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Home , Airstone, Fishkeeping, Live rock, Live sand, Protein skimmer

How to keep in a saltwater

Aquariums can be a beautiful addition to your home. However, keeping a successful saltwater aquarium can be tricky. Here are 15 aspects to keep in mind when starting a saltwater aquarium: 1)Tank size does matter Saltwater are not a cheap investment. There are a lot of sizes, shapes and materials to choose from and, since you will probably not want to change the tank for a while once you have in- stalled it, you need to make sure that you are buying what will work best for you and your situation.  Even though you have found a small fish, it needs room to grow and roam about.  Some fish, like the clownfish, can be happy in a 10 gallon tank, but a 20 or 29 gallon tank will allow you to add more creatures in the future, giving you a beautiful piece of the in your home.

 Some fish (Angelfish, Tangs etc.) love to swim long distances quickly, so a 75 gallon plus tank would be best. Putting them in a smaller environment will cause them stress and they can die from stress-related illnesses (such as “Ich”). 2) Type of Water  First, you will need water to make saltwater for your tank. Remember that the type of water is important.  To avoid growing in your tank, it is recommended to get de-Ionized wa- ter; this is pure water without any dissolved salts, or other contaminants. You can often find this type of water where you bought your saltwater fish.

 You can also use distilled water from your local supermarket.  What you do not want to use is tap water from the sink. It contains elements that are detrimental to your saltwater tank. , , , Fluoride and more are readily detectable in tap water, but your saltwater tank needs pure water to keep your fish healthy.

3) Salt in your aquarium  If you are near the ocean, and can get saltwater there, it would be much easier than making your own saltwater as it already has all the necessary salts.  Marine salt is readily available at most pet supply stores, Instant Ocean is an example which is very popular and easy to find.

 When you are setting up your tank, or when you do water changes, you always mix the salt in your water before you add it to your tank. You’ll need a hydrometer, which gives you a “ reading” to mix the salt to the correct level. You want your salt level at 1.026 sg (specific gravi- ty).  As water evaporates from your tank, you need to add new RO or distilled water to balance the salt levels, because only water is evaporating from your tank - the salt is still there. Adding salt- water would only increase the salinity of your tank and cause problems for your fish.  It is important to ensure your tank keeps a healthy equilibrium at all times 4)  Your tank need to have a stable temperature. 76deg F to 84deg F is your allowable variance. Keeping it between 78-82deg F is the ideal.

 A small reliable heater will keep the tank from cooling too much at night during cold winters months.  A small fan blowing across the top of your tank will avoid overheating during the summer months.

5) Food  Many marine fish will eat Flake food, which you will be able to find at the fish store. You can al- so purchase frozen foods at the fish store to feed your fish.  Flake foods are the most commonly fed foods in the world because they contain a balanced assortment of carnivorous and herbivorous food. Generally it can also be cheaper than frozen foods.  Frozen foods are widely available, and they are generally quite nutritious. You can purchase a variety of preparations ranging from frozen foods designed for specific of marine ani- mals to frozen foods representing a specific food source.  The food choice largely depend on your fish’s diet, the best way to go is to mix it up between various food types. Almost all fish, marine or freshwater, do better with variety.

 Remember, avoid overfeeding. You should see all the food consumed in 5 minutes. If you see food after that, you’ve fed too much.  Feeding once or twice a day is enough, also keep in mind some fish graze throughout the day e.g. some fish eat , algae, other small organisms etc. so make sure you know what they feed on and keep that in your tank as well. 6) Lighting  Most tanks come with a single fluorescent bulb, which is generally sufficient for fish.  If you keep and other invertebrates like anemones will need light to sustain them and hav- ing the correct spectrum of light and the correct intensity of light needs to be taken into considera- tion when keeping them.  When you get to that point, then your options will be VHO (Very High Output), PC (Power Com- pacts), or MH (Metal Halide). These will be very costly, but proper is essential for any system that contains photosynthetic organisms, because your lighting in most cases will be the primary light source that will provide vital energy.

 Do not put the lights on 24/7; this will cause distress to your fish and other organisms. Buy a simple 24 hour timer to plug in your lights, so they run about 10-12 hours a day.  Also because most fish species need periods of darkness to sleep and without sleep may become lethargic or stop eating. You need to replicate a day/night cycle, check the requirements for your individual species, as needs vary slightly.

7) Water Tests  Most important of all, saltwater tanks must be tested weekly to make sure your water is healthy so your fish will remain healthy.  For a simple fish only tank, you’ll want to test pH, , , and nitrate. Your pH should test around 8.0 to 8.3. Ammonia should read 0 before adding any fish, and so should your Ni- trite.  Nitrate should be 20 ppm or less, and the best way to keep these down is regular water chang- es.  Another important test is alkalinity, which tests your water hardness. This should be between 8 and 11 dKH.  Be sure to double check your salinity weekly to make sure it has remained stable at 1.026ppm.

8)  This can vary quite a bit, but many like to use “hang on tank” filters. Just make sure the filter you buy will match the tank size you have chosen.

 Many people prefer natural methods of filtration, which involves the use of “live ” and “.”

 Live rock generally very porous and full of tiny pores and holes for helpful bacteria to grow; this makes live rock an excellent biological filter and a great addition to your aquarium.  Reasons why people may not prefer this, is because it will take some patience and monitoring and also the cost of buying cured live rock is high.  However, the live rock will also be filled with tiny creatures, worms and more that all help eat the waste that occurs in your tank, keeping your system clean and healthy.

