How to Set up Your Saltwater Fish Tank: Costs and How-To

So you have picked out your aquarium and are ready to begin setting it up. There are many things you need to consider when starting out. What kinds of fish are you going to add to your tank? What kind of lighting are you going to need? The best thing to do when starting out is to make friends with the employees at your local saltwater aquarium store. These people have the best experience and have asked and answered practically and question you could have about your fish tank.

The first thing you will need to put in your aquarium is live sand. The live sand contains live bacteria that helps with your tank's initial water cycle and provides an environment your fish will be able to survive in. As a rule of thumb, it is good to have about one inch of live sand in your tank. You can add up to two inches but keep in mind that it will be easier for bad bacteria to breed and grow if you have more sand and not enough current. For my 50 gallon fish tank it took about 60 pounds of sand for a little over an inch of sand. The cost for live sand varies depending on where you purchase it from. I have found that most 40 pound bags of sand cost about $20.

The water, obviously, is a very important component of your tank set-up. The salinity of your water is very important for keeping you tank friends happy and healthy. They have great, easy gadgets to calculate the salinity of your water out there so you can check yours occasionally to avoid evaporation or low salt content. Your salinity should be kept at about 1.021-1.026 S.G. (specific gravity). You should adjust your salt content accordingly if your tank's salinity falls outside of this range. You can buy aquarium salt and mix it in with your water to start out. However, you have to keep in mind that the water in your faucet contains things like calcium that can be harmful to your tank. Purchasing a large bag of aquarium salt is about $15-20 and lasts about three months with the initial set up and water changes. The safest and easiest way to get saltwater for your tank is to buy it by the gallon at your local fish store. Most of these stores have premixed water that is the correct salinity and is mixed with purified water. It costs about $2 per gallon of premixed saltwater at my local pet store.

Like the live sand, the rock you are going to put in your tank is also "live" and contains useful bacteria for your tank's cycling process and helps sustain a good living environment for your fish, anemones, and corals. For me, setting up the live rock is the most fun part of setting up an aquarium. This is the point where you get to decorate and design your tank exactly how you want it. The great thing is that you don't have to depend on nature to give you the exact rock you had in mind for your tank. Many fish stores have the means to make and design man-made rock that they put through a cycling process to create "live rock". You do have to keep in mind that different fish require different surroundings. For example if you get an eel you will have to have many small areas for it to crawl through and hide in. So make sure you read up on what your fish are going to require before you place your rocks. If you wish to change the layout you can, you just don't want to shock your fish by changing their surroundings all the time.

It is a rule of thumb to have one pound of rock per gallon of your fish tank. So 50 pounds of rock for a 50 gallon fish tank. I have found that most live rock costs about $3-5 per pound unless you are buying the man-made rock that can be a little more expensive.

The light you buy for your fish tank is very important. They usually come on a ballast with a set of four different bulbs. You will want to talk to a tank expert to figure out which one you will need for your tank. If you are going to put together a reef tank with hard or soft corals or certain fish you will need special lighting. If you can, get a light set that you can hang off of your ceiling instead of putting it right on top of your tank. This will make it a lot easier for you to clean and care for your fish tank. The prices very a lot when looking for lights and replacement bulbs. Make sure that when you purchase a light set its height and width match your tanks needs. I would recommend looking for a used light set because new ones can cost you up to $500 or more if you have a really big tank.

To make sure your tank will stay clean and healthy and have proper water flow and filtration here are some of the things you should think about purchasing:

• Filters- They are a must. They filter out waste and provide water flow.
• Power Heads- These help create more water flow ensuring that there is a good current in your tank. I have two in my 50 gallon tank.
• Heater and Thermometer- Your tank needs to be at a constant temperature (75-78 degrees or more for some corals). Constant temperature is important so your fish are not stressed and do not become unhealthy.
• Protein Skimmer- This skims the rocks and sand and is the best thing you can do for your tank as far as filtration goes. There are a wide variety of skimmers, the one I have found most useful is one that hangs off the side of your tank.
• Pumps- These create a good water flow and often you won't need one that isn't already hooked up to your filter or skimmer.

For each of these items you want to get the right product for your tank. Make sure that if you have a 50 gallon tank you get pumps and filters for 50 gallons and up.