1. How to Set Up Fresh and Salt Water Aquariums
AQUARIA
How to Set Up Fresh and
Salt Water Aquariums

2. An Aquarium

3. Factors to Consider Biotic (Living) Type of Fish, newt, turtle etc.
Beneficial Bacteria
Live Plants
Harmful microorganisms and multicellular organisms
Abiotic (Nonliving)
Substrate (gravel, crushed coral)
Plastic Plants
Decorative rocks, caves, or toys
Equipment (filters, lights, heaters, etc.)
Wastes (EX.Ammonia)

4. Step 1 – Select Organism Select the Organism(s) Determine its needs
It could be fresh or saltwater
Fish
Turtle
Newt
Frog
Number of organisms 1inch fish/gallon

5. Step 2 - Equipment Determine what equipment is needed
Size and shape of tank
Heater or Heat Lamp
Lighting
Filtration System
Stand
Substrate (gravel, crushed coral, sand, dolomite)
Plants, Rocks, Shells etc.

6. Step 3 – Cleaning the Tank
WASH THE TANK WITH FRESHWATER AND SALT
Note: NEVER USE DETERGENT, SOAP OR CHLORINE BLEACH – THEY ARE DEADLY

7. Step 4 – Tank Placement
Select a location away from windows, radiators, and air conditioners.
It should be placed in a manner that all equipment should be available for maintenance, cleaning and care of fish

8. Step 5 – Tank Placement
Place tank on a steady surface that can support the weight. Fresh water ways approximately 8 lbs a gallon, saltwater ways more. FOR EXAMPLE A 10 GALLON WEIGHS OVER 80 LBS.
The stand or support surface should be water resistant

9. Step 6 – Check for Leaks
Place cardboard underneath tank to cushion it and make it easy to slide
Half fill tank with water, wait 24 hours and observe for leaks

10. Step 7 – Check for Leaks
Fill to within 1 inch of top, wait 24 hours and observe for leaks

11. Step 8 - Salt
In a marine tank add marine salt to the water until a density between
1.017g/ml to 1.020g/ml is reached
Use a hydrometer to measure density
In a fresh water tank add one tablespoon of non iodized salt to prevent fungal infections

12. Step 9- Substrate Add substrate to a depth of 1 inch Freshwater tanks
gravel
sand
Marine
crushed coral
dolomite
marine sand or living sand

13. Step 10 - Filtration Install a filtration system.
To maintain optimal fish health, 3 types of filtration are necessary.
Physical
Biological
Chemical

14. Eclipse Filter system

15. Step 10 – Physical Filtration
Pads, sponges, floss, sand or other media that remove solid particles from the water.
Removes
Excess food
Wastes
Pieces of fin, scale
Plant matter

16. Step 10 – Biological Filtration
A biowheel, prefilter media, biosponge, gravel, or sand for beneficial bacteria to grow on. These bacteria break down deadly nitrogenous wastes from living organisms and decaying food.
Bacteria break down
Ammonia (deadly) to Nitrite to Nitrate

17. Step 10 Filtration In a Reef Tank
Living rock provides excellent biological filtration and should always be used in a reef tank

18. Step 10 – Chemical Filtration
Activated Carbon removes harmful gases dissolved in water.

19. Step 11 - Heating
Most fish can only survive within an environment with narrow range of temperature change, usually between 72 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit.
To maintain optimal temperature, install a submersible heater

20. Step 11 - Heating You need 5 watts per gallon 10 gallon – 50 watts

21. Step 11 To install heater safely:
Place unplugged in heater at bottom of tank horizontally for 15 minutes
Then set temperature and plug in heater
Wait 24 hours then measure temperature and adjust heater

22. Step 12 - Decorations
Organisms need to be in an environment as similar to their natural environment as possible. To accomplish this we put rocks, live plants, caves, shells plastic plants, plastic pipes etc.

23. Step 12 - Decorations
Adding live plants provides food, 0xygen, a place to hide and lay eggs
Plastic plants provide a place to hide and lay eggs
Rocks, caves, coral, and tubes provide a place to hide
Note: shells, coral and calcareous rocks can only be used in High pH aquariums, mostly marine

24. Step 13 Cover and lighting
A cover is needed to:
Prevent fish from jumping out of the tank
Slow evaporation
Keep dust out of the tank

25. Step 13 - Lighting
Only reef tanks and tanks with live plants need daily lighting
Reef tanks need actinic (bluish light) for live coral and anemones and full spectrum white light for plants and algae
Tanks with live plants need 12 hours a day of full spectrum white light.

26. Step 14 - Selecting Fish Fish should: Be active
Have regular breathing pattern
Have clear eyes
Have no torn fins or sores
No fuzzy stuff on body or fins

27. Step 15 – Catching Fish
Fish should preferably be caught slowly using a container
A net removes the protective slime coat and irritates skin
Try not to stress fish, it suppresses immune system

28. Step 16 – Acclimating fish
To minimize stress and protect fish
Float bag in new tank for 15 minutes adding small amounts of water to the bag to make the temperatures similar
After fifteen minutes turn open bag sideways and let fish swim out of bag
Observe behavior
May have to rearrange tank so all fish establish new territories

29. Step 18 - Care of Fish Feeding
Determine best diet for organism
Feed small amount – only as much food as fish can eat in 3 minutes then remove excess

30. Step 18 – Care of Fish Observe and record behavior
Need to establish baseline for comparison
Observe fish for 20 minutes or more for several days
Determine its favorite spot in the tank
Draw a diagram of its body and fins noting markings and coloration
Observe its behavior toward tank mates and their behavior towards it and record

31. Step 18 – Care of Fish Observe and Record Behavior
Observe its gill movements – count and record for 1 minute
Observe its eating pattern and how it eats record in log

32. Step 19 Care of Fish Water Chemistry
Test and Record pH
Ammonia level
Nitrite level
Maintain ideal levels for optimal health

33. Step 20 – Care of Fish Maintenance
In order to prevent disease, regular maintenance is critical
The single most important maintenance procedure is a water change
Clean gravel at least once a month
Change 20% a month to remove harmful wastes and replace trace elements
Clean filter pad every month, replace every 3 months