May. 4, 2006 - How to Plan a Saltwater Aquarium System

How to Plan a Saltwater Aquarium System

From Stan & Debbie Hauter

When wanting to start a saltwater aquarium, first of all keep in mind that there is no one right way to do it. However, although your options are open and you can choose to set up a system anyway you like, it is recommended to take the time to research and learn all you can about saltwater aquarium keeping, prior to jumping in.

This is a wise decision because it will help you to be better prepared to start and care for your aquarium and the marinelife you decide to keep in it, BEFORE you go out and buy anything. It also helps you avoid a no-clue or shot-in-the-dark approach, which can be quite frustrating for a beginning saltwater hobbyist.

Here's What To Do:

1 ) Decide on what type of system you want.

• FO (Fish-Only) System: This is an aquarium that contains fish, and no live corals or rocks. Instead decorative items such as non-living rocks, shells, and dried, artificial or synthetic corals are placed in the aquarium with fish. Very often some "compatible" tank cleaning crustaceans or janitors such as algae and detritus eating true crabs, hermit crabs, and snails are included.

Tip: If you decide to start out with a fish-only system, it is not a bad idea to design and make filtration and equipment choices with the thought in mind that you may want to make the transition into the realm of reefkeeping in the future.
• FOWLR (Fish-Only With Live Rock) System: This type of aquarium usually consists of a combination of fish with some crustacean and invertebrate tank janitors that are compatible with one another as well as the life that grows on live rock, such as sessile invertebrates that may be present. No live corals are included.
• Reef Tank System: Incorporates the use of live rock, soft and/or stony corals, sessile invertebrates, some reef compatible janitorial type motile invertebrates and crustaceans, and usually only a few reef compatible fish, or even no fish at all. 

• 2 ) In our opinion one can never have too many saltwater aquarium keeping books for your reference library, but to begin with you should buy a few good starter books that are based around the type of system you going to be setting up. You should also purchase some specific or overall fish, invertebrate, and coral care/profile books.

• 3) Go over our equipment and components checklist of items for getting started, and from it make a list of everything you will need for the particular type of system you have decided to set up.

  4) This is the ideal time to plan out what livestock you want to have in your aquarium by making a species community list. Why? Because the decision you make when choosing some of the items you'll need for your system, such as the substrate material, factor into what will be best for the kinds of animals you are going to keep.

  5) Now do research on all the items on your list, make your selections, and put together a shopping list of all the items you need to buy.

  6 ) When you have everything ready, just follow our guideline of 10 Easy Aquarium Set Up Steps to get your new aquarium set up and running.