How do I Set Up 30 Gal Salt Water Tank?

Setting up a saltwater aquarium in your home or office can be a rewarding experience, but it's a task that should be undertaken with great care and understanding of the difficulties involved, as well as a moderate amount of patience. Saltwater, or marine aquariums, require far more monitoring than their freshwater counterparts, as the salinity of the water must be observed, as well as the maintenance of a high pH (usually around 8.3). When setting up a 30-gallon saltwater tank, be sure to gather all of the necessary materials first and do proper research regarding the types of fish you'd like to inhabit your tank before beginning, as these instructions pertain to setting up a basic aquarium with no live coral.

Things You'll Need

  • 30 gallon aquarium
  • Marine salt
  • Mixing spoon
  • Hydrometer
  • Water dechlorinator
  • Aquarium thermometer
  • Aquarium heater
  • Marine sand or crushed coral substrate, 30 pounds
  • Aquarium filter, 55 gallon capacity (hanging or canister)
  • Saltwater pH test kit
  • Fluorescent light strip and hood
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Instructions

    • 1

      Place the aquarium in an area away from direct sunlight, preferably a basement. Keeping the tank away from too much sunlight will inhibit the growth of algae, which can be very unattractive in your aquarium.

    • 2

      Line the bottom of the aquarium with the marine sand or crushed coral, whichever substrate you prefer (crushed coral will help keep the pH up). It should be evenly dispersed and about 1 inch or so deep all around.

    • 3

      Fill the tank with freshwater until it is about 1 inch from the trimming at the top of the aquarium (it will be plastic and usually either black or oak). The water level will rise a bit when you add decorations and things after you've finished the initial setup.

    • 4

      Add the proper dosage of dechlorinator to your water. Dechlorinator alleviates chlorine and other harmful chemicals in your water and typically comes as a liquid. Consult the dechlorinator's packaging for the proper dosage.

    • 5

      Add the proper amount of marine salt. Every manufacturer will produce the salt in different concentrations, so consult the salt's packaging for the correct amount (it is usually a half a pound of salt per gallon, but it will vary). A recommended brand of marine salt is Instant Ocean from Marineland.

    • 6

      Mix the salt in the aquarium using the mixing spoon. You will probably kick up lots of sand while doing this, but don't worry, it will sink back to the bottom soon enough. You will probably not be able to dissolve all of the salt.

    • 7

      Install the filter. Hanging filters hang on the back of the aquarium and suck up water via a tube and then expel it via spillway after pushing it through a filter medium. Canister filters are external filters which suck in water with one tube, filter the water through a medium, then expel with another tube back into the aquarium. Consult your filter's instruction manual for installation instructions specific to the model.

    • 8

      Turn on the filter and let the tank cycle for around 24 hours. This will help dissolve all of the salt so you can get accurate salinity measurements in the next step.

    • 9

      Measure the specific gravity of the water with the hydrometer. This can be done by dipping the hydrometer under the water until the beaker fills, then placing it on a flat surface. A little floating needle in the hydrometer will point to the specific gravity, or the salinity. If it is around 0.022 ppt, then the water is at the proper salinity. If it's a little too low, add some salt, and if it's a little too high, remove some of the saltwater and replace it with freshwater to dilute it.

    • 10

      Test the water's pH with the pH test kit. The kit comes in many different forms, including strips and liquid solutions. Consult the test kit's manual for proper testing instructions. The proper pH should be around the 8.2-8.3 range. If it's too high, you will need to lower it be adding pH buffers or by removing crushed coral if you used it as a substrate.

    • 11

      Add an artificial decor, the aquarium heater, and place your fluorescent light strip and hood over the aquarium. Now let it cycle for around two weeks, then test it again. If everything's OK, then you can begin to slowly add fish.