What Kinds Of Saltwater Fish Aquarium Setups Are There?

Saltwater fish aquarium setups are something which takes planning, and the first thing one needs to do is make sure that you have purchased all the right equipment. As you will soon learn, there is both a right and wrong way in which a saltwater fish aquarium can be setup and it is important that you know the basic procedures first. Also, having a working plan is also vital when it comes to your setting up a saltwater fish aquarium for the first time.

What Type Of Saltwater Fish Aquarium Should One Have?

The first thing that you need to do before you can even set up a saltwater fish aquarium is decide which system it is you want to use. There are three types of saltwater fish aquariums that you can choose from, and each of them has to be set up in a certain way. You can either go for a “Fish Only" (FO) aquarium, a "Fish Only With Live Rock" (FOWLR) aquarium or the Reef Tank system.

A Fish Only saltwater fish aquarium is one where you only allow tropical fish such as Clownfish, Guppy's or Angelfish to live. In this there will be no live rocks or corals but you can place into them dried, artificial or synthetic ones instead, and possibly some shells and other ornaments.

As for the Fish Only With Live Rock saltwater fish aquarium, this allows not only tropical fish to be kept in the tank but also live rocks. Along with the fish you may also keep some live invertebrates and crustaceans if you wish, as well as sessile invertebrates (barnacles) in the aquarium also. It is the sessile invertebrates which will take up residence on the live rocks as they are capable of growing on them.

The final saltwater fish aquarium setup that you can choose is known as the Reef Tank System. This particular aquarium allows you to keep a wide variety of different species of tropical fish in the tank along with other forms of marine life, but also allows in live rocks and coral. There are some people who prefer to omit the tropical fish from this tank and just allow the coral, rocks and invertebrates to live in it.

What You Should Do Next When Setting Up Your Saltwater Fish Aquarium?

Once you know which kind of saltwater fish aquarium it is you want to set up, you need to then start getting the right equipment and supplies together. As well as a good sized tank, you need lights, a filtration system with good quality filters, sand or gravel, a good heater and a thermometer. Plus at this stage you need to buy some specialist salt mixture which can turn freshwater into saltwater for your aquarium.

Along with the equipment and aquarium supplies we have already mentioned, other items which you need to purchase for a saltwater fish aquarium are a hydrometer, supplements and additives (containing nitrate and calcium) and a test kit, plus any of the tools which are specifically designed to help you maintain and keep your saltwater tank in good working order.

If you intend to keep a saltwater fish aquarium as a hobby, then it is advisable that you consider purchasing the following pieces of equipment. If you can, get a power head as this will ensure that the water is able to circulate around the whole tank and throughout the heaters and filtration system as well. A protein skimmer, which is a vital tool, as it actually helps to remove the buildup of yellow waste in your saltwater fish aquarium that is produced by the tropical fish in it after they have been fed and so ensures that they remain healthy.