Saltwater Aquarium Guide -- Fast Facts

	Fast Facts (page 2) Stocking Reef Aquariums, Order Is Important: 1. Once you've installed the aquarium and successfully set up the filtration and equipment, add the live rock and sand that will provide the foundation for your reef environment. Follow the correct procedures for curing live rock and sand, allowing 4 to 6 weeks for it to completely cure. During this time, do not illuminate your aquarium or you will have algae problems. 2. After your live rock is completely cured, add the majority of your corals to the aquarium, and set up your lighting system with timers. If your aquarium has growth of nuisance algae at this time, control it with a selection of invertebrates such as hermit crabs, including Scarlet, Dwarf Red Tip, and Dwarf Zebra Hawaiian crabs; and snails, such as Mexican turbo and Margarita snails. 3. Adding corals will cause your water parameters to change. Check your water parameters frequently with a test kit. Once water parameters have stabilized, you can start adding fish. Adding fish last reduces the possibility of disease resulting from fluctuating water parameters that occur when other livestock is added to the aquarium. After your fish have been in the aquarium for a few days, you may also wish to add invertebrates to control the amount of decaying material in your aquarium. These may include sea stars and sea cucumbers. Remember, when adding fish, add the small, peaceful fish first, and the more territorial, aggressive fish last. In general, to achieve a depth of 1 inch, you will need 1 pound of live sand per gallon. For a two-inch depth, try 1.5 pounds per gallon. The usual recommendation is to have between 1-3 inches depth in a tank.



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