Marine Fish Care

Taking on the hobby of marine fish can be the most frustrating yet most rewarding you can have. Something to keep in mind though, aquarium maintenance never stops you can’t take week off and get back to it later. Marine fish have no tolerance to dirty water so high quality water must be kept at all times. Location of the marine aquarium is also an important part of the success of the tank. Your aquarium tank should not be in a high traffic area where people are constantly scaring the fish. They also should not be near a window where sunlight can throw off the balance of the tank. Drafty rooms can make it hard to control the temperature of the water. Most important you want your marine fish tank in a place where you can easily enjoy it. When choosing a tank the bigger the better. The bigger the tank the easier it is to keep the water stable your marine fish do not like changes in water conditions. Try to get a least a 55 gallon fish tank or bigger if you can. After you decide on the size of the tank you must choose your aquarium equipment. Make sure what you buy is appropriate for the size of the tank you will be using and what you plan on having in the aquarium. After the tank is set up plan on about 3 to 6 weeks for the water finish its cycling process. Patients is a virtue not letting the water finish its cycling is setting yourself up for disappointment. Before you head to the pet store to get every fish that looks pretty do your homework. Marine fish require more room than typical freshwater fish you have to find out how many fish you can have in the tank. You will also need to know if the  fish you plan on buying will get along with each other many fish are territorial. Too many fish can also lead to more waste than your aquarium filtration system can handle. So are you still ready to take on the hobby of a marine aquarium? I can’t emphasize enough you need to do your research, you have to plan on a regular maintenance schedule even if it means hanging a calender on the wall, and most of all patients. If you can get a grip on all that then you may be on the road to a successful marine aquarium.

Marine aquarium location may not seem like something you have to put much thought into but there are quite a few things to look at. The last thing you want to do is have to move it after everything is set up or even worse loose your fish. Find a location in the house  where you will have plenty of room to work on the fish tank and do maintenance but most importantly where you are going to enjoy it . There is no point in having a aquarium full of beautiful marine fish or a reef aquarium in a room where nobody is going to see it. You are going to need access to electricity so choosing a location with a wall plug is a must. My old roommate had a aquarium that was hooked to a extension cord. They never determined exactly what happened but it ignited and the only reason the house is still standing was because the heat broke the aquarium and extinguished it . If the location that you want the tank does not have a outlet I would recommend having a licensed electrician hook one up for you. The room the tank is kept in should not be drafty (marine fish don’t like cold water conditions), avoid it being near a outside door or window that would cause a fluctuation in temperature. Depending on the size of the fish tank you need to determine if the floor is strong enough to hold it. You might need to  consult with a contracter to determine this. Depending upon where you live you might have to get some kind of flood coverage in the event water leaks from your aquarium to the apartment below you. Carpet should also be avoided changing water  is sure to lead to a little spill here and there that can not easily wiped up. Marine fish can be very nervous so having them in a high traffic area is not recommended. The aquarium should not be near windows or in direct sunlight especially if live rock is being used. Special aquarium lighting should be used to control the growth of the living organisms in the live rock. One last thing you need to look at is how you are going to drain and refill the marine fish tank with water. Having to run a hose through your house every time you do a water change could become cumbersome after a while. Having a water supply and a drainage point nearby should be something else to consider.