Setting Up a Saltwater Wall Aquarium

Substrate & Un-Cured Live Rock Preparation:

Cured Live Rock Preparation

Saltwater Preparation

Decor and Component Installation:

Decorate your wall aquarium with plants, ornaments and live rock.
Hide filter with a tall, bushy plant.
Install and plug in heater on bottom right hand corner and set to 75 degrees.
Install filter on the right, close to the top. (do not plug in)
Install filter on the left, close to the bottom. (do not plug in)
Install and plug in mini power head on the left side above the filter. The mini power head replaces the air pump, air diffuser, check valve and airline tubing.
Install light tubes but do not plug in.
Install thermometer on the left side.
Continue to fill the wall aquarium with the instant ocean mix you prepared earlier.
Plug in the heater and the mini power head only.

Testing Salinity

Use your hydrometer or refractometer to check the salinity. If your wall aquarium is going to have fish only the reading you want is between 1.021 - 1.023
If your salinity reading is too low - - not enough salt.
If your salinity reading is too high - - too much salt.
Adjusting Salinity (All adjustments should be small)
To correct a low salinity, siphon out 2 gallons. Measure out instant ocean mix for 2 gallons of water, add water, stir well and then add to your wall aquarium. Wait 20-30 minutes and test the salinity again.
To correct high salinity, siphon out 2 gallons, add 2 gallons of freshwater and test again in a 20-30 minutes.

Setup

Once you reached the correct salinity range plug in all the components (filters and lights) and set the timer.

Maintenance

Monthly

Every 2 Months

Points to remember:

Items You’ll Need:

5 gallon bucket 

Instant Ocean Salt   - Instant Ocean® is the most carefully formulated synthetic sea salt in the world…the preferred choice of hobbyists and professionals. And it's scientifically tested and performance-certified by Marineland Labs - your assurance of superior quality, consistency and value. Instant Ocean contains every major, minor, and trace element necessary for the health of your marine animals. It provides a clear solution in minutes...quickly achieving and maintaining the perfect pH for your aquarium. The convenient one-part formulation is ideal for mixing complete packages or small quantities easily - no special additives required.  http://www.marineland.com/products/consumer/con_iosalts.asp

Hydrometer - Accurate reliable water test equipment is absolutely vital to creating and sustaining a healthy, successful marine environment. Easy to read and simple to operate, Marineland's Instant Ocean Hydrometer delivers precise full-range salinity and specific gravity readings - accurate to 0.001 - and does it each time, every time. And thanks to the new improved design, you won't even get your hands wet!  Ideal for use in water temps of 68º - 85º , Accurate to +/- 0.001 , Durable, permanent needle mount, Easy-Read, 2 color scale with safe zone, Extra-Wide stabilizer base, Easy-Fill convenience.  http://www.aquariumsystems.com/testing.htm         

1.  RO Filtered Water -  Reverse Osmosis system filters raw tap water through a 5-micron particle, removing dirt, rust and various sediments. The carbon briquette cartridge filter of the reverse osmosis system removes 98% of organic chemicals and chlorine. In the reverse osmosis system’s next stage, the 1-micron sediment filter removes multi-chemical compounds and the RO membrane separates 95% to 99% of dissolved contaminates from water molecules.   RO water, however, is not nearly as pure as de ionized water. http://www.kentmarine.com/waterfilters/fullhif.html   

3. DI Filtered water  -   De ionized system filters raw tap water, removing copper, zinc, phosphate, nitrite, nitrate and other hard metals.   Many aquarists run their RO water through the DI Filter to scavenge out the traces of nitrate, phosphate, silicate, etc. that the RO lets through. http://www.kentmarine.com/waterfilters/d200r.html                        

4. Tap Water Filtered water -  An easy-to-use, single-cartridge tap water filtration system that removes impurities from tap water, making perfect, de ionized aquarium water.   Filter resin changes color when it's time to replace cartridge.  Used cartridge can be replaced without tools in minutes. Comes fully assembled and attaches to any faucet in seconds.   Includes 4 oz. bottles of Electro-Right and pH Adjuster to treat the filtered water, faucet adapter and tubing.                                

