Saltwater Aquairum Time and Costs
By · CommentsThe first thing to know and understand about a saltwater aquarium setup is to realize the time and costs involved with setting up and maintaining one of nature’s wonders in your home. A proper saltwater aquarium setup involves daily as well as weekly and monthly maintenance and care. Also, the livestock and equipment could quickly become expensive depending only on how elaborate of a setup you want to have.
Of course you know that your saltwater fish and other livestock will need to be fed daily. But on a daily to monthly basis you will also need to monitor your water levels, parameters like salt levels and other things. You will be required to perform water changes, make sure the temperatures are correct and clean your filtration system. Don’t take maintenance lightly. Do your research and buy some books on the subject. At the end of this post I will list some books of interest that will help you in learning about setting up a saltwater aquarium and how to maintain it.
Another strong factor about a saltwater aquarium setup to consider is the cost. Have you ever been to a discount store that sold freshwater fish? Then you know they aren’t very expensive. In fact, they are usually so cheap they are sold in multiple quantities. However, saltwater fish are not that cheap. In fact, some marine fish could cost upwards of $100 or more. It really depends on the species and size. The more rare or difficult to care for and the larger the size of the fish, the more it will cost you.
Then there is the equipment which can and will get expensive. This is not a simple beta fish placed in a bowl of tap water sitting on your counter. This is a live system that is meant to mimic a natural saltwater reef. You will need lights, lots of lights for your saltwater aquarium to act as the natural light of the sun. You will need pumps, many big pumps to artificially simulate the natural reef’s currents. Don’t forget about the heaters. You need to maintain a constant water temperature in your aquarium and the bigger your setup, the more watts you will need.
I’m sure you have been surfing the web and have visited many local saltwater aquarium stores which is why you want to start your own. Having a local store is very important, a place where you can get sound advice and help you as you learn the hobby of a saltwater aquarium and master it. It is also a place to get supplies quickly in case you run low or out of something. Personally I buy all my supplies online since I can usually get them cheaper, including shipping, then in my local stores. Just click on any of the banners found on this site for the places I personally shop. Doing so will also help support this site.
Well, that’s about all I have to say about the time and costs involved with setting up a saltwater aquarium. If I haven’t scared you off then I urge you to continue reading more posts on this site as I will get more in-depth about saltwater setups. Also, check out the list of books below. They are good reading and will help you. Of course, if you have any comments I would love to hear from you. I’ve been running saltwater and reef aquariums in my home for several years and I’m happy to share my experience.
The Conscientious Marine Aquarist
The New Marine Aquarium: Step-By-Step Setup & Stocking Guide
Aquarium Corals : Selection, Husbandry, and Natural History
Algae Free Sure Flow 1600 Maxi-Jet Upgrade
By · CommentsI recently purchased two of the sure flow upgrades from my maxi-jet powerheads from Algae Free. These things are awesome. I have a 120 gallon saltwater aquarium and was using 4 maxi-jet 1200 power-heads for additional water movement. With the purchase of these upgrades I was able to remove 2 power-heads and I’m now getting more water movement then the 4.
These units come with two different propellers. You get a medium flow propeller that produces 1600 gallons per hour and a high flow propeller for the maxi-jet 1200 that produces 2000 GPH. I first tried the high flow and quickly realized that two of these were way too much water movement. I was blowing corals off the rocks.
I also purchased the Algae Free Sure Grip to hold the maxi-jet in place. These are wonderful as well and I highly recommend you get these with your sure flow upgrades. No more using those stupid suction cup mounts that fall loose all the time. These sure grips hold tight by using magnets through the glass. Just like a mag scraper you use to clean your glass.
Check out the Sure Flow or the Sure Grip now.
Saltwater Live Rock and Sand
By · CommentsThe next step to setup a saltwater aquarium is the water, live rock and sand. You can add all three once you have your aquarium setup on its stand with the proper support. This is also the part that once completed you have a waiting period. Don’t worry, its only 30 days at the most. Then you can start adding fish and corals.
If you decided to run a sump system for your saltwater aquarium then you will also need to make sure you have your return pump and overflow drain setup as you will need to start circulating the water when you add it.
