A seawater aquarium is an aquarium operated with salt water and offers appropriate habitat for sea fish and corals.
The fascination of a seawater aquarium lies in bringing the exotic underwater worlds from the Caribbean, Australia and the Indo-Pacific into your living room. Far too often we lose touch with the breathtaking beauty of nature and the seawater aquarium gives us the most impressive opportunity to be part of such an ecosystem. Just before the disastrous prospects that the natural reefs are exposed to, a sustainably operated seawater aquarium offers the opportunity to make these fascinating worlds accessible for future generations.
With this article I would like to share my personal experiences and assessments of the successful construction and operation of a saltwater aquarium. Here I share the knowledge that I was able to gather in my 4 years in seawater aquaristics. I do not claim to be an expert and ask that you question all of my statements and compare them with other sources. After several years in the hobby, you realize that there isn't just one truth in seawater aquaristics. Therefore, in my opinion, everyone can find their own personal way to their individual living room riff. However, I will try to prepare you as well as possible for your path.
The way to the marine aquarium
In the following I would like to show you my development from a conventional civilian to a passionate seawater aquarist. 😉 Furthermore, I will summarize my knowledge and experience, which I have gained within the last four years within the seawater scene, as condensed as possible, so that both beginners and advanced seawater aquarists have the opportunity to benefit from my experiences.
But once again it should be said at this point that there are many paths to success within seawater aquaristics. There are various pools that have led to a successful pool with different methods and procedures. So my experience is just one of many. But it should lead to success for a nice mixed tank with fish, stone and soft corals without much effort.
The first thoughts
For many who are seriously thinking about running a saltwater aquarium, this idea is not entirely new. Many of us have had experience with freshwater tanks in the past or have been fascinated by saltwater aquariums for a long time. When looking for a hobby, for a balance to the stressful everyday life or for a snorkeling or diving holiday, the desire to maintain your own little reef then solidifies. But where do I actually start? What do I have to consider, does it really make sense for me, what is included, what does it cost? etc etc. . You should answer these questions for yourself in a thorough research before you make a concrete decision for or against a saltwater aquarium.
Many many open questions
Many questions come to mind when you seriously consider maintaining a saltwater aquarium. I'll try to list some of the questions I asked myself below. I hope these serve as inspiration for some good research:
- What is a coral and what types are there?
- Do fish belong in a seawater tank and what should be considered here?
- How difficult is it to run a marine aquarium?
- What maintenance work do I have to do on a daily basis?
- How much time do I have to invest in a saltwater aquarium?
- Do I have to acquire special knowledge in order to be able to operate a seawater tank?
- What are the advantages and disadvantages of a saltwater aquarium for my quality of life?
- What technology do I need for?
- What are the acquisition costs?
The first answers
What is a coral and what types are there?
Corals are sessile, colony-forming cnidarians. The variety of corals is enormous. You can get a good overview of the corals currently available on CommunityCorals on our “discover corals” Get page. The largest groups of corals in the marine aquarium hobby are hard corals, soft corals, anemones and fan corals. Stony corals form a skeleton made of calcium carbonate, which means they place special demands on the maintenance of water parameters. Soft corals do not form a skeleton and are generally easy to keep. Anemones are corals that do not stick to their location and have a high nettle power. This means they are a threat to other corals and are only partially suitable for a mixed aquarium. In contrast to the other species mentioned, fan corals do not feed on light. So they need appropriate feeding.
Do fish belong in a seawater tank and what should be considered here?
In my opinion, fish are an integral part of a saltwater aquarium. Unfortunately, only a few sea fish can be bred in the aquarium. Since I myself see the sustainability of my tank as a priority, my stock of fish is quite small. In any case, fish require special research, as they often make very different demands on the tank and can also pose a danger to your roommates. However, they are essential for the reef tank, since the waste products from the fish serve as a food source for the corals and other creatures in the aquarium. In addition, fish bring a lot of life and movement into the tank and are therefore, in my opinion, indispensable.
