There are two common types of saltwater aquariums that people setup. The two systems are the fish only saltwater aquarium and the reef aquarium. The fish only is the easiest to setup and maintain and also costs the least amount of money.

The reef system is very involved, costs the most money but also looks the most stunning and realistic. Because of the complexity and cost many people decide to setup a fish only saltwater aquarium instead.

Tips For Planning a Successful Fish Only Saltwater Aquarium

The very first thing you should do is study the types of fish that are available and decide what ones you like. Then from that list eliminate any fish that may get to big for your tank, are very aggressive or fish that have a reputation for being hard to keep alive.

Once you have decided what types of fish you want to have in your marine aquarium you will need to select the proper sized tank to house them for the duration of their lives. If you can buy a tank that is slightly bigger then the minimum recommendations. This will not only give you room for an additional fish or two but also give you a little margin of error. Larger tanks are also more stable and will generally do better under a beginners care.

Once your fish and tank have been selected you must buy the support equipment for the tank that will clean and filter the water.

Do not skimp on the filtration because if it is not strong enough or underpowered the result can be an algae filled aquarium with sick and dead fish. Hardly what you wanted!

You will also have to select the type of decoration s you want in your tank. Will you go with live rock Will you stick with artificial coral decorations or will you combine the two?

To help you decide how you want to decorate your tank the best thing you can do is take a trip to a local fish store. When there you should be able to see a variety of different setups and decide what one appeals to you. After that its time to start setting your new marine aquarium up!

For a step by step plan that will help you setup your saltwater aquarium and avoid costly mistakes check out our Saltwater Aquarium Guide at http://www.saltwatermethods.com

Reef tanks are fun and exciting hobby that the whole family can enjoy. The only down side is that it can cost money and for many people money is tight right now.

The great people over at www.thereeftank.com/blog realize this and set out to provide a good soluton for the cash consious reefer.

Their solution is a tool that allows you to compare the prices for almost every piece of reef tank equipment and livestock at one convenient location. They call it their comparison shopping tool

They are always adding new products to the database and have a cool function where you can vote on products you want added.

It is very easy to use all you have to do is pick the category you need to shop in and then enter the product name in the search box and the comparison tool does the rest.

So if you are thinking of upgrading your skimmer, lighting or any other piece of reef tank equipment you must head over to the www.thereeftank.com and check out there new reef aquarium equipment shopping tool.

And remember to maximize your reef keeping experience checkout our reef aquarium guide at http://www.saltwatermethods.com/reeftankguide

Knowing how to maintain a saltwater aquarium is a critical piece of knowledge that you must have if you want healthy colorful fish and an algae free marine aquarium.Unfortunately not everyone who owns a saltwater tank knows how to properly care for their aquarium. The simple tips below will help you get a jump start on proper tank care.

How To Take Proper Care Of Your Marine Aquarium

The first thing you need to do is just give your tank and the animals in it a quick inspection every few days. This will help you notice any problems with equipment or fish and let you address them before they become major problems. The best time to do this is actually when you feed your fish.

You will also need to do periodic water changes on your fish tank these water changes will help to remove pollutants in the water and also replace trace elements that fish need to be healthy Most saltwater systems will require about 20-25% of the tanks volume be changed every month. Because saltwater fish are sensitive to changes in PH, water temperature and salt levels in the water it is recommended that you split that 25% up into two or three separate water changes. Don’t forget to unplug the heater when you change the water, un submerged heater could get hot and crack when the cold aquarium water hits it.

When you are changing the water you should also be cleaning your filters and replacing any pads that are fouled or dirty. Also replace any activated carbon or other filter media you could be running. If your tank gets dusty you can also wipe it down with special aquarium cleaners or a water vinegar mix, never use Windex or other harsh chemicals because these can kill fish fast.

Really knowing how to maintain a saltwater aquarium is not that hard. It just boils down to doing a few simple things and doing them on a schedule. If you can do that then your marine aquarium will flourish.

Remember our Saltwater Aquarium Guide shows you in full color how to properly care for your saltwater aquarium. You can check it out at www.saltwatermerhods.com

What the  proper lighting is for reef aquariums is an age old debate that continues on everyday. Every reef keeper seems to have an opinion on what the best lighting is. Often times they are basing this opinion on their own set up.

