Setting up a saltwater aquarium at home is like  diving into exotic waters of the world. Everyday is like an underwater adventure. No more dreaming of fascinating coral reef under the seas of Marianas or great beaches of the pacific. A marine aquarium allows you to experience life under water without living the comfort of your home. Aside from the elegance it contributes to our surroundings, this hobby can be therapeutic. 

Do you have insomnia or high blood pressure? Or are you living a stressful life? Have you heard about aquarium therapy? Keeping a saltwater aquarium may be good therapy for you. Studies shows that gazing at aquarium fish reduces stress, anxiety and relatively lowers blood pressure. Watching fishes and corals in an aquarium seem to have a significant effect in reducing levels of stress and anxiety to a lot of people. This compelling studies was made known since the late 80s. Scientists have compared the outcome of hypnosis versus an aquarium, whether it is fish-filled aquariums or fish-less versus no aquarium at all.  In every case, having aquarium lowered blood pressure.  Oddly enough, greater decrease in blood pressure happens when there are fishes in the tank, versus decorated, but fish-less aquarium. There are definitely a lot health benefits from owning an aquarium fish tank. 

However, there are also some environmental issues. The question here is this - are we really  harming the ocean by keeping a marine aquarium? We will definitely say NO. Of course not! If you are a responsible marine aquarist then you are doing both your saltwater  aquarium inhabitants and the people that benefit on your saltwater aquarium good. 

coral frag propagation

Captive-bred specimens like clown-fish are becoming increasingly common as a practical alternative. While corals are usually frag to propagate it. The bad effect of taking corals off from the sea bed is starting to take its effect on mother nature. Fragmenting corals or fragging is the best way for us to enjoy our marine aquarium hobby without harming the ocean. 

In the late 70s, new technologies like canister filters, protein skimmers plus, ultraviolet sterilizers and artificial sea salt  allowed  marine aquarium  hobbyists to keep these sea living jewels alive like they are under the sea. What we can do now is support organizations that deals with  cyanide and dynamite fishing and other harmful man activities towards the ocean. WWF via its "Better Choices" program, understands that the trade in marine inhabitants is a vital economic driver. We are glad that this program has vigilantly managed to spare reefs additional damage and has reduce post-harvest mortality rates. In addition to that, we(marine aquarium  hobbyists )  must be vigilant and see to it that we spare marine life from taking more damage.

dynamite fishing

Saltwater aquarium differs from its freshwater counterpart due to the essential variations in the constitution of a marine tank and the life  of its inhabitants, we are not just talking mainly on fish here. A stable saltwater  aquarium needs a lot more equipment than freshwater set up, and typically requires more intelligent water quality inspection. Marine aquarium set up are further divided by the hobbyists into fish only set- up (FO), fish only with live rock set- up (FOWLR), and  reef tank. Fish only set- up often display large and aggressive marine fish that typically rely on mechanical/chemical filtration. FOWLR and reef tanks, on the other hand, use live rock, a material consists of coral skeletons holding valuable nitrogen waste metabolizing microorganisms, as a way of more organic biological filtration. In our tank, we added inhabitants week after week. (What Kind of Marine Inhabitant Should I Add First?)  

Setting up a marine aquarium might appear to be quite a scary task, but is fairly easily attainable granted you adhere to a few but correct procedures. One beneficial attitude of a saltwater aquarium hobbyist is patience. So let's journey together!