How difficult is it to run a marine aquarium?
I think this question can only be answered subjectively. From my point of view, you have to have a healthy interest and the will to operate a pool sensibly. If you are willing to plan well when purchasing, to gather the necessary knowledge and to invest in the required technology, further care is not rocket science.
It is important that all activities related to the seawater aquarium should be fun. Because as we all know, what is fun is also easy for us. In any case, a small pool is more difficult to operate than a large one, since fluctuations in the water parameters can occur more quickly here. I recommend that if you are unsure, start small. If you can then run a small tank well and your interest in the hobby is still the same as on the first day, you can take the necessary change and incorporate the experiences from your small saltwater aquarium into your new project.
What maintenance work do I have to do on a daily basis?
The exact activities vary from pool to pool and system to system. Much can be automated or is only needed irregularly over time. In principle, however, the following activities are an integral part of the hobby and should be planned:
- Measuring the water values
- Water change
- cleaning windows
- Cleaning the flow pumps and the skimmer
- Feed
- Dose
- to refill water
- produce reverse osmosis water
How much time do I have to invest in a saltwater aquarium?
This question is closely related to the previous question regarding the maintenance work. Here is a short list of my experiences that you can use as a pi-x-thumb rule:
Every Day: cleaning discs, feeding, dosing, refilling water. In total, I would estimate this work at 10 minutes.
Weekly: Measuring the water values. The times vary depending on the extent of your measurement and I would estimate the effort here at 15-30 minutes.
2-weekly: Water change and cleaning of the pumps and the skimmer. Here you should calculate 2 hours.
Upon need: If required, there are other works such as producing the Osomse water to refill the evaporated water and as a basis for the water change. Otherwise there is always something to do in the tank a la repositioning corals, fragmenting, if necessary, picking off algae, cleaning sand etc.
Do I have to acquire special knowledge in order to be able to operate a seawater tank?
Definitive! We should be aware that we operate an exotic ecosystem with a seawater aquarium. Accordingly, the most important factors such as light, current and the water parameters should be understood. I recommend a deep Internet research on the topics mentioned or alternatively literature on the topic that at least gives you the most important basics. Otherwise, a lack of knowledge will definitely cost you dearly. Both in terms of wallet and nerves. And it should be said again, we operate an ecosystem here in which animals live. It is therefore mandatory to design this according to the requirements of the residents!
What are the advantages and disadvantages of a saltwater aquarium for my quality of life?
Who does not know it? We come home from work stressed out and have a quick bite to eat and all too often the evening ends in front of the television. Many people who are in this situation long for a hobby where they can relax and really switch off.
In my opinion, the hobby of seawater aquaristics offers wonderful opportunities and many facets that contribute to an enrichment of the quality of life. Which aspect is in the foreground depends on each person personally. Here are the different aspects of the hobby:
Technology & Tinkering
Starting with the DIY pool and building your own lamps to remodeling the house, you can see a lot of creative approaches to letting the affinity for technology flow into the hobby. I planned and designed my entire tank myself. A nice sense of achievement when the planned pool then corresponds to the plans and your own needs.
TV off – saltwater aquarium on
Many people who practice the seawater hobby especially enjoy the morning and evening view of the pool. Thanks to LED technology, we can enjoy the course of the day with sunrise in the morning and blue light phases in the evening. Sunday mornings often take place with a freshly brewed cup of coffee in front of the seawater pool, promising a relaxed and balanced start to the day. In the evening we enjoy the bright colors of the corals with a blue light phase or look forward to the many small microorganisms with a flashlight that dare to emerge after the light has been switched off.
All in all, the hobby of seawater aquaristics offers a lot of freedom to enjoy the underwater world and thus a piece of nature. The seawater pool is the perfect balance to our stressful everyday life, which is usually not very close to nature.
