Saltwater Aquarium Equipment List

Maintaining a saltwater aquarium can be a rewarding experience. In order to keep the saltwater marine life in your tank healthy and thriving, great care must be taken to ensure that their living environment is conducive to their needs. Setting up a saltwater fish tank for the first time requires a lot of research and equipment.

  1. Fish Tank

    • The size of the tank depends on the number of fish you plan on having and where it fits best in your house. You can choose a glass or acrylic tank, depending on your preference. Acrylic tanks are durable and will not shatter, but they are not as clear as glass. Glass is very clear but also very heavy and can shatter easily. Select a temperature-neutral location; avoid placing the tank too close to windows or heating vents. Whatever you choose as a base for the tank must be strong enough to bear the weight of a tank filled with water.

    Aquarium Substrate

    • Substrate is the sand, live rocks and coral that you see at the bottom of most fish tanks. "Live rock" refers not to an actually living rock, but to ocean rock that hosts many tiny microorganisms and bacteria. Coral is a living organism found in warm ocean waters; coral, along with the millions of microorganisms live in, on or around it, helps stabilize the aquatic ecosystem. Live rock and other substrate materials give fish places to hide and explore, and they provide a natural filtration system by breaking down waste and keeping nitrate levels in the water balanced. Live rock and coral for aquariums are grown and produced on farms, not removed from the delicate ocean ecosystem. You can purchase substrate online directly from live rock and coral farms, or from local aquatic pet stores.

    Protein Skimmer

    • A protein skimmer helps remove dissolved organic compounds (DOC) that the live rock may not be able to get rid of on its own. Build-up of these compounds can be harmful to the aquatic life in your tank,

    Filtration System

    • If you are not using live rock or have only a small amount of live rock, it is best to use a filtration system. Depending on the size of your tank, and amount of marine life, there are many filtration options to choose from. Any filter you choose needs to provide chemical, biological and mechanical filtration. Chemical filtration removes the dissolved waste, biological filtration helps good bacteria grow, and mechanical filtration uses a siphoning action to remove any free-floating particles. A power filter is the most common as well the most economical. A canister filter is more expensive but more efficient, featuring different slots for the different types of filtration.

    Salt Water Mix and Test Kits

    • Salt water is the key component to a saltwater aquarium. There are many types of mixes on the market. Follow the mixing instructions on the packet, and use a salt water test kit to ensure proper pH, nitrate, and other chemical levels.

    Powerheads

    • Powerheads are submersible water pumps that keep the water circulating in the tank. Saltwater aquariums need constantly circulating water so that fish can eat suspended particles of food and the filtration system can get the circulating waste out. Depending on the size of your tank you should use two or three powerheads. Many brands of powerheads are available on the market; select yours based on durability, efficiency, and the size of your tank.

    Heater and Thermostat

    • Fish in a tank need heat, as they are not able to control their body temperature. Hanging heaters are the most common, and hang off the top of the fish tank with a glass heating element that goes into the water. Submersible aquarium heaters go completely into the tank, attached to the aquarium wall by suction cups or clips, and are considered more efficient than hanging heaters. Substrate heaters, consisting of insulated coil wires, are buried in the substrate at the bottom of the tank. Most aquarium heaters come with attached thermostats that help keep the water at the appropriate temperature. You can also buy separate thermostats to monitor the water's temperature.

    Aquarium Lighting

    • The type of aquarium lighting you select depends on the type of marine life you choose to put in your tank. The main types of lighting include fluorescent, metal halide and LED lights. Marine life can be sensitive to light, so it is important to research what kind of lighting is appropriate for your aquarium and its residents.

    Tank Cleaning Tools

    • Tanks need to be maintained on a daily and weekly basis. Essential items include scrubbers to clean the live rock, fish nets to remove and replace fish, and an aquarium vacuum to clean the crushed rock gravel in the tank.