Probably the most important factor when picking your reef tank lighting is to have your mind made up as to what kind of corals you want to keep in your reef aquarium. This is a step that many new saltwater enthusiasts miss. Instead many set up their mini reef systems based off the opinion of others or what they think they may need and then only later discover that the reef tank lighting they bought will not support the types of corals they like. Or worse yet be to powerful for the coral they like. This will end up costing the person more money to get their set up right.

Types Of Reef Tank Lighting For Different Corals

Soft Corals- Many soft corals will do well under power compact lighting, T-5 lighting and 175 watt metal halide bulbs. There are however some species of leathers that need bright lighting so keep that in mind if you want a tank full of soft corals. Some soft coral like mushroom polyps actually thrive in lower light and some of the brighter systems may cause them to not fully open.

Large Polyped Corals- LPS corals are common in the hobby and also have a wide range of lighting requirements, as a rule of thumb many can do just fine under power compacts,T-5 lighting and 175 watt metal halide bulbs. If you are interested in this type of coral research the lighting requirements for the type you like and choose your lighting from there.

SPS and Clams- Small polyped stony corals and clams are gaining more popularity as the hobby improves. Once thought impossible to keep alive many people are now growing these and selling or trading them. This type of coral will demand the most intense lighting you can afford. Many will do well under 250 watt metal halides but some may actually require 400 watt bulbs in order to keep their color and grow well.

When choosing proper proper lighting for reef aquariums keep in mind that each lighting system also has its own positives and negatives that may also affect your final coral decision.

For a More detailed breakdown of lighting for your reef tank check out our reef tank guide at http://www.saltwatermethods.com/reeftankguide

Many people are drawn to the beauty and color of saltwater fish. This attraction is the main reason many people want to set up a new marine aquarium saltwater fish tank in their home or office. Many of these people are met with disappointment when there tank fails because they did not follow a good plan or approached their system like it was a freshwater tank.

Buying The Right Sized Tank

First you must start with the biggest tank that you can afford, although there is a limit to how big you should actually go. In order to have the best chance at success and have a wide variety of fish stick with a four foot long tank in the 75-120 gallon range. A saltwater aquarium in this range will give you a nice stable tank that will not suffer chemical or temperature swings as severe as a smaller tanks. These swings can stress out fish and lead to disease or death.

Choosing The Right Equipment

Choosing the right support equipment for your beginner aquarium saltwater fish tank will be the next critical step. The aquarium world is full of hundreds of products, many are good but some are very poor. If you are just starting out the best thing you can do is to get a good guide to help you understand marine aquariums and combine that with the advice from a good fish store in your area.

A good fish store will have healthy marine fish displays and be able to help you select the right equipment for your goals.

Picking The Right The Saltwater Fish

Picking marine aquarium fish is much different then choosing freshwater fish. To start with many marine animals are territorial and if mixed with the wrong species or similar fish may fight to the death. This will turn your tank into a constant battle dome with dead fish as a result.

You must also keep in mind that even some of the more timid fish need their space so as a rule of thumb try and keep one fish for every ten gallons of water volume. This is not a hard set rule but should give you a good starting point.

Remeber to check out our slatwater aqurium guide at www.saltwatermethods.com

Once your saltwater aquarium has been set up and is full of healthy fish the last thing for you to do as the aquarium keeper is to maintain it. Saltwater aquarium maintenance is similar to freshwater aquarium care. There is however a few things you should remember when taking care of your marine fish tank.

Good Saltwater Aquarium Care That Will Keep Your Tank Healthy.

Change at least 25% of the water monthly. This can be broken down into on big water change but for marine fish it is better to do it in 2-4 smaller changes to avoid PH shock. Water changes help to replenish trace elements and reduce nitrates and phosphates. When changing the water remember to vacuum the bottom of the tank to remove any fish waste that has settled, if you have live rock use a small power head to blow the rock clean then siphon the water out.

Always make sure the water is the same salinity, temperature and PH as the water you are taking out of the aquarium again to avoid any type of shock to the saltwater fish.

Clean all filters and protein skimmers in your marine aquarium at least once a month. These are the life line in your tank and keep your water clean and pollutants low. Failure to keep them in top shape can lead to high nitrates, phosphates, algae blooms and stressed fish. If you run activated carbon in your filter change it monthly.

