Aquarium Set Up:
Prepare Your Aquarium
So you chose the perfect location and you bought your perfectly large enough aquarium with matching stand.
You can’t wait to fill it up with saltwater fish, live rocks and other inhabitants you can think of.
But wait! There are few more things lined up in aquarium set up before you can do that.
Make sure you clean your aquarium with freshwater and a soft cloth or sponge.
Remember not to use any kind of chemical cleaners. Rinse it thoroughly and make sure all residues are washed out.
You can now pour the sand or gravel, whichever substrate you’ve chosen to use into the bottom of the aquarium followed by your saltwater.
But how much substrate would you need?
Here is a helpful guideline on how much is enough
from Drs. Foster and Smith website.
Then, you can either buy a pre-mixed saltwater, ready to use for your saltwater aquarium, or if you plan to use filtered water or the tap water at home make sure you get a sea salt mix.
Follow the set up instruction on the manufacturer’s label on how to properly prepare your water using the sea salt mix.
Tap water will have minerals and additives that are not good for your saltwater inhabitants. Your tap water contains substances that are toxic to your fish.
When you have your dechlorinated water ready, fill aquarium 1/3 full. Measure the specific gravity of your saltwater. It should measure 1.025.
Install and start all the other equipments such us lighting, heater, and filter and let it run for a day.
During this test run time, check for leaks, set and adjust the heater(s) to the required temperature, check and balance out the salinity of the water if needed, and test all the equipment to make sure everything is working properly.
Go to Step 3: --> Aquascape
Thoughts or comments?
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