Setting Up a Salt Water Aquarium to Avoid Diseases

It is beyond the scope of this article to go into much detail on setting up a saltwater aquarium. Several excellent books are available for those beginning hobbyists who need help in establishing a suitable habitat for their marine fishes. You must keep in mind that the saltwater aquarium is a highly artificial environment and in no way should be thought of as a miniature ocean. It is only by maintaining a delicate balance of a whole complex of water chemistry parameters that fish are able to survive in a closed system. Ideally a single pass flow-through system using warmed non-polluted salt water should be used. This continuous water flow would drastically reduce the incidence of external parasites, toxicity from any buildup of metabolic waste and other diseases. Of course this approach is impractical for everyone except aquariums located directly on the unpolluted coastline. In a closed system hobbyists must maintain a very delicate balance of a whole multitude of water chemistry parameters in order to keep the water quality within the fish's range of tolerance. Controlling this environment involves a thorough understanding of marine aquarium management procedures. Some of the health related management factors which must be considered in providing exotic marine fish with a suitable environment free of stress factors are listed below.

The fish container must be free of toxic materials, it should be of adequate size to avoid overcrowding and have a cover to prevent fish from escaping.
Most marine fishes do best with a 12 hour light and dark photoperiod. Too little light prevents feeding activity while too much light may turn the water green from algae.

Optimum temperature range for most tropical marine species is 25°C. Most species can survive in the range of 21° to 30°C.

A dissolved oxygen level of seven to 8 ppm is desirable. This is best accomplished by using an air stone or diffuser which is adjusted to produce very tiny bubbles. Remember that increases in altitude and temperature diminished the oxygen carrying capacity of the water. Also remember that the air pump picks up room air to oxygenate the tank. If paint fumes or tobacco smoke are in the room these fumes can be forced in to the solution and may have an adverse effect on the fish.
Filtration is necessary to capture and remove the bacteriological breakdown of toxic biological waste. This can be accomplished by either mechanical or chemical filtration. Activated charcoal is used to enhance the clarity of the tank and to absorb dissolved chemicals and gases which may be toxic to fishes. Activated charcoal should be well washed and aged in salt water prior to use. The activated charcoal can also bind with therapeutic agents which is one reason why you should not treat fishes in the exhibition tank. Drugs should not be used in the main tank even if you don't use activated charcoal or have discontinued filtration with charcoal during treatment.