Test Kits  -  fasTesT^® wall aquarium test kits make saltwater testing easier than ever before for the beginning hobbyist as well as the experienced aquarist.  The one piece color chip comparator is easier to use than any other saltwater test kit available. The durable wide-mouth holder has more room for adding the test chemicals and is more stable to prevent spilling. Foil packets protect the granular test chemicals from light and moisture and keep them fresh indefinitely.  Kits are available for pH, Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrate, Alkalinity, and Copper, as well as a Multi-kit and refill chemicals.   http://www.aquariumsystems.com/testing.htm#fastest  

Substrate - Florida Crushed Coral, Geo-Marine Formula:  It’s the only crushed coral with aragonite, which provides up to 25 times the buffering power of other crushed corals, dolomite or oyster shell. Eliminate chronic pH problems and provide maximum surface area for water purifying bacteria. CaribSea’s Florida Crushed Coral with aragonite allows an increase in bio load by up to 50% and it never needs replacement! Apr2-5mm diameter (1/8 - 1/4”). 
http://www.carib-sea.com/pages/products/marine/substrate/aragonite.html 

Some customers prefer to use a sand while others prefer to use a combination of sand and crushed coral.  Seaflor Special Grade Reef Sand^TM From CaribSea   is 1.25 - 1.95 mm diameter grain size. A revolution in reef-keeping! There are many articles about this product in all the hobbyist publications.   This grade of aragonite is specifically engineered for plenum-type nitrate reducing beds (A plenum is an empty space under the substrate)  or anywhere a deeper bed is called for.       http://www.carib-sea.com/pages/products/marine/substrate/aragonite.html

**Note – Use your 5 gallon bucket to rinse the crushed coral and sand.  It’s very important that the crushed coral and sand be rinsed before adding to your wall aquarium. 

Stability™  -  Contains a synergistic blend of aerobic, anaerobic, and facultative bacteria which facilitate the breakdown of waste organics, ammonia, and nitrate. Stability™ will rapidly and safely establish the aquarium bio filter in freshwater and marine systems, thereby preventing the #1 cause of fish death: "new tank syndrome". Stability™ is formulated specifically for the aquarium and contains a synergistic blend of aerobic, anaerobic, and facultative bacteria which facilitate the breakdown of waste organics, ammonia, and nitrate. Unlike competing products, the bacteria employed by Stability™ are non-sulfur fixing and will not produce toxic hydrogen sulfide. Stability™ is completely harmless to all aquatic organisms as well as aquatic plants, thus there is no danger of over use. Stability™ is the culmination of nearly a decade of research and development and represents the current state of the art in natural biological management.   This product does not require refrigeration, has a 4 year shelf life and requires a 7 day treatment. http://www.seachem.com/products/product_pages/Stability.html 

Fritz Guard - Neutralizes chlorine, chloramines and toxic metals. Fortified with necessary electrolytes, Fritz Guard™ contains Aloe Vera and Vitamin E.   Fritz Guard™ enhances bio filtration by producing a coat over the biological media, aiding in the bacteria’s attachment.   Most importantly, Fritz Guard™ adds an extra slime coat to protect your fish. The slime coat is a fish’s natural defense system.  Secreted by mucous glands, the slime coat protects fish from disease and reduces stress caused by sudden changes in the environment.   http://www.fritzpet.com/fritzguard.html  

Trace Elements - This unique formula contains all the vitamins and minerals required by marine life.   Formulated by marine biologists, this unique blend contains trace elements which are absorbed by the fish and invertebrates.  Fritz Trace Elements are strongly recommended for closed systems and hobbyists performing water changes less than once every 2 weeks.  Benefits of using a good trace element solution include fish color enhancement, faster growth and earlier maturation.   http://www.fritzpet.com/saltwateradd.html

Liquid Marine Buffer™  - Will safely raise marine pH to 8.3 while adjusting alkalinity.  It will not raise pH above 8.3 even if inadvertently overdosed. Liquid Marine Buffer™ contains a balanced blend of bicarbonate, carbonate and borate salts designed to raise pH and restore disrupted buffer systems to the proper balance.  http://www.seachem.com/products/product_pages/L_MarineBuffer.html  

Microbe Lift Special Blend – Keeps your wall aquarium’s water clean and clear longer, eats organic waste, removes odor and breaks down the residue that forms on your substrate. 

