Marine Fish Keeping For Beginners

Preface:

Marine fish keeping is not as difficult as many people think. However, there are some important differences in the fish themselves which must be understood to be successful. Fresh water tropical fish come from rivers, lakes, ponds and streams. These bodies of water are subject to rain, earthen runoff, rotting debris, temperature change, and of course man. Through thousands of years of evolution these fish have come to be very tolerant of constantly changing water conditions. Marine fish on the other hand live in vast oceans of water, where change in temperature, pH, chemistry and salinity are uncommon. Whether it be the Red Sea, the South Pacific, or the Caribbean the differences are minute. Marine fish do not tolerate rapid changes and therefore are considered more delicate. In a healthy well maintained aquaria, Marine fish can be kept just as successfully as Fresh water Tropical's. However, you must adhere to the requirements of the fish and limit fluctuations in water chemistry. Also a consideration should be your own personality. Are you a patient person? If not you may wish to stick with a fresh water tank. More on that later!
 

Tank Selection:

First off, you must start off your marine hobby with a larger tank than you would choose for fresh water fish. Again, considering the requirements of little change in water conditions, the larger the aquaria the slower any water chemistry variables will occur. We suggest the the smallest tank you consider be a 30 gallon long tank. It is 36 inches long by 13 inches front to back. Success in smaller size tanks is not as common. Of course, if you can afford the expense and the space, the larger the tank you select the better. All the tanks we sell at the 30 gallon size and larger are safe for Marine fish keeping.
 

Equipment:

In no type of fish keeping is the proper equipment more important. To limit change you must have equipment that is proper for the job and dependable as well. Your most important piece of equipment is the filter. Always buy up not down. More is better when it comes to filtering your water. Pick a basic filter like an Emperor 400 for a tank of 30 gallons. This filter will supply good suspended matter and biological filtration. When starting your tank it goes through what is referred to as the "new tank syndrome". What this really is, is the period when your tank is seasoning itself. To understand this you must understand the basic biological changes your tank goes through during this seasoning time. As your fish urinate and defecate in the tank, dead organics are formed (uneaten fish food is also a source). These materials will turn into Ammonia and eventually into Nitrites. While all this is going on, your filter is running and starting to develop nitrifying bacteria's on the bio wheel surfaces, this action helps to turn the Nitrites that have formed in the tank into nitrates and Nitrogen. Nitrogen is of course a gas, which will evaporate off the water surface. When all of this takes place, and any toxic levels have been alleviated, your tank can then be called seasoned.

Select a good quality submergible heater to heat your tank. The tropical oceans of the world are all at about 78 degrees which is what you must replicate in the tank. Good lighting is also essential. A minimum of one watt of 5400 Kelvin degree light is needed for each gallon of water. Rather than to go into the details here, I suggest you consult one of our customer service specialist, they will help you out to be sure you select the correct lighting for the tank you have purchased. You will also need several smaller items, such as a thermometer, fish net, etc. Reading the "Fish Keeping" series elsewhere on this site will give you an insight into other equipment and water chemistry basics. A powerful air pump with a good air defuser will provide all the aeration you will need. Larger and more sophisticated systems will require more costly and technical equipment, what we are discussing here is the basic starter marine tank.
 

Test Kits:

You will need a few test kits to monitor water conditions. At the very least you should have a test kit to monitor pH and Ammonia. When you first start off, we will be happy to test samples of your aquarium water at no charge. However, you should be able to do this at home when necessary. Other tests include Nitrite and Nitrate. Complete test kits are available that will test everything you need.
 

Decor:

Read the Decorating article elsewhere on this site, it will give you many ideas. In a marine tank you must use only crushed coral as a substrate. This will assure that your seasoned tank will keep a constant pH level. Other types of gravel are not recommended. Decorating can be just as much fun in a marine tank as in fresh water. Corals and shells that you can't use in fresh water are the norm here. Be sure all corals and shells are properly cured before use. All corals and shells we sell are safe for Marine tank use. Corals from gift shops or that someone picked up in Florida may not be safe and should be avoided.
 

Starting out:

Now that we have our tank, equipment and decor in place, we can start our marine environment by adding some fish. During the "new tank syndrome" we discussed earlier, the chance of losing fish is great. The tank is not seasoned, and all the changes we discussed will be happening at a rapid pace, until all levels become safe. During this period we suggest you only add a few damsel fish to get the process started. Go back to the Preface. We talked about two main ideas: what's different about Marine fish and your level of patience. Here is where the patience comes in. Marine hobbyist fail more from lack of patience, than equipment failure or the delicate nature of the fish combined. It will probably be 4 to 6 weeks on average before your tank levels will come back down to normal and you may again add a fish. Yes I said "a" fish. Because of the feisty nature of damsels and assuming they have all lived through the cycle, you may wish, at this time to turn them in. When you add fish at this time you can only add the equivalent of what you have taken out in mass.

Once the tank is seasoned and you feel it is safe to add more fish, do it one at a time and no less than two weeks apart. Check your water chemistry regularly with your test kits and always check your levels before adding any new fish. If its not perfect don't add fish until your levels are appropriate. Always do your maintenance as described in the "Fish keeping" series. Remember these fish are not forgiving, in Marine fish keeping, something that should be done now, can't wait until next week. As in fresh water, you must do regular water changes. Evaporation in the marine tank is that of water not salt. So, when you fill from evaporation, you only add the necessary amount of fresh water. When you do a water change you must mix and replace with Marine mix. Many manufacturer's make marine mix, we sell Instant Ocean, Coralife, Red Sea, and Oceanic, all are very good. Oceanic Salt is the fastest dissolving of the marine mixes.. We also sell Worldview's NutriSalt which is a liquid and considerably more expensive to buy. Keep your salinity at approximately 1.021 on your hydrometer. Remember whatever you do, don't rush the adding of fish, your patience will be justly rewarded with a happy, healthy marine tank. Good luck, and as always we are here to help you and answer any questions you may have.