Setting up a saltwater aquarium is not all that difficult, if you have the correct information.
If not, you could be in for some really gigantic headaches.
This article with it's five tips will hopefully keep you from having to take too much headache medicine, and help you do it properly in the beginning.
Tip number one, preparation! This is probably the most important thing you can do before you go out and start buying an aquarium tank, aquarium filters, and of course, saltwater fish.
There are several things that you need to think about.
For example, before you can decide what size tank you will need, you need to determine the space where the fish tank will go and the exact amount of room you will have.
This must be the first thing that you do.
Tip number two, figure out where you will put the thing! This brings us to the next tip, where will the tank go.
Unfortunately it is not just a simple thing of deciding the the tank will go against the wall over there because it looks good.
It is a bit more involved than that.
Choose your possible spot, and then evaluate it carefully.
What you want to look for is if the tank will be too close to a window.
Depending on where you live, this could large headaches trying to control the temperature of the water.
Too much direct sunlight can drive the temperature way too high, and too cool temperatures outside can have the opposite effect on your water.
You must also plan for electrical outlets, as there will be many connections once you have the aquarium filters, lights and heaters hooked up.
One advantage will be to have a water source nearby.
Tip number three, deciding what type of fish.
In this area there are many many options.
One of the first things is to determine the size of the fish you are thinking of keeping.
This will decide what size tank you will need.
One other thing is the amount of the fish you would like.
There must be enough room for everyone to enjoy.
Whatever you do, make sure that the fish you choose can live together.
It is a general rule that you should not really large fish with really small ones, or else you might find that you are spending less on fish food and more on small fish to replace the ones that became yesterdays dinner! Tip four, Real plants or fake plants.
Aquarium plants are a vital necessity in your saltwater aquarium, not only because they will make your tank look great, but fish suffer from stress quite often, and this stress can lead to other diseases.
Fish need lots of little places to hide and it is your responsibility to provide them with that.
However, if you decide you would like to have real natural plants, then that is a whole other ball of wax you are dealing with.
Natural plants require their own special care as far as lighting and water chemistry.
These requirements must coincide with what your fish need.
Otherwise, either your fish or plants could be harmed.
Tip five, Learn all you can.
There is so much information out there that you owe it to your fish to find out all of their various requirements before buying them.
You must know what to look out for as far as diseases goes and how to treat it.
You must know their compatibility problems with other fish.
Study all of this and you will have a great shot at a wonderful, healthy aquarium.