US $11.89
For the novice aquarium enthusiast, salt water tanks can seem like they are impossible to maintain. You have to make sure your ecosystem is perfect. There are many more factors to take into account when you are running salt water. You need to use an aquarium water conditioner that not only treats the water, but will also add the appropriate amount of salt to the water as well. Do not be daunted by all the work that a salt water tank will take. The end results more than make up for the hard work.
A salt water tank can be an expensive and time consuming hobby. There are many things to consider when setting up a salt water tank. The first thing you need to decide is whether you are planning on having a fish only tank or if you want to have live coral in your tank as well.
The difference between the two is the main ecosystem. In a fish only tank, you will need to make sure that the fish you have in it are compatible with each other. You do not want to mix highly aggressive fish with fish that are friendlier. You will end up with only aggressive fish as the friendly ones may be killed or eaten. You also need to make sure the ratio of fish to water is consistent. You do not want to have more fish in the tank than you need.
If you put in too many fish, the water will get dirty faster, even if you have a great filter system. You only need one fish for each gallon of water. If you have a twenty gallon tank, then you want less than twenty fish. It is better to have less fish than your tank will rather than more. This way the fish will have plenty of room and will not dirty up the tank too quickly.
A live coral tank includes live coral that grows. This calls for more work and will take more work to maintain. The benefit is that this type of tank has a better ecological system and is absolutely stunning to look at. You can add some other types of marine life when you have a live coral tank.
No matter which type of tank you choose, you will need to find the best aquarium water conditioner for it. There are many on the market. You will not only need aquarium water conditioner, but you will need a conditioner that also adds salt to the water. In some cases you can get both in the same product. Any time you add water to the tank, it must be conditioned.
Tap water can not, in any circumstance, be put straight into the tank. You will kill your ecosystem very quickly this way. Since salt water tanks are expensive to maintain, you simply want to avoid this at all costs. Salt water tanks are also lovely to look at and those who own and maintain them feel that they are worth the effort.