Saltwater Aquarium and Saltwater Fish Beginner's Guide

How To Set Up a Saltwater Aquarium
Shows you how to successfully setup a new saltwater aquarium using live rock as the primary biological filter. A saltwater aquarium setup is just like having a dog or a cat when it comes to the amount of effort on your part. In order to have a successfully setup saltwater aquarium you will have to work at it.

Saltwater Fish Profiles
List of some of the more common saltwater tropical fish and provides information on how to care for saltwater aquarium fish. Large Angelfish, Dwarf Angel fish, Butterflyfish, Cardinal Fish, Clownfish, Damsel fish, Dottyback, Dragonet, Eel, Goby, Grammas and Basslets, Saltwater Invertebrates, Jawfish, Lionfish, Pufferfish, Rabbitfish, Seabass, Seahorse, Sea Anemone, Tangs (Surgeonfish) and Trigger fish.

How To Acclimate Tropical Fish To Your Tank
Discusses various methods on introducing new fish to your tank. The three main ways covered are the floating bag method, the drip method and the bucket method. Learn some different techniques for acclimating your salt water fish.

Saltwater Aquarium Types
This article will give you a general introduction into the three main types of saltwater tanks. When getting started with saltwater it is recommended to get the biggest tank you can accomodate. Bigger tanks give you more room for error when it comes to water quality and this is especially important for salt water fish and invertebrates. There are basically three types of saltwater aquarium setups: Fish Only, Fish Only with Live Rock - FOWLR, Reef Tanks.

Reef Tank Setup
Provides some introductory information for beginner's to reef tanks. We try to cover everything that you could possibly need for setting up a well functioning reef tank.

Refugium Setup
Information on how to set up an inexpensive hang on the tank refugium using a retrofitted power filter.

Saltwater Aquarium Setup Questions
This page is sort of like page two of the tank setup page. We've compiled a list of the common questions asked by beginners and our answers to those setup questions.

Nano Cube Setup
This article shows you how we set up our JBJ 28 Gallon Nano Cube. It comes with a 150 watt HQI Metal Halide.

Aquarium Water Test Kits
Information on fish tank test kits. If you want to be successful in the tropical fish hobby (freshwater or saltwater) then you'll need to know how to test your tank water. There are many chemical tests that you can run on your tank including: Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrate, Salinity/Specific Gravity, pH, Carbonate Water Hardness, Alkalinity, Chlorine and Chloramine, Copper, Phosphate, Dissolved Oxygen, Iron, Carbon Dioxide and others.

Live Rock for Saltwater Aquariums
Information on live rock and some of the benefits of using it in your saltwater tank. What in the World is Live Rock? Live Rock is rubble that has broken off a coral reef structure by natural means such as hurricanes and tropical storms. This rubble is called live rock because of all the living organisms that are found on and within the rock. Many types of algae, crabs, marine worms, small crustaceans, bacteria and other life forms make their homes on the reef structures found in the ocean. When you buy live rock you'll most likely be getting some of these organisms. We discuss the importance of using live rock and the benefits for your saltwater fish.

The Aquarium Nitrogen Cycle
Some call it the biological cycle, the nitrification process, new tank syndrome or even the start-up cycle. They all are referring to the same cycle - The Nitrogen Cycle. This very important cycle is the establishment of beneficial bacteria in the aquarium and in the filter media that will help in the conversion of ammonia to nitrite and then the conversion of nitrite to nitrates.

How To Set Up A Quarantine Tank
How to set up a quarantine tank and why you need to have one ready. Marine aquarium keepers definitely need a quarantine tank (sometimes called a hospital tank). Marine specimens are mostly wild caught and not used to being kept in captivity. Their journey to a dealers tank is usually much longer and much more stressful for them.

Calcium Reactor
An article discussing an initially expensive piece of equipment that is used to maintain calcium and alkalinity levels in reef tanks. We give you the info on the calcium reactor and it's use in the aquarium.

