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Essential Equipment for Saltwater Aquariums

Discover the must-have items for your saltwater tank, from gravel substrate for decoration and biological filtration to heaters, thermometers, and air pumps. Learn about the importance of hood, lights, biological, chemical, and mechanical filtration systems. Get insights on water chemistry, salinity, nitrogen compounds, and tips to maintain a healthy aquatic environment.

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Essential Equipment for Saltwater Aquariums

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  1. Saltwater Aquariums

  2. Equipment The essential items for your tank

  3. Gravel (Substrate) • Purposes: • decoration • biological filter • sand is especially good • provides hold for possible plants • maintain pH level of water • Crushed shells

  4. Heaters • Needed for tropical organisms • 78º F is ideal. • Thermometers • Monitors the temperature of the tank

  5. Air Pumps • simply bubbles air into the water • provides dissolved oxygen for animals to breath • NOT necessary if your tank maintains adequate water movement together with surface agitation (provided by the falling water from the filter).

  6. Hood • prevents organisms from escaping • keeps water from evaporating so quickly and keeps salt spray inside tank • Lights • bring out the colors of your fish • If you have plants, provides necessary energy for growth

  7. Biological Filtration (living) • MANDATORY! • Certain species of bacteria break down toxic nitrogen compounds • Synthetic bacteria occurs naturally in: • Substrate • Bioballs • Biowheel

  8. Chemical Filtration (chemicals) • Added to mechanical method • activated carbon (charcoal) • placed inside filters which maintains clear water quality • UV sterilizer • Eliminates bacteria, algae and protozoans in the water.

  9. Mechanical Filtration (machine) • Removes solids or particulate matter before they can be decomposed • Examples: • filter pads • Sponges • protein skimmer • nets

  10. Saltwater Aquariums What You’ll Need to Know to take care of a tank

  11. Water Chemistry • Common Chemistry Tests • pH: 7.5 – 8.4 • Temperature : 77 - 80 • Salinity – 1.020 – 1.023 or 27 ppt – 32ppt • Nitrogen tests – 0 ppm • Most important ways to fix salinity and nitrogen problems: • Filtration • Water changes – dilution method

  12. Salinity • Define: total amount of dissolved salts in water • Maintained by: • Adding freshwater or saltwater • Measured by • Hydrometer uses specific gravity

  13. Nitrogen Compounds • Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrate • Should all be around 0 ppm • Measured by paper or chemical tests • Could be high if: • Cycling of tank is not complete • Too much food • Too many fish

  14. BONUS: Predict the time period that would be best to add fish to a tank. Explain why you pick that time period. Use evidence from the graph. • Write it at the bottom of your paper!

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