How To Setup a Saltwater Aquarium

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This is for anyone interested in learning how to set up a saltwater aquarium. Starting a saltwater aquarium doesn't have to be difficult. It just takes some effort on your part to learn about and research the necessary topics in order to have a good saltwater setup.

What do I need to start a saltwater aquarium?
Well, for the type of saltwater fish tank setup (marine aquarium) described in this article you will need the following equipment:
Aquarium
Aquarium Photo Background or Paint the background - see Aquarium Aquascape Design (http://www.fishlore.com/aquascape_ideas.htm) for more info on painting the tank background.
Aquarium substrate such as live sand or crushed coral
Live Rock
Saltwater Mix
Saltwater Hydrometer
Aquarium filter
Replacement filter media like filter floss and activated carbon
Multiple Powerheads (2 or 3)
Heater - be sure to get one large enough for the size tank you're getting
Protein Skimmer - See the equipment reviews section for protein skimmer reviews
Saltwater test kit(s) (http://www.fishlore.com/aquarium-water-test-kit.htm) to test water parameters and monitor the infamous aquarium nitrogen cycle
Saltwater fish food
Aquarium vacuum
Fish net
Rubber kitchen gloves
Aquarium Glass Scrubber
Two, clean, never used before, 5-gallon buckets
Aquarium thermometer
Brush with plastic bristles (old tooth brush) - needed for cleaning the live rock
Quarantine Tank for acclimating new arrivals and monitoring for signs of fish disease (http://www.fishlore.com/Disease_Saltwater.htm)
Power Strip

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Realize the responsibility, time and costs involved
A saltwater aquarium (http://www.fishlore.com/SaltwaterBeginners.htm) setup is just like having a dog or a cat when it comes to the amount of effort on your part. In order to have a successfully setup saltwater aquarium you will have to work at it. On a daily basis you will need to feed your saltwater fish and monitor the water parameters (temperature, nitrates, etc) and some of the aquarium equipment on your saltwater setup. Once a week, or at most once every month, you will need to perform some kind of aquarium maintenance (http://www.fishlore.com/Maintenance.htm) on your fish tank. Most of the time you will be performing water changes and water quality testing.
Cost is a very serious factor. Take the list above and research the prices of the various equipment needed to setup a saltwater fish tank. You will soon realize that a saltwater aquarium can cost significantly more to purchase than a freshwater aquarium setup (http://www.fishlore.com/FirstTankSetup.htm). Not to mention that saltwater fish are usually more expensive that their freshwater counterparts. You also need to understand that setting up a saltwater aquarium takes time. It often takes 4 to 8 weeks before you can add any marine fish safely to your marine aquarium setup.