Saltwater Aquarium Kits
Often the best way for a beginner to get started with saltwater fish keeping is to purchase a saltwater aquarium kit. These kits are put together by the aquarium store and will contain everything you need to begin creating your beautiful saltwater marine aquarium.
Because it can be somewhat overwhelming for an inexperienced person to set up an entire aquarium from scratch, saltwater aquarium kits take the stress and uncertainty out of exactly what you should purchase to start with and what can be added at a later date.
The best kits will come with a decent sized aquarium tank and this will generally be the most expensive component. Other things you might find in a saltwater aquarium kit package include backdrops (these can be foam or simply a laminated poster), fish food, heater, filter, hydrometer, saltwater mix, live rock (optional), thermometer, filter media such as activated carbon, power strip, brushes or scrubbers, substrate and anything else which the store chooses to place in the kit.
Some fish stores will also give you some fish to get started with, if the tank is already running in the store. If you are starting from scratch then you will need to run in the tank before adding fish, so do not purchase fish on the first day. Often you will be advised to wait up to several weeks before adding fish to the tank. This is called cycling the tank.
Saltwater aquarium kits are highly recommended for beginners or those who simply don't have time to purchase all the parts and accessories separately. Please speak to your local aquarium store specialist to discover which kit is right for your needs.