As with any Aquarium the basics of positioning of the aquarium is still relevant.
These involve the following;
1. Ensuring the aquarium is away from any heat source (radiators or fire places).
2. Ensuring the aquarium is level so not to cause uneven pressure on the tank.
3. Ensuring the aquarium is not in direct sun light.
Size of the aquarium is also an important factor.
In choosing an aquarium some of the factors to bare in mind are;
1. The adult mature size of the fish you intend to keep.
2. The amount of fish you want to house in your aquarium.
3. Possibility of adding more fish in the future.
Once all these have been taken into account you can begin to make a start with setting up your aquarium.
The following steps will guide you through the final process of setting up your marine aquarium.
Lighting.
Marine aquariums require a more specialised lighting in comparison with cold and tropical aquariums.
There are 3 main types of lighting these are; Metal halide, T5 fluorescent and LED.
While all of these types are more than adequate LED are far more efficient in regards to running costs as they do not produce heat which means a lower power consumption.
Another advantage to LED lighting is replacing parts in the long term.
The life spans of each are;
Metal halide - up to 35,000 hours (8.7 years)
T5 fluorescent - up to 25,000 hours (6.2 years)
LED - over 50.000 hours (12.4 years)
(Years of usage are based on 11 hours per day)
Filtration.
Protein Skimmer
A protein skimmer is a very important piece of equipment to purchase. Get a good quality protein skimmer and place it in your sump or on the back of your tank if it is designed for it. Do not skimp on this. Often protein skimmers are under-rated for the size of tank, so in practice a skimmer rated for a 100 gallon tank is barely adequate for a 50 gallon reef tank (especially one with many fish that get fed a lot).
Do not bother with standard filters usually used with freshwater aquariums as they do not benefit marine reef aquariums by causing a build-up of nitrates on the media that can negatively affect the aquarium.
That being said, with regular cleaning and maintenance external filters can be used for carbon. This type of filter media can very useful in both fresh and salt water aquariums, The use of activated carbon in marine tanks is considered to be a form of chemical filtration. Working through absorption, activated carbon removes gelbstoff (the compounds that give water in an aquarium the yellow tint), some large organic molecules, medications, chlorine, pollutants and toxins, as well as many other types of chemical elements and compounds from the water that a protein skimmer or another means of filtration may not remove.Activated carbon can also remove the trace elements and minerals that are important to your fish, invertebrates and corals. A recent study has found that the heavy use of activated carbon in marine aquariums can cause Head & Lateral Line Erosion disease (most often seen on fish in the Surgeonfish Family). This can be avoided by using a trace element additive in the aquarium.
Preparing The Salt Water
Use only a good aquarium sea salt brand and purified water with a Reverse Osmosis or R0/DeIonization Filter. Another option is to fill the tank with RO/DI water and then add the salt. The importance of RO/DI system cannot be understated. Tap water can be used, but your aquarium is then at the mercy of whatever harmful chemicals may be in it. A good RO/DI system is not too expensive, and should be considered a necessity. A 100 gallon per day model is a good choice, because you won't have to wait too long to make purified water which is a nice convenience. If your tank is smaller you can purchase bottled RO water at your local store. Use of distilled water is not recommended as most distillation units use copper pipes. Copper is toxic to most invertebrates; including corals, decorative shrimp, etc.
Live Rock
Add live rock and arrange to your liking you will need approximately 20% of the aquariums total volume.
The rock can be placed on an aragonite sand bed, or alternatively you can add the rock prior to the sand.
Cycling the Aquarium
This means you will need to wait until the water tests negative for ammonia and nitrite. Inserting bits of frozen fish foods in the sand bed can speed the cycle. (This is unnecessary if you added live rock. There are plenty of dead crustaceans and worms already inside due to shipping). This may take 1 to 6 weeks. Algae blooms can be a natural part of the cycle. Check and make sure the salinity is stable at 1.023 to 1.026. This does not mean it can be 1.023 one day and 1.026 the next. Find the salinity you want and keep it at that level. 1.025-1.026 is the optimum salinity for corals; a lower salinity is inappropriate for inverts/coral. A fish only tank can be kept at 1.021-1.026. Compensate for evaporated water losses with RO/DI water. Keep the temperature, Calcium and Alkalinity levels stable. Do not use commercial "supplements" other than water changes unless you know what you are doing. Algae blooms are common for probably the first 6 months of your aquarium, so don't be alarmed to find new algae growing. Just keep it clean and do about a 10% water change every week. Once your tank is stable you may choose to slow down the water changes. Ensure the new water has been heated and mixed for a while in a separate container prior to putting it in your tank.
Adding the Fish and Invertebrates.
If this is your first reef aquarium, get just one to three inexpensive fish that will be compatible with a variety of other fish including any specific exotic kinds you may want later. Being inexpensive means not only that they will not be a big monetary loss if they die, but that they are strong (thus plentiful) and less likely to die. Being few (and small, which tends to go along with inexpensive) means they are unlikely to overload the biological filtration as you start out.
Adding Corals.
Most aquarists believe that it is best to wait a few months before adding coral as most corals are more sensitive than the fish that share the same aquarium.
A 'mature' tank is much more suitable for growing coral. A good rule of thumb is to watch your live rock. At some point you will notice your rock or your glass developing spots of purple. The purple encrustation you see is called coralline algae. The right conditions for coralline are correspondent with the right conditions for coral. You will see new crustaceans, worms, feather dusters, coralline and more. Once you see this marker, assuming your test kits still read 0 for ammonia and nitrite, and less than 20ppm for nitrate, you can begin to add coral.
Finished
Even though creating your own marine is time consuming and requires some effort and patience it will be worth it when you have a slice the most amazing eco-system in the world.