Bring the ocean home with a saltwater aquarium
Unveil the wonders of the sea with a saltwater aquarium.
Story by Sheila Paz
Ever dream of being the king or queen of the ocean? Owning your own saltwater aquarium might be an easier solution than taking Poseidon’s trident. Donald Hewitt of the South Coast Tropical Fish Society offers these suggestions for getting into the hobby of saltwater aquariums.
1. Select a tank
Start off by doing research. Read the beginner steps of owning a saltwater tank and how to get into the hobby of saltwater aquariums. For beginners, Hewitt recommends the Fluval EVO kit because it comes with the tank, light, circulation pump, BIOMAX insert and activated carbon insert.
2. Add water, sand, rocks and a filter
Ask the pet store for Reverse Osmosis DeIonized (RODI) water and sand that is meant for saltwater. For the rock, either live rock or dry rock can be used. While live rock acts as a filter, a store-bought filter is still recommended. The rule of thumb is to get a pound-per-gallon ratio. If you start with a 13-gallon tank, you need 13 pounds of rock. Hewitt recommends adding a skimmer because it can rid the water of protein and keep the level of nitrates stable.
3. Set up the tank and cycle
Now it’s time to let the creativity flow and start aquascaping. Ask the professional at the pet store what accessories work best with the fish you are purchasing. Once the tank is set up, it needs to be cycled. You will need RODI water, a five-gallon bucket, salt and a small power head. Add the recommended amount of salt based on the packaging, then place the power head in the water, and wait an initial 30 minutes to do the first salinity check. Keep checking periodically and slowly add salt until the salinity reaches 1.024 to 1.025. After it gets to this range, the water is ready to be added to the tank. The tank will look a little cloudy at first. Give it a day to settle, and check to make sure the salinity has not changed. Depending on what rock you have decided to use, it can take up to several weeks to cycle. It’s best not to rush this step and to take your time in testing the water levels.
“The general rule of saltwater is just to be patient,” Hewitt said.
4. Add a cleaner crew
We are almost ready to add our new fish friend to the tank, but first assemble a cleaner crew. Crabs, snails and shrimp will help keep the tank clean and lessen the amount of work that needs to be done after the tank has been cycled. Generally it is one hermit crab or snail to one gallon. More can be added later. Hewitt suggests getting skunk shrimp as a part of the cleaner crew because the shrimp will eat any parasites on the body of the fish as well as clean the fish’s mouths. Diseases in saltwater can be more costly than in a freshwater aquarium.
Hermit crab
Care: Easy
Minimum tank size: 10 gallons
Temperament: Peaceful
Fun fact: These cute little cleaners are actually more closely related to lobsters than true crabs.
Snail
Care: Easy
Minimum tank size: 10 gallons
Temperament: Peaceful
Fun fact: Snails sometimes will work together to clean different areas of a fish tank.
Skunk cleaner shrimp
Care: Easy
Minimum tank size: 20 gallons
Temperament: Peaceful
Fun fact: Many species of fish will allow the skunk shrimp to clean parasites from their mouths.
5. Add fish
Finally we can start adding fish. Hewitt said the two most common fish he has seen for beginners are clownfish and benggai cardinals. Both fish are easy to care for and are peaceful sea creatures to watch. Now your tank is all set up, and you have officially started the journey of being an aquarist.
Omnivores
Clownfish
Care: Easy
Minimum tank size: 20 gallons
Temperament: Peaceful
Fun fact: Clownfish love to talk and will make popping or clicking sounds to other clownfish to defend or flirt.
Damselfish
Care: Easy
Minimum tank size: 30 gallons
Temperament: Semi-aggressive
Fun fact: While semi-aggressive, they tend to keep to themselves when given plenty of hiding places.
Green Chromis
Care: Easy
Minimum tank size: 30 gallons
Temperament: Peaceful
Fun fact: This active schooling fish loves an aquarium with plenty of live rock.
Coral Beauty Angelfish
Care: Easy
Minimum tank size: 70 gallons
Temperament: Semi-aggressive
Fun fact: Although these fish don’t require coral, they do need lots of hiding places and live rock for grazing.
Rusty Angelfish
Care: Moderate
Minimum tank size: 70 gallons
Temperament: Semi-aggressive
Fun fact: This colorful fish needs large amounts of live rock for hiding and grazing.
Carnivores
Benggai Cardinalfish
Care: Easy
Minimum tank size: 30 gallons
Temperament: Peaceful
Diet: Carnivore
Fun fact: Benggai cardinals can live up to 15 years. They hold their eggs in their mouths until they hatch.
Pajama Cardinalfish
Care: Moderate
Minimum tank size: 30 gallons
Temperament: Semi-aggressive
Fun fact: These beautiful fish are most active at night and tend to keep to themselves.
Clown Goby
Care: Easy
Minimum tank size: 10 gallons
Temperament: Peaceful
Fun fact: Although they get along with other fish, they will fight among themselves. It is best to have just one in your aquarium.
Yellow Watchman Goby
Care: Easy
Minimum tank size: 30 gallons
Temperament: Peaceful
Fun fact: This fish gets along with other fish but does not get along well with other gobies.
Hawkfish
Care: Easy
Minimum tank size: 30 gallons
Temperament: Aggressive
Fun fact: These fish are escape artists. Be sure to have a tight-fitting lid on your tank.
Herbivores
Bicolor Blenny
Care: Easy
Minimum tank size: 30 gallons
Temperament: Peaceful
Fun fact: Although they get along with other fish, they will fight among themselves. It will be for the best to have just one in your aquarium.
Lawnmower Blenny
Care: Moderate
Minimum tank size: 30 gallons
Temperament: Peaceful
Fun fact: This fish will help keep your aquarium stay clean by eating algae.