Collecting stamps is out
One of the many special aspects that the hobby offers is the aspect of passion for collecting. Especially saltwater aquarists who have been in the hobby for a long time will eventually start looking for the particularly sought-after and rare animals. Once you start, you quickly look for one of the many beautiful rarities with particularly great names that will make the ambitious saltwater aquarist sit up and take notice. Montipora Bloody Sunrise, Acropora Candy Land, Bugatti Chalice, Jawbreaker Mushroom are just a few of the interesting-sounding names that mostly have their origins in the USA. A nice directory of corals and their “fancy names” based on species, growth form and color can be found on www.reefs.com
Below you will find a very interesting video in English on the subject of breeding collector corals, the so-called Signature Corals.
What do I need which components for?
The following components are required to operate a saltwater aquarium.
- Lighting
- A distinction is generally made between 3 types of lighting. T5, LED and Hybrid. The light serves as a food source for the corals via the photosynthesis process of the zooxanthellae.
- flow pumps
- Flow pumps are used to move the water. Due to the water movements, the corals can operate their metabolism. In addition, the water movement ensures the supply of oxygen to the seawater.
- skimmers
- The skimmer is used to remove waste from the water. The formation of foam binds dirt particles which are discharged from the water via a foam pot.
- feed pump
- The feed pump is used to pump the water from a technical compartment or technical tank into the main tank. Accordingly, it is not required if there is no separate technical compartment. However, this is rarely the case.
- Heating
- Depending on their species and origin, corals require a water temperature of ~26 degrees. Accordingly, the water must be heated by the heater.
- reef construction
- Various materials can be used for reef construction. These are live rock, dead rock, reef ceramics, epoxy resin and artificial reef rocks such as Real Reef Rocks
- sand
- Sand is not absolutely necessary, but for many it has a special charm. The sand serves as a settlement area for the important bacterial cultures in our seawater basin.
- reef salt
- The salt is used to make sea water. Seawater must of course be prepared for the first filling, but it is also required for the most necessary water changes.
- osmosis system
- The osmosis system is used to clean your tap water. The cleaned tap water then serves as a basis for adding sea salt to the water or to fill up the evaporated water.
- various accessories
- The list of possible accessories that should make your hobby easier is long. The following things come to mind spontaneously. Disc cleaner, feed pipette, dosing system, reactors, filter bags, TDS measuring device for osmosis water quality, aerometer, refractometer for determining density, etc. etc.
- Pelvis
- And of course we also need a pool that can be bought in different types of glass such as flint glass and float glass. Furthermore, there are many pools made of acrylic. These often have nicer shapes and offer the best view through the pane into the pool. Unfortunately, however, acrylic is very sensitive to scratches. Cymbals are now also available as plug & play solutions. You can find high-quality cymbals in our category aquariums
What are the acquisition costs?
This question is not easy to answer and depends on the requirements of the respective seawater aquarist. I personally started with a small 30L nano tank. I think you can start a tank with the first stock with a budget of around €1000.
In my opinion, if you want to start with a larger tank from 300L, you should not plan with a budget of less than 3000 €. An important insight that most saltwater aquarists have gained is that good planning with good technology also pays off financially in the long term.
Have you decided to run a saltwater aquarium?
OK, congratulations. If you have the necessary financial resources, the appropriate interest, perseverance and last but not least a little patience, you have made the right decision and will enjoy your new underwater world for years to come.
In the following I would like to prepare you for the next steps that should help you on the way to your seawater tank.
The way to the marine aquarium
I still remember very well the hours of research I did before I planned and commissioned my tank. I think you should proceed in the following way: understanding the seawater chemistry and the biological processes in the seawater aquarium, planning your tank, - the technique, - your desired reef structure, and the stocking of fish and corals. Once you have completed these planning, you can start shopping and get into the practice. You will set up your tank, add seawater, design your reef structure, go through the running-in phase and finally gradually fill your tank with its inhabitants. In the following blog posts I will accompany you on your way. When choosing the technology and suitable animals, you are free to choose CommunityCorals Of course, we are always happy to provide advice.
Simply visit our Community Reef Supply farmer shop or contact us at in**@co*************.de
