This section will contain information about marine aquariums. If you are looking for information about the creatures that inhabit marine aquariums, we recommend you to take a look in our other marine categories as well. Information about saltwater fish species will be found in the category named “Marine Aquarium fish”. Coral and Jellyfish both have their own categories. If you are looking for data regarding the keeping and breeding of particular fish species, the species database named “Tropical Marine Fish” is a good place to start.
Keeping a marine aquarium is typically more difficult than keeping a basic freshwater aquarium. There are naturally exceptions to this rule, some aquarists have freshwater aquariums that contain species that are extremely hard to keep and breed in captivity. It is also possible to create a basic saltwater aquarium that beginner aquarists can handle, as long as you are prepared to gather a lot of information and develop your knowledge on the subject before you set up the aquarium. Even advanced freshwater aquarists should read through the guidelines before they create a saltwater aquarium, since the ecology of a marine aquarium differs a lot from that of a freshwater aquarium.
The reason why so many aquarists decide to spend the extra time, money and efforts that a saltwater aquarium require is that a saltwater aquarium can house a wide range of animals that you could never keep in a freshwater aquarium. It will for instance be possible for you to keep some of the vibrantly coloured reef fish species. A saltwater aquarium can also be filled with live coral, anemones, crustaceans or jellyfish. In the saltwater aquariums of advanced aquarists you can even find octopus and squid. Clown fish, Angelfish and Damsels just a few examples of all popular saltwater fishes that can be kept in aquariums.
When you set up a saltwater aquarium it is important that you only use equipment that is suitable for saltwater use. If you want to place aquarium decorations in the water they must also be labelled saltwater-safe. Since marine fish inhabits the vast oceans, their environment is often typically very stable and rapid changes are uncommon. A fish species that inhabits a small puddle on the African savannah is usually very well adapted to withstand rapid changes, while marine fish species can die if the water temperature or chemistry of your aquarium alters quickly, even when the change is comparatively small. Vigorous filtration is therefore necessary, and you should combine mechanical, chemical and biological filtration. It is also important to avoid over feeding and uneaten food must be removed as soon as possible. A saltwater aquarium should ideally be at least 200 litres (55 gallons) since the large water mass will dilute potentially harmful compounds and keep the environment more stable.
There are three basic types of marine aquariums; Fish Only (FO), Fish with Live Rock (FWLR) and Reef Aquariums. Aquariums with squids, octopus, and jellyfish are very unusual. The reef aquarium is the most complicated set up of the three basic marine aquarium types. A lot of corals require intricate currents in the aquarium, since they are unable to remove their own waste products. In the ocean, such corals are typically found at the top of the reef where the surge will constantly sweep them free from waste.
