Items Needed to Setup a Saltwater Fish Tank

There are a number of items that you need to set up a saltwater fish tank. You will need more items than you would if you were setting up a freshwater fish tank. You want to first gather a list of the items that you need. Some of the items you cannot find at most pet stores. You will probably want to check different pet stores for prices and varieties before you make any final decisions. You will have a lot of money invested into a saltwater fish tank and you want to purchase a durable tank that will last you for many years to come. I would suggest purchasing a stand which is not pine. You will want something made of solid wood, such as oak.

You will first want to purchase an entire setup. It's much easier than purchasing everything piece by piece because there will be items that you will not be able to find such as glass tops. You will need a completely different lighting system unless you purchase a saltwater setup. Take into account that a good lighting system will cost you at least $150 for any fish tank. You might want to purchase a saltwater setup that comes with the light so that you don't have to search around for the lighting system online.

You will need to purchase the tank, the stand, glass tops or a lid and the lighting system for starters. Once you have all of those items you will want to purchase a heater for your tank. You will want to make sure that the water temperature stays at a steady level. Purchase a heater that will work for the aquarium that you are going to purchase. You will need to know how many gallons the tank is. You will also want to purchase a canister filter for the tank size as well. The canister filter will cost you at least $80 or $100. Canister filters will flow more water per hour and keep your coral alive because coral needs a good amount of water movement.

Now you will have the tank, stand, lid, light, heater, and canister filter. You will now need to purchase some substrate or rock for your tank. You can purchase live sand which is great and it helps to kick off your beneficial bacteria colony and it also helps to establish your fish tank. You will also want to purchase cured live rock. You can purchase this from the pet store or you can purchase it online. Remember that you cannot place any fish in your tank until your tank has been set up for at least 30 days.