If you decided against using a sump system, then you will need a few powerheads for water movement. For either setup you will want to have at least 10 times the total water amount per hour for water movement. For a 55 gallon FOWLR system you will want to move at least 500 gallons per hour. More if you run a coral reef system. Corals love water movement. My 120 gallon system is moving 1,800 gallons per hour through the sump system and has an additional 800 gph with the powerheads. So the more water movement the better things will be. You only have too much water movement if the water splashes out of the tank.
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Now for the water, this is where your saltwater aquarium gets something better then you actually drink. I’m talking about your tap water. DO NOT use the water from your tap. It contains stuff like chlorine and other chemicals that are harmful to your aquarium. What you will want to use is RODI water, or reverse osmosis. You have probably seen these at the grocery store. The machine that lets you fill your own drinking water container uses RODI. You may have also seen things for the home like Brita. These are fine for drinking but still not clean enough for your fish and corals.
Most local saltwater fish stores offer RODI water for their customers that want to mix their own. Some even offer already made saltwater. But the problem here is lugging home jugs of water for your aquarium. You have to consider the maintenance and doing 10% water changes 2 and 3 times a month. That means, for a 55 gallon aquarium you will need to get 10 to 15 gallons of water every month. Sometimes more if you need to do emergency water changes. I had an outbreak in one of my tanks and had to perform 20% water changes everyday for a week. That’s a lot of water to lug back from the store. Never mind the cost involved.
So you will want to get your own RODI unit and something to hold the water. I have 2 44 gallon Rubbermaid Brute trashcans. These are safe for drinking water. I fill both with my RODI water and one of them I mix my salt in for water changes. The second one holds fresh water to top off my aquariums when the water evaporates. Salt does not evaporate so you add fresh water to maintain the water level.
Next you want to mix your RODI water with salt. Personally I use Seachem salt. You can use any brand you want that is available. Instant Ocean is another popular brand. Regardless of the brand you will want to mix your salt to a specific gravity of 1.023 to 1.025. I usually make mine 1.023 so when the water evaporates my system will usually become 1.025 by the time I top off the levels.
You will want to mix your water in something other then your aquarium. First you want to make sure all the salt gets dissolved and second, all the sand and rock you add will displace some of the water. You will want to use a powerhead to mix the water and let it mix for a day.
While your saltwater is mixing you can put your sand in your aquarium. Hold off on the live rock, get the rock when your water is ready. For sand you will want something like Carib Sea sand. They offer several types of sand, just stay away from the crushed coral. Crushed coral is not fine enough for a live sand bed. I like to use the Ocean Direct Natural Sand or the Arag-Alive. It has all the little creatures and stuff needed to start the cycle of a new saltwater aquarium. Which ever you get, rinse it good and put the sand in your aquarium. You want about a pound per gallon. So for a 55 gallon tank you will want about 50 pounds of sand. Weigh it before it gets wet.
Once your saltwater is good and mixed, go get your live rock. This is an expensive part. You want to have 1 pound of rock for each gallon of water. So for a 55 gallon tank you want at least 50 pound of rock for a FOWLR system. More if you are doing a coral reef system. But either way you can start with 50 to 60 pounds.
Rock is expensive. It can cost between $5.00 and $10.00 per pound depending on where you are and where it came from. Get what you can afford and has a good look. Get about 10 to 15 pounds of cheap base rock and then get the rest in the good stuff. Use the base rock to put at the bottom of all the other rock. The base rock won’t be seen and is used to hold the good rock on top of it.
Once you add the rock to your new aquarium, start adding the water. It will get cloudy in there so don’t worry. It will clear up in a few days. If you have a sump you want to fill it also but not all the way. You need to leave room for the overflow is the power goes out. Fill the sump about half way. Then continue to fill the main tank allowing the water to overflow in to your sump. Go slowly till the water level in the sump is almost full and no more water is running through the overflow. Now you can start your return pump. You will notice the level in the main tank raises and the sump level lowers. Mark the level in the sump so you know where to keep the water level. With a sump the water level will only change in the sump, not the display.
If you are not using a sump then you will want to start your powerheads and other filters. Now let the tank run like this for a few days. Check for leaks and get ready to test your water in a few days. This is when the cycle starts and is what you need to complete before you can add any livestock. This usually takes 30 days or less.
Choosing Your Aquarium
By · Comments
Reefer Dave's 120 Gallon Saltwater Aquarium
When setting up a saltwater aquarium you obviously need an aquarium, or tank. This decision should not be taken lightly as it will be the home for your little piece of the ocean. It will also have a direct reflection on your budget, but there are a few things to consider before you jump right out there and buy a tank.
