Guide to Setting Up a Saltwater Aquarium

Saltwater aquariums can be a beautiful addition to your home or office. They create a relaxing mood and watching your fish can be a fun, educational and rewarding experience. Setting up a Saltwater Aquarium involves just a few simple steps. Once you have set up your aquarium you will be able to enjoy it relatively hassle free for a long time to come.

The first thing you need to do when setting up your saltwater aquarium is get a tank. You'll want to check the tank for leaks to make sure that it will hold the water for your fish.

Once you have made sure that your tank is leak-free, you need to thoroughly clean it. You can do this using a very weak bleach and water solution. You will want to scrub the tank and any of the items you plan to put inside it such as plastic plants, rocks or other decorations with the bleach solution. Once everything has been scrubbed and cleaned you will need to rinse it all at least several times with clean, fresh water to be sure that you have removed all of the bleach from the tank and decorations. From this point on you should avoid using any sort of chemicals or cleaners for cleaning your fish tank since even the slightest amount of chemical can be deadly to your fish.

You will need to get a filtration system for your tank. Filtration systems can be purchased at pet supply stores and should be installed according to the manufacturer's instructions. Various models of filtration systems are installed quite differently so it is important to follow the installation instructions exactly.

The bottom of your tank should have a gravel substrate, which can be purchased at fish supply or pet stores. You can also use your own substrate in the bottom of your tank. Whatever you choose for your substrate, you should also wash it thoroughly before putting it in the tank to remove any contaminants or debris. A good rule of thumb for how much substrate you will need is to use about 1 pound of gravel for every gallon of water that the tank holds. After you have washed and cleaned the gravel, spread it in the bottom of the tank.