SeaQuariums FAQ's
Preparation and Planning:

This is the hardest, but most important step in the set up of any aquarium system, so take your time. We recommend you set up your system in the room where you spend most of your time. It made for a beautiful system; so much so that when we had company no one would leave the kitchen. Once you have decided where you are going to put your system, watch that area off and on all day on a nice sunny day. If possible avoid any area that gets direct sunlight. That is not to say your system cannot get sunlight, but if you can avoid this do so. Now comes the fun part.

We recommend you buy the largest system your budget and space allow for. Believe it when we say a larger system is easier to maintain. There are many areas where you can save money in starting your marine system, but our aquarium and filter system re not among these. We suggest if you decide on a 55 gallon system you purchase a filter system with a minimum capacity of a 100 gallon tank. For planning purposes you will need 1 damsel per 10 gallon tank capacity to cycle your filter system. These will cost about $7.00 each. If you are setting up a reef system, you can plan on needing about 15 pounds of live rock per 10 gallons of tank capacity, which you can do over time. Live rock will cost 5 to 10 dollars per pound.

There are a couple of items you will need to purchase from your local hardware store. For a fish only tank you will need a timer, for a reef tank you will need two.Your system will be healthier and happier if your lights are on timers. You will also need a power strip for a fish only tank and two for a reef. If the household circuit you will be using is not a gfi circuit, these power strips must be.

Hydrometers:

Most hydrometers available to the hobbyist are not very accurate. When we sell one we use an extremely accurate hydrometer to calibrate the customers. Of all the hydrometers we have sold, only three have been dead on! We have seen them off as much as .003. We have had customers complain that they cant get their salt level stable. They did not realize temperature affects the readings of their hydrometer. Most hydrometers are accurate at 74-76 degrees. Therefore do not use surface water if you want a good reading.

Temperature:

We recommend 74-76. How 'bout that, that is where the hydrometer is accurate. One of our customers was told, by someone else, to raise their temperature to 82-84. They did. The next morning they had some very dead, very expensive fish. As the temp goes up the amount of dissolved oxygen the water can hold goes down.