You need to consider where the tank is going to be, how large of a tank you want and what type of saltwater system you want to have. All of these considerations have a direct reflection on the other. So here are a few thoughts to help you decide.
First, what type of saltwater system do you want to have? There are really only 2 main choices. You can have a FOWLR or a Coral Reef system. A FOWLR is a Fish Only with Live Rock. In this system you have a tank, live sand, live rock and of course fish. In a coral reef you add in corals.
If you choose a FOWLR system you can save money on lighting as this type of system needs less wattage of lighting. If you go for the coral reef then a large portion of your budget will be spent trying to duplicate the light of the sun. Corals need light. To give you an idea, my 120 gallon display tank has a total of 720 watts of light.
Ok, so either you know what type of system you want or you don’t. That’s ok, it doesn’t matter yet. But the next choice is a big decision. How big of a saltwater aquarium do you want? Let me start by saying that all beginners should start with a 55 gallon tank and I’ll tell you why. Big problems happen fast in small tanks. Let me explain.
The smaller your tank is, the quicker something can go wrong. Well not really quicker, but if something does go wrong it will happen fast and sometimes you may not have a chance to correct the problem. I’m talking about water quality. It’s true that a small tank cost less to purchase and costs less to maintain, but you often can’t be stingy with your time for maintenance. You will have to be on top of things and this can be a daunting task for beginners.
By starting with a 55 gallon tank you actually have enough water in a system that you can afford to monitor once or twice a month and have time to perform a partial water change to make the correction. Smaller tanks may require smaller water changes but you may need to monitor your water quality weekly or twice weekly just so you know when it’s time for action.
Besides those reasons for a bigger tank, everyone I know who starts a saltwater system quickly decides it’s time for a bigger tank for more corals and fish. So by starting with a larger tank you will help suffice that hunger for a little while. But I wouldn’t recommend starting with anything much larger as it will get expensive. The 55 gallon tank is also very popular which makes them cheaper.
Another thought to consider is if you plan on using a sump system. A sump system is basically a tank that is below the main tank and hidden. Because it’s hidden, it makes a great place for heaters, carbon and others things that can make a tank ugly. Another reason to have a sump is to add water to the system. Remember, the more water in your system the slower bad things can happen without you noticing.
New Sump Setup under Reefer Dave's Old 150 Gallon Aquarium
If you plan to have a sump then you get 2 other choices for tanks. A standard tank or what they call a reef-ready tank. A reef-ready tank has drilled holes for piping that are behind what is called an overflow. The water in the tank flows over this overflow and drains to the sump where you have a pump send the water back to the display tank. This adds to water flow and movement.
If you don’t plan to use a sump you would just get a regular tank. You can get an over-the-back overflow for a standard tank if you wanted to add a sump later, but there are some disadvantages to these. Biggest reason is the ugly factor having a big box in your tank.
Now the last thing to consider is where the tank is going to be. This is where you need to consider the tank size and type of system you want to run. This is because you not only have to consider the size of the tank and where it will fit, but you have to consider the type of system and the total overall weight. A FOWLR system is lighter then a coral reef system, mainly due to the amount of live rock and sand. A coral reek system will usually have more live sand and rock making it weigh much more.
You can’t just say saltwater weighs about 8.5 pounds per gallon and multiply that by 55 gallons. For one you are adding about 50 pounds of rock for a FOWLR system, more for a coral reef. Then you have about 50 pounds of sand, more for a reef. Also, all that sand and rock will displace some of your water so you won’t have 55 gallons of water.
My first aquarium was a 55 and I had 50 lbs each of rock and sand. When I filled the tank it tool 40 gallons. So that’s 340lbs for the water and 100lbs for the sand and rock. That’s a total of 440lbs plus the stand and the tank itself. So make sure your floor can support the weight. I lost a tank because the floor couldn’t support the tank and it sunk over a few years and the side busted out.
Ok, that’s about it for the tank. I know you may not actually be able to decide yet what size tank you want and what system you want so keep on reading and feel free to ask questions. I’ll be happy to help. If you do have your tank then make sure it is level front to back and side to side. You don’t want one of the side blowing out on you.
Now you can move on to Saltwater Live Rock and Sand
