By Christopher Morris
The ocean has a natural way of regulating, filtering and supporting sea life. Millions of undersea fish and plants survive based on the oceans ability to take care of itself. That is not the case with salt water fish tanks that are found in zoos, aquariums and even homes. Tropical fish saltwater setup tank maintenance chores are important to keep aquatic life healthy and happy in these fish tanks.
The first fish saltwater setup tank task is to select a synthetic salt mix that closely resembles the composition of natural seawater. You should start out with water that is very pure. You do not want any chlorine or other chemicals to be in the water. Some choose to fill the tank with bottled water. Others may choose to have natural water tested for bacteria or harmful chemicals. Those using tap water should have the water filtered to remove chlorine and other chemicals before using it in the salt water tank.
Once you have the water chosen, you will want to add in the salt. Some fish saltwater setup tank mixes include typical sea salt from the grocery store. Others will use a special mixture from the pet store. The most important thing to remember is that the minerals included in the salt should be resilient unless you want to replace the water and minerals regularly. The presence of several major and minor elements and compounds, in appropriate proportion, is necessary for the healthy survival of the marine fish.
The nitrogen cycle is an important step in the fish saltwater setup tank tasks. It may take up to 6 weeks for the water to go through the nitrogen cycle whereby bacteria is grown which will change fish waste into harmless chemicals. You should only add one or two fish to start the nitrogen process. Damsels are tolerant to a wide range of water conditions and are great to use for aquariums during this process.
You will want to keep an eye on the water level. The fresh water will evaporate so it is fine to replace it with clean freshwater. Saltwater fish tanks will have to have about half of its water replaced monthly. Replace the water removed with new water that matches the tank water’s pH, temperature and salinity.
Fish saltwater setup tank tasks also include cleaning or replacing your filters regularly. You should check them frequently at first then over time you will determine what interval is best suited for your fish tank.
Saltwater fish tanks are a lot of fun to own and take care off. The fish saltwater setup tank chores can be tough at the beginning but after awhile it will become easier to maintain.
Chris has been taking care of saltwater fish tanks for most of his adult life. He enjoys his saltwater friends and has maintained more fish tanks than he could count. Interested in finding out more about Fish Tanks? Click here to visit our website.
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