Saltwater
Marine tanks bring the color of the ocean home, from hardy fish-only systems to full coral reefs. They reward patience and stable water more than anything else.
Specific gravity for most reef tanks (about 35 ppt), measured with a refractometer.
Steady matters more than exact. Avoid daily swings of more than a degree or two.
Mix salt with purified reverse-osmosis water. Tap water can carry phosphate, nitrate and metals.
Time to cycle the tank and let it mature. Corals usually follow once the tank has been stable for a while.
Choose a style
Saltwater tanks range from fish-only systems to demanding coral reefs. Start with the corals and fish you want and the time you can give it.
Marine fish with live rock handling much of the biological filtration, without the demands of corals. Often called FOWLR.
Mushrooms, leathers, zoanthids and other forgiving corals alongside reef-safe fish.
Large-polyp stony corals like hammers, torches and brains, with big fleshy polyps and lots of movement.
Small-polyp stony corals such as Acropora and Montipora, prized for intense color and fast growth.
Compact tanks, often 10–30 gallons, with filtration, pump and heater hidden in a rear chamber.
A display tank plumbed to a second tank below, the sump, which holds the skimmer, heaters and other equipment.
Step by step
These are general guidelines. Needs vary by species, so check the specific fish and corals you plan to keep.
This one choice drives your lighting, flow, filtration and budget. A fish-only tank or a soft coral reef is a gentle place to start.
Choose an all-in-one tank or a display with a sump, then plan heating, water movement with powerheads, lighting suited to your corals, and a protein skimmer for most reef tanks.
Mix reef salt into RO/DI water to a specific gravity of 1.025–1.026 and check it with a refractometer. Top off evaporation with fresh RO/DI water only: salt stays behind when water evaporates.
Stack rock into a stable structure with open space for water to flow, add sand, then cycle with an ammonia source and bottled bacteria. A brief algae "ugly phase" afterward is completely normal.
Start with snails and hermit crabs, then add hardy fish slowly. Quarantining new fish before they join the display prevents many common diseases.
Begin with soft corals. Test alkalinity, calcium, magnesium and nitrate on a schedule and keep a log so you can spot changes early.
See how it works
Keep learning
When you are ready to pick out supplies, everything we carry is in one place. Questions first? Call (215) 269-4930 or visit us at 4501 New Falls Rd, Levittown.
