Saltwater Aquarium Guide -- Typical Marine Starter Kit

The Decisions:

Once you have decided on a tank, make sure you have a place to put it. The tank should not be in direct sunlight or in an area which is very drafty. Also, make very certain the stand will be capable of holding the weight of the tank, plus substrate, plus rocks, plus water. In total, a 55 gallon tank will weigh over 800 pounds.

After selecting the tank, consideration must be given to the substrate. It is best to use a calcareous substrate such as crushed coral or dolomite. These substrates will, at least initially, help buffer the water by adding ions to the buffering system. Generally the substrate should not be so tiny as to get sucked into the filter or pumps, and not so large as to make the tank unsightly. Also, some fish (e.g., Gobies) like smaller grades of substrate over larger ones. Something in the 2-5mm department will be good.

Live sand is one substrate which has recently gained a fair amount of publicity. After selecting a substrate, consider the filtration system you plan to use. Your choice in filtration may impact the amount to substrate you need. A UGF or RUGF filter should have about 2-3" (5cm) of medium grade (2-3mm) substrate covering the filter plate. It's interesting to note that too much substrate in a non-UGF system might lead to dead spots, which can kill your inhabitants (a plug for regular gravel cleaning).

Next, consider the decorations, of which there is a cornucopia of choices; Dead coral, lava rock, live rock, and many more. Coral pieces are the most popular, but are also some of the most expensive. Lava and tufa rock are inexpensive and may also be stacked to make interesting reef looking tanks. Live rock is one of those buzz words that people like to throw around and one which gets a lot of hype. Live rock is simply rock taken from a reef system which has been populated by many different organisms.

Many aquarists dedicated to fish-only setups are beginning to discover the benefits of having live rock in their system. Live rock produces a more natural environment for the fish and also aids in nitrification and de-nitrification. This implies that the live rock is more that just a decoration; it is actually part of the filtration system.

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