How to Use Real Sea Water in a Saltwater Aquarium

Saltwater fish are colorful pets, although an aquarium full of them requires time and care to keep the water at optimum conditions. Using ocean saltwater makes caring for your fish easier, and you won't need to add salt mixtures as you would with fresh water. Obtaining saltwater is easy if you live near the ocean and can scoop it up with a bucket. If you live further inland, it can be purchased for about $19 for a 10-gallon supply. This is quite expensive, considering a 50-gallon supply of salt mix goes for $15 to $20.

Things You'll Need

  • Aquarium
  • Salt water
  • Tubing
  • Air pump
  • Hydrator
  • Ammonia testing kit
  • Nitrate testing kit
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Instructions

    • 1

      Pour the saltwater into the already set up aquarium, making sure to leave 2 inches of space at the top.

    • 2

      Place the air-pump tubing into a corner of the tank and connect it to the air pump. Make sure that the air pump is located at the tank's top, where you can easily reach it, and afix it to the top of the aquarium. Plug in the air pump. Twice a year, remove the air-pump tubing and clean it using soap and water. The air pump must also be cleaned using soap and checked for damage.

    • 3

      Place the hydrator in 6 inches of water. Pull it out once it fills with water. Tap it to remove any bubbles and get an accurate reading, and lay it on a flat surface. The salinity levels should be between 1.020 and 1.023. Once you have your reading, rinse out the hydrator with water and let it dry.

    • 4

      Check the water's ammonia and nitrate levels, following the packaging's instructions for each test. It generally takes 24 hours for the levels to reach zero. Too much ammonia and nitrate in the water can slowly suffocate and kill your fish. Once the levels of each reach zero, you can add the fish.