First Time Aquarist Part 1 - Planning

You're the person who has been always eyeing those marine aquariums in the fish store when you visit, and slowly perusing the stunning variety of colorful fish available. Now with many people working from home, and looking for more homebound activities, there has never been a better time to jump into marine aquarium keeping. Becoming a marine hobbyist is very exciting, but can be a little nerve-racking at first since there is so much to know and understand. This is the first in a multi-part series for first time marine aquarists and today we start with a a few things to think about when you start planning to actually bring that tank home.

Choose your location wisely! The best spot in your home is a place of honor, where you will see and enjoy your aquarium everyday. Home offices are great, as are living rooms. Many people like bedrooms because they enjoy the soothing white noise an aquarium can deliver, but we suggest avoiding this as most people spend very little time awake in their bedrooms and so you just don't get to see the tank that much. Find a place out of direct sunlight which can spur on serious and difficult to control algae breakouts. There must be a power outlet (or a few) very near by as pumps and lights have to get plugged in somewhere! Lastly on the location front, good aquarium maintenance includes water changes on a regular basis, so having a sink not too far away can make hauling water, or pumping it, much less of a chore.

Next, put some research and thought into your upcoming aquarium purchase. While a 20 gallon desktop setup might satisfy all the requirements about location and budget, smaller aquariums can be harder to keep stable. Think about it this way, if you put a drop of food coloring in a cup of water, you get pink water, but if you put a drop of food coloring in a gallon of water, you don't even notice a change. Basically, as fish process food and leave waste in the tank, and as water evaporates, these changes effect smaller tanks more rapidly than larger tanks. For this reason, we like to suggest that first time marine aquarium owners start at a minimum of a 40 gallon aquarium,and more is generally better if you can fit it / afford it. There are many excellent choices for all-in-one systems these days, and your Local Fish Store can help you navigate these and more custom options. Do not be afraid to lean on their expertise and please support them when it comes time to buy.

The last thing on our pre-buy list is to plan your aquarium on the inside! What kind of fish are you interested in? Would you like to keep corals or other sessile (not moving) invertebrates? What are their needs? Are they a good fit for the aquarium you have space, time and budget for? Having a clear idea of your end goal will make for a more thoughtful and thriving display as well as more healthy aquarium inhabitants! This type of planning also allows you to start pre-buying some of your equipment. Things like tanks, lights, skimmers, filter media, dry substrate can all be bought over time, and then put together all at once, only biological additions need be planned on a timely basis. This allows you to take advantage of sales, and spread out your purchases over time (which is especially handy if you've decided to have a BIG aquarium!)

You will find that in many steps of this process that patience is the ultimate virtue, and this is especially true of the planning phase, so make some lists, draw some plans, ask a bunch of questions and get ready! In next week's article, we'll start talking about preparing your new purchase, and prepping for setup. Let's get you on the path to success with your new hobby!