9) Protein Skimming  A injects air into a column of water in the unit, which creates tiny micro bubbles that carry Dissolved Organic Compounds (DOCS) out of your tank and into a collection cup that you can pour out and rinse quite easily.

 This is a fail-safe way of keeping your water clean and pure. With a protein skimmer you don’t have to do very frequent water changes  There are many types of protein skimmers on the market, and some are great and some are worthless  An added benefit of this device is it adds to your tank. So unlike a freshwater tank, salt- water tanks don’t need an pumping bubbles into your tank. 10) Circulation.  Using a few power heads in your tank will move water throughout the tank.

 Cyanobacteria, for example, grow in areas that are stagnant. Pointing the output of a power- head toward the surface of your tank to cause the water to ripple will help with gas exchange. This means oxygen will get into the water and will get out.  This also keeps your surface nice and clean, and avoids stagnant or oil-like scum from accumu- lating on the surface of your water.

11) Cycling the tank  It takes time for a saltwater tank to be ready for a new fish or other creatures. Once your tank has been set up, you have added your sand, filled it with saltwater, turned on the heater, started the filters, now you can add your live rock. What your tank needs is bacteria, and you need to breed it before your new fish are added.

 Your tank needs to go through a ‘cycle’; this cycle is the nitrate cycle.  To speed up the cycling process is to get a piece of dead organic matter e.g. chunks of mussel meat; pieces of etc. and just throw them in the tank and let them rot. As they do, bacteria will grow as a result. Ammonia levels will rise in the tank over the period of a week or 10 days, then it will suddenly drop (you can observe this with your Ammonia test kit), and will rise quickly over a period of another few days. Finally, the Nitrites will drop off completely (reading 0 with your Nitrites test), and will begin to register on your Nitrates test kit. As soon as your Ammonia and Nitrites tests both read 0 on the matching test kits, it is safe to add the new fish. The cycle is now complete and will start over again. 12) Cleaners  Adding a few snails and small hermit will help keep your tank clean. The snails will eat al- gae that grow on the glass or rocks, as well as the hermits.

 They also will consume excess food and waste that accumulates in your tank, helping keep things clean.  Do not add these janitors until your tank has fully cycled.

13) Caution when handling equipment  Make sure your hands and your equipment are clean.  It is a good idea, to run your hands under tap water, no soap, prior to putting them in the tank in order to take off excess oils, lotions and dirt

 Never clean any equipment with soap. Buy a new that does not have “anti-mildew” addi- tives, and keep it with your saltwater stuff, where it never will be used with soap accidentally.  You can often times clean things with a mixture of common white vinegar and hot water, to re- move calcium deposits 14) Have patience

 As you add fish to your tank, you increase the biological load in your tank.

 It can only accept so much at one time, so it is far better to add new things very slowly to your

tank, rather than all at once.

 In this case, the beneficial bacteria in your tank can increase to handle the new load and not

create a sudden ammonia spike in your tank.( remember ammonia at high levels can kill your fish

and other organism)

 By adding things slowly, the tank, the water, and the natural filtration will adjust for the new load.

Remember, a new e.g. fish will require you to feed a little more, and that fish will add waste for

your tank to absorb, so you need your natural filtration to keep up. Natural filtration is process of

natural micro organisms that occurs in your tank, e.g. bacteria, that breaks down the waste of

your fish etc.

15) Adding Fish

 Be sure you have all the information about the fish you wish to have, before you add them to the

tank. Their feeding habits, natural habitat, compatibility, environmental needs, etc.

 It is really important to make sure you are not buying or catching endangered species of fish

 Also make sure your new fish is compatible with the current occupants in your tank.

 Remember do not try to keep something if you do not have the necessary specifications to give

them a healthy environment.

Fishkeeping is becoming a popular hobby and can be an exciting, interesting and fun activity for all, but it can also be difficult and frustrating at times, especially if you are relatively inexperi- enced or a new aquarium owner. Learning from other experienced fish keepers is the best way to go about setting up a successful saltwater aquarium. Remember everybody gets it wrong some time or another, but the main thing is to learn from that experience to become a better aquarium owner. It takes time and effort. Whether you just want a good looking centre piece for your home or you want to keep fish as a serious hobby, there is nothing quite as peaceful and tranquil as staring at your aquarium watching on, as your fish friends go about their fishy busi- ness.

How to keep fish in a saltwater aquarium comprehension test

1) What stress related sickness can fish get if the tank is too small for them?

 ______

2) What type of water should you refill your tank with after some of the saltwater evaporates?

 ______

3) What do you need to measure your salinity of your tank when you are making your own saltwater?

 ______

4) True or False

Normal tap water is good water to refill your tank with.

5) Fill in the Blanks:

A small reliable •______will keep the tank from cooling too much at night during cold winters

months.

Too avoid ______, you should see all the food consumed by your fish within 5 minutes.

6) Name 2 elements that you should test for when you do water tests in your saltwater aquarium?

 ______

 ______

7) Why is a protein skimmer important to your saltwater aquarium?

 ______

8) Circulation is important to avoid what type of bacteria to grow?

 ______

9) Why is it important to add new fish, organisms slowly to your tank?

 ______

10) Explain briefly the cycling process that your saltwater tank needs to go through before adding new fish?

 ______