Paraguard -   The only fish and filter safe aldehyde based (10% by weight) parasite control product available. Unlike highly toxic and difficult to use formalin based medications, ParaGuard™ contains no formaldehyde or methanol and will not alter pH. ParaGuard™ employs a proprietary, synergistic blend of aldehydes, malachite green, and fish protective polymers that effectively and efficiently eradicates many ectoparasites (e.g. ich, etc.) and external fungal/bacterial/viral lesions (e.g., fin rot). It is particularly useful in hospital and receiving tanks for new fish and whenever new fish are introduced to a community tank.  http://www.seachem.com/products/product_pages/ParaGuard.html 

Purigen™ - A premium synthetic adsorbent that is unlike any other filtration product.   It is not a mixture of ion exchangers or adsorbents, but a unique macro-porous synthetic polymer that removes soluble and insoluble impurities from water at a rate and capacity that exceeds all others by over 500%.   This is why a protein skimmer is not’t necessary with our wall aquarium.  Purigen™ controls ammonia, nitrites and nitrates by removing nitrogenous organic waste that would otherwise release these harmful compounds.  Purigen’s™ impact on trace elements is minimal.  It polishes water to unparalleled clarity.  http://www.seachem.com/products/product_pages/Purigen.html  

Bio-Chem Stars® - Provides a home for massive colonies of nitrifying bacteria that rapidly develop the biological filter in your wall aquarium.  Space-age porous polymer allows for rapid transfer of oxygen and water.   

**Note – Always remember that your biological filtration media needs the cleanest water possible in your wall aquarium filters.  Biological media is always in the top section of your filter after all mechanical and chemical filtration. 

Aqua Pure Phosphate Pad - is impregnated with special phosphate-absorbing particles to pull phosphates from aquarium
water. The use of phosphate filter media will reduce the need for frequent water changes & reduce many other mechanical filter applications.  

PhosGuard™ - Rapidly removes phosphate and silicate from marine and freshwater aquaria.  PhosGuard™ is highly porous for high capacity and bead-shaped for optimum water flow. It outperforms all competing products.   http://www.seachem.com/products/product_pages/PhosGuard.html 

Poly Bio Marine’s POLY-FILTER -  Filters and Purifies the water in your wall aquarium.   The POLY-FILTER is made impervious to salt and is also organic loving to certain materials.   It absorbs and adsorbs contaminants and other toxic materials found in the water of your wall aquarium.  The POLY-FILTER is non-toxic and harmless to biological filtration because it allows a sufficient amount of ammonia to reach the biological filter in order to sustain the bacteria culture. The POLY-FILTER provides a supplemental means for removal of ammonia when the biological filter is unable to break down the excess ammonia and its concentration increases rapidly. Then the POLY-FILTER adsorbs the excess ammonia while the biological filter readjusts to higher ammonia input levels.   This is another reason why a protein skimmer is not necessary with our wall aquarium - -  BECAUSE OF THIS UNIQUE FILTERING CHARACTERISTIC, THE POLY-FILTER ELIMINATES THE NEED AND EXPENSE OF  PROTEIN SKIMMERS.     http://www.poly-bio-marine.com/polyprod.htm  

GRAVEL-VAC AQUARIUM CLEANER – Has an Innovative cleaner-head design for more efficient, a built in fish / gravel guard, and an extra long tube for cleaning your wall aquarium.  http://www.aquariumpros.com/c-ATwc.html

Siphon Tube – Use this tool along with your 5 gallon bucket to drain water / perform partial water change. 

Magical Cleaning Rod with 34 inch handle – Comes with three interchangeable tools that scrapes algae and removes wastes.  http://www.oscarent.com 

Feed-n-Wax- Prevents drying and cracking while preserving the wood finish. Feed-N-Wax is a special blend of beeswax, carnauba wax, and orange oil. It enhances the natural beauty and depth of grain in finished and unfinished wood.  http://www.howardproducts.com/feednwax.htm