Setting Up Your Clownfish Aquarium
Setting up a clownfish aquarium is virtually the same as preparing a tank for any marine life. The only difference will be in the size of the tank. A pair of clowns can thrive in a 30 gallon tank if they are the only marine life other than your clean up crew. With this size tank, you won’t need to spend hundreds, or even thousands on equipment to keep the conditions optimal.
What You Will Need
- Tank – Minimum 30 Gallons(29)
- Water – Reverse osmosis water is best and can be purchased at most supermarkets
- Sand – 1 lbs. per gallon
- Live Rock – 1.5 – 2 lbs. per gallon
- Filter – Optional
- Protein Skimmer
- Pump – 1 -2 100 gallon per hour for circulation
- Heater – 75 Watts per gallon (roughly)
- Lighting – 1-2 fluorescent bulbs should be do
- Marine Salt
- Thermometer
- Refractometer – This test the amount of salt within your water (gravity)
- Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrate and pH Test Kits
First, You’ll want to clean everything that will go into The Aquarium by soaking them in a saltwater bath, then rinse them with another fresh saltwater mix. Next, find the location in which your tank will be placed. Remember to stay away from windows, as sunlight will cause algae growth. You shouldn’t be using any types of aerosol’s or other chemicals around your tank because it could contaminate your water. Keep this in mind when choosing a location for your tank.
After you have all of your equipment cleaned and your tank is resting in a permanent location, you will want to add the live rock. Adding the rock before the sand will ensure that any digging that may occur near the base of your rock will not cause a potentially fatal collapse. Once you have your rock situated, it is time to add sand. It is recommended to have about 1 lbs. of sand per gallon. However, use enough to get the sand bed 3-4 inches deep at minimum.
Now we need to mix our saltwater. Using a brand new container to prevent contamination, begin adding your water. Slowly add salt per the manufacturers specifications, while checking the gravity frequently with your refractometer. You will also want to add your pump into the container and let it aerate overnight to remove excess CO2. You can add your heater to get the water up to temperature during this process as well.
Using a sanitized plate or bowl at the bottom of your tank to avoid destroying your sand bed, slowly add the seawater mix to your tank, aiming for said plate/bowl. Fill your tank to within about 6-8 inches from the top to avoid overflow when adding the rest of your components. Once you have it filled we will begin adding the rest of your equipment.
First, add your heater. Be sure not to plug this in before it is completely submerged or it will burn up, then set it to about 79 F. Next, add your filter, skimmer and pump, then turn them all on. Your aquarium may be cloudy for several hours until everything settles. At that time you will want to take a test of the water to see where your levels are at.
Now your clownfish aquarium is all set up and running, but it isn’t quite ready for fish yet. You will need to allow your tank to cycle for at least a month before your water chemistry is stable enough to support them. We won’t go into details on how to cycle your aquarium quickly and efficiently, because this topic is deserving of its own article. For now I suggest keeping an eye on your chemical levels and reading upon the cycling process. Before you know it you will have a beautiful, stable habitat for your clowns and any other beautiful marine species you choose to keep.
About the Author
To learn more about your clownfish aquarium and the cycling process, visit Kelli’s website About Clownfish. Here you will find vital information regarding mating, feed, buying, diseases and more.
All the Best,
Kelli Heilmann
My 225 Gallon Aquarium
