Easy Marine water tank setup

As you know that there is quite lot of market hype about the setup of a marine tank and how to maintain it. The way it is portrayed that its very difficult to create and maintain a beautiful marine aquaria. My experiment was to create a low cost low tech easy to keep marine aquaria where most of the habitat is from the Mother Nature and not to destroy the nature by acquiring resources from Coral Reef.


I am going to now elaborate on how I have done it.


I have used my freshwater aquarium instead of buying a new one. I took out all the gravels water and all the metallic component in it. I gave away my freshwater fishes to one my friend (he will be a firs time aquarist) and then I stared buy my essentials –


1. One triple pack SEAR Marine salt (can produce 120Ltr salt water) = 50Dhs(my aquarium is of 60ltr, so I can make the first water as well as will have some stock for some future water change.

2. One 100Watt Heater – 50Dhs

3. One hydro meter – 10Dhs

4. Test kit – to test pH and Ammonia/Nitrate = 30Dhs

5. I have used my old filter power head as my power head here to produce water circulation.(you can buy a small power head with about 20Dhs)

6. I have used existing CFL light (60watts) as I am not going to keep CORALs yet. The new one will cost you with 15Dhs)

7. I have used 2Kgs of live rock and about 4Kgs of rock which I made myself , the Live rock costed me 50Dhs and while making the rocks I spent around 15Dhs

8. One Thermometer (10Dhs)

9. One simple air stone Protein Schemer (35Dhs)

Total Cost (approx) for the new setup = 250Dhs, if you buy a new aquarium and crushed coral to create the bed it will cost you another 200DHs approx.

So the maximum cost for a 15Gallon(60lts) saltwater aquarium is still less than 500Dhs. If you are doing the same in India it will never cost you more than 3000.00Rs and depending on your location you can safely omit the heater to begin with.

Now, lets start -
First clean the aquarium with water and wipe it dry with a clean cloth. Pour your water (about 60Lts), and now pour the salt (read the manufacturer instruction about the amount required to achieve the desired salinity). Mix the salt well with water. Use your hydro meter to see the salinity. Your salinity should read 1.020 to 1.023 (most of common float type hydrometer will have a GREEN band to indicate that the salinity is correct). Based on the reading either you dilute your salt water with fresh water or add salt. Once its done – add in your substrate (crushed coral). Now switch on the power head and switch on the heater. Set your heater temperature to about 26 – 28 Deg Celsius. You will see cloudy water – don’t worry about it. Leave your aquarium like that and now you can order your live rock. The live rock may take some time to come so make sure your aquarium is ready with the water and set in proper temperature before you add in your live rock. Once you get the live rock add them in aquarium with your own artificial rocks (you can even use any rock which is light weight and porous , lime stone is a good choice. If you reside near sea shore you can go and collect some dead coral or rock from there. Clean them properly and then add them to you aquarium with the live rock. Be creative here and try to create a nice looking reef like structure.

OK, so far so good – you are now into the tank cycling process. Your target here to achive a ph of ab0ut 8.1 to 8.4 and nitrite to almost 0 to 5ppm. You can kick start the cycle by adding AMMOVEC from SERA (it’s a bacteria culture) else you can simple put a small piece of raw shrimp in the aquarium and let it decay there. Check the ammonia and ph now. You will see very high ammonia. Don’t worry – just be patient here, the cycle may take any where between 3 to 4 weeks. Every alternate day now keep testing for ammonia and ph and keep waiting till you get Ammonia almost 0 and ph around 8.1 to 8.4 . In next 7-14 days be a chemist and keep testing your water.

ONCE you have got your nitrate level to almost ZERO that’s day you are ready to add in your fish to your tank. But before that you can change about 10% water. Make salt water as you have done earlier and now you can siphon out about 10% water and add in your new water. Check the nitrate again and if the readings are OK , head for FISH shop.


Now – I will suggest you buy a pair of Blue Damsel and may be a pair of CLOWN FISH . Do not buy any more fish now.

Come home , take the packet – throw away all the water from the packet and gently put the fish into your tank. Switch on you skimmer now. Let the skimmer run for about 6hrs day every day from now on. Once you accumulate the ‘junk’ in the collection cap you may clean them.

Switch on the lights – make sure you light about 10hrs a day now and feed the fish sparingly. Check for the food which fishes are enjoying. Marine fish require varied food . You may start with some flakes/dried worms or frozen shrimps etc.

From now you need check for your water level as with time water will evaporate from the tank and which will increase the salinity of the tank. You need to refill the tank with freshwater. Yes freshwater not salt water. As water evaporates leaving the salt behind. Every day you might need to add in a little water (I do it every alternate day).

Now as your aquarium keeps growing old – you can add more expensive lights / filter etc and perhaps become a reefer someday!!!

Anyway – for now enjoy your aquarium. Look at the face of your little ones when they see the live little brilliantly colored ‘NEMO’ swimming around the rocks in your aquarium!!

Don’t get scared , don’t listen to so called experienced shop keepers – trust me Saltwater aquariums are easy to keep and maintain!!!

Aridam