In order to set up a saltwater reef aquarium the first thing you need to do is make sure it is ecologically balanced. This will help to retain the natural beauty of the ocean because that’s what you are recreating in your home or office. If you overstock the aquarium by putting too many fish in it or add too much variety, it will undermine the eco system you are trying to create. Keep reading to find out all you need to know about stocking the aquarium correctly.
There is no exact science that dictates exactly how to stock the saltwater reef aquarium, but there are general principles that can be followed to make sure it all works out properly. The first factor to be considered is the size of the fish, large fish will occupy more space, eat more and make more waste matter.
With this in mind, the general rule of thumb is 2 inches of fish to every ten gallons of water if the fish are small to medium in size. For the larger fish, go with 1 inch of fish to every 10 gallons of water. For example, you can stock an 80 gallon tank with 16 inches of small fish or 8 inches of large fish.
DALLAS AQUARIUM EXPERTS 