two 1-inch clownfish
One 1-inch Beau Gregory’s
Two 3-inch queen angel
Two 1- inch gobies
Two 1-inch blennies
One 2-inch Tang (surgeonfish)

You can mix and match as long as you get the basic sizes right. After the six month period you can increase you fish to 30.

You may have to adjust the amount of fish you keep in you tank because when they grow they will require more space. Not only is the fish size an issue but also the shape. For heavier fish you should have a lower amount of fish in the aquarium.

{The development of your saltwater aquarium takes time}. They are not cheap to buy and maintain so do not cut corners. Problems will occur even when you have spent lots of time developing your tank. with a bit of thought getting the right aquarium from the start is better than having to change it because you choose wrongly. It is best not to dive in and get a small tank. Before investing in you saltwater aquarium wait until you can invest in at least a 30 gallon tank.

You can choose from the vast array of saltwater aquariums in either acrylic or glass? Depending on choice it could be a reef tank already adapted for all your accessories? It’s up to you to get advice and choose correctly. Common popular tanks like glass sealed with silicon are a good start. They come in all types of shape whether they are a standard rectangle, hexagonal or octagonal. Glass tanks are less prone to scratching than an acrylic tank although the acrylic aquarium is becoming more and more popular.

Acrylic tanks are much lighter than there glass equivalent. Glass aquariums are heavier and difficult to manoeuvre if moving. The glass is quite thick. A good option is a glass tank with a plastic frame. Tempered glass is stronger but plated glass is shatter proof.

The popular option is an acrylic saltwater aquarium setup with moulded seems which are more transparent. One fault is that your view at the corners is distorted. Because of the material acrylic tanks can have even more shapes and outdo the glass variety with many more models. They cost more money and scratch easier which is a downside. Certain ornaments and decorations can easily scratch the inside of the tank and the same applies when trying to remove algae. However you can buy kits that will help remove the scratches.

Whichever type of aquarium you purchase the priority is the health of your fish. It needs to be kept in good order and cash is needed to maintain it properly. Total relaxation can be found when watching your new marine friends playing in your aquarium. You will obtain much pleasure and enjoyment out of your saltwater aquarium