Clean your pumps and power heads every few months to keep their flow levels at optimal levels. Dirty pumps can also radiate heat into the tank and increase the temperatures to dangerous levels. Keeping them clean will avoid this.

Remember when doing your saltwater aquarium maintenance to never use harsh chemicals in or around your marine aquarium. These chemicals can kill fish and delicate corals or invertebrates like shrimp, crabs and snails are especially vulnerable to them. Most pet or fish stores sell special aquarium cleaners, or if you are in a pinch some simple vinegar and water will work fine.

Look over all tank inhabitants for signs of injury, disease or missing animals. Sick and missing fish can and do happen. If your fish are sick you will have to take evasive measures to treat their illness. If there is missing fish yo may never find them, if you have crabs in your tank they will eat a dead fish very quickly leaving no trace.

For more saltwater aquarium tips grab a copy of our saltwater aquarium guide at www.saltwatermethods.com

If you are starting a saltwater aquarium for the first time you are no doubt excited and ready to go. But before you dive in consider the three tips listed below, they will help you on your journey to a beautiful thriving marine aquarium that you can enjoy for years to come.

Get The Biggest Tank You Can Afford- When starting a saltwater aquarium for the first time many people buy smaller tanks because they cost less. While a small tank can work a larger tank in the range of 75 gallons is better for the beginner.

A bigger tank will allow you more fish but it is also more forgiving and is more stable because it has a larger volume of water in it. A more stable aquarium leads to healthier fish.

Plan For Your Fish First- Most first time saltwater fish keepers make the mistake of setting up their tanks first then choosing the fish. While this can work in some situations it is best to take some time to research the fish you want to keep in your tank.

You will be able to properly set up your tank for the fish you want and will also be able to eliminate any potentially aggressive or delicate species from your list. Researching potential fish can save you a lot of time, frustration and wasted money.

Take Your Time And Learn- Starting a saltwater aquarium is not like a freshwater tank at all. the fish are more sensitive to changes in water chemistry and need to be introduced slowly over a period of weeks rather then all at once. Also be sure to plan your fish stocking schedule so you add the most aggressive fishes last.

This will help you avoid any major territorial issues that can arise when saltwater fish are introduced to fast or in the wrong order.

For more tips on starting a successful saltwater aquarium grab a copy of our saltwater aquarium guide at www.saltwatermethods.com

Many marine aquarium keepers today set up their systems to keep both fish and invertebrates and corals together in one system. Displays such as these are called saltwater reef aquarium systems. These captive systems are as close as you can get to the wild reef without actually going to the ocean. There are however some concerns you need to be aware of when setting up a complete reef system

The main drawback many reef keepers find is that sick saltwater fish are very hard to treat once they are in the tank. A sick fish can and usually does spread the disease to the entire tank and most all medications that treat disease will also kill corals and other invertebrates. While buying healthy fish and fish that are naturally disease resistant is one way to ensure your reef stays healthy there are a few things you can do to keep your fish healthy once in your tank and they are listed below.

Natural Cleaning

In nature there are shrimps that will clean old tissue and disease off fish. They operate on saltwater fish of all sizes and often set up stations that the fish come to to get cleaned. Both the fish and the shrimp benefit from this relationship. The fish gets disease cleaned off it and the shrimp gets food in the form of old tissues. As a bonus the shrimp are very colorful and active additions to all saltwater aquarium systems.

Vitamins

There are companies that have developed additives that you can add to your saltwater fish food to help keep them healthy in the reef aquarium. These additives often include vitamin C, garlic and special marine proteins and fatty acids. All of these are compounds that many commercial fish foods lack and the animals need to stay healthy. In addition to making your fish healthier they will often brighten their colors and make them more active as well.

Prevention

If you have the space and money setting up a simple holding tank is the best way to put only healthy fish in saltwater reef aquarium systems. A holding tank is just another set up where the single fish can be placed and observed for signs of disease. If any disease is spotted then you can treat the disease and once the fish regains its health introduce it into your reef aquarium.

Be sure and check out our Reef Aquarium guide for more tips and tricks for having a  great marine aquarium check it out at www.saltwatermethods.com/reeftankguide