Saltwater Aquarium Supplements
Provides an overview of some of the most commonly available supplements for marine aquariums. Do I really need to add supplements like Iodine, Calcium and Magnesium to my tank?

Aquarium Water Chemistry
Information on some of the aquarium water terms that you may encounter. We try to keep it simple. Anyone wanting to be successful at the tropical fish hobby must put forth the time necessary to understand some basic fish tank water chemistry. This will help your fish to not only survive but thrive! You will need kits that will test for the following: Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrate, pH, Water Hardness, Chlorine and Chloramine.

Tropical Fish Tips & Hints
We've tried to come up with a list of general tropical fish tips and hints for beginners to the fish keeping hobby. Below you will find our compiled list of the items we thought would especially help a newbie. If you have a good aquarium or tropical fish tip that you would like to share, just complete the form at the bottom of the page and we'll post it.

Aquarium Chiller
Talks about what aquarium chillers are and if you really need one for your saltwater reef tank or not.

Reverse Osmosis and Deionization
What is a Reverse Osmosis Water Filter System? Reverse Osmosis is a process whereby water is purified as the water gets pushed through some sort of membrane. The membrane traps the impurities and they can remove 90% - 99% of the impurities from the water. The type of membrane you use determines the amount of impurities that the RO unit will remove. Read more.

Aquarium Aquascape Design Ideas
For many fish tank hobbyists, aquascaping can be one of the most enjoyable parts about setting up a fish tank. Decorating your aquarium can be quite fun, but coming up with a good aquascape is not just about making the tank look nice. You really should take into account the tank's future inhabitants when figuring out what you need to do. This is where you get to exercise both sides of your brain to try and come up with something that is not only nice to look at but something that is functional as well.

Tank Maintenance
An article on the importance of proper aquarium maintenance along with a list of things to do on a regular basis with your tank.

UV Sterilizer Information
What is a UV Sterilizer? An Ultra Violet Sterilizer is a water filtration device that uses an ultraviolet light bulb to kill microscopic organisms that are free floating in the water. Parasites, viruses, algae and bacteria (good and bad) are the type of things that are "killed" after passing through the sterilizing unit. Do you really need an Ultra Violet Sterilizer with saltwater fish?

Aquarium Lighting Information
One important aspect of keeping tropical fish is aquarium lighting. This is an often overlooked area that can sometimes be confusing to a beginner. The confusion may come from the many available types of light that you can use for your tank. The main types of light are: regular fluorescent lights, compact flourescent, high output (ho) flourescent, very high output (vho) flourescent and metal halide. Read more.

Going on Vacation - Your Aquarium and Fish
Things to keep in mind when getting ready to go on vacation. Will my fish tank be ok while I'm on vacation for the next week?

Freshwater vs. Saltwater Aquarium
For the freshwater hobbyist interested in running a saltwater aquarium, this article discusses the differences between a freshwater and a saltwater fish tank setup.

Algae Scraper
DIY article on how to create a homemade algae scraper for glass tanks. A good scraper can really make a difference when it comes to getting the encrusting coralline algae off you marine fish tanks.

Aiptasia Control
An anemone that can become a pest in the saltwater aquarium. Learn how to control and eliminate this anemone from your tank before it does damage to your saltwater fish tank inhabitants.

Why Set Up a Fish Tank?
You've been to the pet store and noticed the fish tanks and thought "maybe I could do that". Guess what, you can "do that" and it's not nearly as difficult as you may think. The tropical fish keeping hobby has come a long way over the past decade thanks in part to advances in Aquarium Equipment and the plethora of readily available information.

Clownfish Anemone Compatibility Chart
This is an article listing the various clownfish species with compatible host anemones.

Green Bubble Algae
This bubble algae can be a nuisance in saltwater aquariums. Find out what you can do to control this algae.

Cyanobacteria - Red Slime Algae
a write up for the montly aquarium magazine about a saltwater aquarium bacteria that can get out of hand and make your tank look unsightly.