My saltwater aquarium setup: my slice of the ocean
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If we met in person, I guarantee I’d talk endlessly about one thing that brings me joy every single day: my saltwater aquarium. There’s something magical about having a living, breathing slice of the ocean in your bedroom. Watching the vibrant colors of the coral, fish, and anemones come to life feels like a peaceful escape into my biologist/mermaid/mother-of-fishes dream. Plus, it helps you develop patience as you acclimate fish, mature your system, and understand the animals. It all takes time, and each day brings a different experience. I’d love to share a little about my aquarium setup and why my underwater world is so special to me.
About me
First, let me introduce myself so you can get a sense of my passion for the reef I’m creating. I’m a biologist who loves everything about the marine environment. I’ve worked with sea turtles, whales, dolphins, corals, and ornamental fish. At university, I spent a lot of time with my closest friends—the fish—and that’s where the dream of creating my own reef at home really started. Working with ornamental fish, I gained experience in management and larval rearing, including zooplankton and phytoplankton. Most of my research has focused on the rearing, behavior, and conservation of the Brazilian seahorse (Hippocampus reidi), but that hasn’t stopped me from keeping an eye on all the other fish in the lab.
This year, I’m getting my master’s degree in aquaculture, still working with seahorses—this time with my captive-bred babies! And I finally had the courage to start my own reef tank so go easy with me I’m new in this aquarium hobbyist world. Since I spend most of my time in the lab, I’m used to saltwater setups. We collect sterilized marine water from a nearby beach for the lab, so I just bring some gallons home every couple of days.
The tank setup
The first step to fulfill my reef dreams was starting the aquarium. So I got a 60L aquarium, an OceanTech 100W heater, a 2000 L/hour wavemaker pump, and a canister SUNSUN HBL 803 filter (500L/hour, 220V) – where the nitrifying bacteria stay inside the media materials (ceramic) to keep the aquarium parameters okay – and put some perlon layers in it to help with the mechanic filtration, my LED light was from my boyfriend and I think they don’t even sell it anymore it’s a Soma Tech that mimics day and night. I used the Nature Ocean Samoa pink and some natural broken shells for the sand. I also got some natural rocks that I glued in a central island format. With these aquarium items, I started the maturation process and a few months later my fish family came home.
The Soul of my reef
Maroon clownfish in my tank
My first clownfish (child), Amnesia. Amnesia’s 2-year-old Premnas biaculeatus (Maroon clownfish – with her very unique and rare variation that doesn’t fit in any variation I know haha – she’s SO beautiful), she was born and reared in the lab, it was love at first sight. She has this unique personality, or maybe it’s her mother’s point of view, but she is friendly and the opposite of Maroon’s fame, she gets along just fine with her brother and sister. She loves surfing the currents and tossing sand everywhere. One of the coolest parts of having Amnesia is watching her interact with my anemones (Jorel and Jorel’s brother – they got these names after a Brazilian cartoon). They’re her safe space, and there’s something magical about seeing her snuggle up with them or feeding them. You can see the mutual trust between them, which adds another layer of life to the tank. But be aware: don’t get close to her anemones or she’ll lose her friendly personality and come your way – as the other fishes know very well now. Have a look at Carly’s article to know more about the clownfish diet.
Dottyback: The Dynamic Duo
Early in April this year I got the chance to help in a Dottyback Pseudochromis fridmani larviculture at the lab, we used microalgae, rotifer, copepods nauplii and later on Artemia to their larviculture. I fell in love with these two beautiful fishes that I named Mrs. Pink and Mr. Floyd as a way to honor one of my favorite bands ever. Those rich, vibrant purple shades are hypnotizing! And guess what? Last month they started spawning in the aquarium and for Amnesia (and the anemone’s joy), they ate all the eggs that flowed away because of the wavemaker (the anemone got SO beautiful after that it’s crazy). They love to stake out territories in my rock formations and can be quite playful with each other at times. One thing about P. fridmani is their love for hidey-holes. If you’re planning on adding them to your tank, make sure they’ve got plenty of caves and crevices to explore, and as soon as they get their hiding spots they start to spawn. Their darting and gliding movements are a real joy to watch, and they make the tank feel lively, colorful, and energetic
Waves of Color: The Magic of Corals and Anemones in the Reef
After that, it was time to give Amnesia an even better home so it was anemone time.
Rainbow Bubble Tip Anemone
I got a Rainbow Bubble Tip Anemone. To my surprise and delight the anemone started splitting the week she got here and now Amnesia has two homes. My rose bubble tips are one of the highlights of the tank. They add that vibrant pop of red-pink, sometimes they are huge, and watching their tentacles gently sway with the water is nothing short of mesmerizing. The relationship they share with Amnesia just adds another layer of harmony to the tank, it’s so cool to watch Amnesia feeding them.
Corals
The next step for this reef to start was the corals we needed to see in it. Here in Brazil, corals and the aquarium world are still a little expensive and a not-so-usual hobby, so it took me a while to be able to get one as, unfortunately, we aren’t working with them right now in the lab and I couldn’t bring that home as I did with the fishes. I got two hard corals that add structure, color, and texture to the scene, and I know hard corals are challenging to care for, I’m still learning but I like the challenge. I love how they contrast with the rest of the aquarium and their colors make it all so hypnotizing. The first one is a Hollywood Stunner Chalice (Echinopora lamellosa) and the second is a Kryptonite Candy Cane Coral (Caulastrea furcata). As I wish for them to grow I have been bringing home some microalgae and zooplankton such as Artemia, copepods, and rotifer plus the bailing I bought for them. They seem fine and beautiful and I’m hoping for them to grow healthy. I wish to put more coral in the aquarium but I’m still deciding which, I think I’m going with some zoanthos to start, what do you guys think? Any tips?
The Clean squad of the tank
For my cleaner squad, I got some turbo snails. Every saltwater tank needs a cleanup crew, and for my reef, that role belongs to my trusty turbo snails. These little guys might not steal the spotlight like my fish and corals, but they are the unsung heroes of my tank, tirelessly working behind the scenes to keep everything clean and healthy. They eat all the algae that grow in the glasses and help me a lot and they’re low-maintenance. Just be careful with your corals, I didn’t have any problems with them but I heard from some friends that they can start to tear down some of your corals.
Conclusion
Keeping an aquarium is more than just a hobby for me; it’s a constant learning journey and a way to connect with marine life. Every fish, coral, and invertebrate in my tank has its own personality and quirks, adding to the vibrant ecosystem right in my own home.
Creating and caring for this little slice of the ocean has taught me patience and responsibility. I hope this glimpse into my underwater world has sparked some inspiration or curiosity. Have any favorite fish, coral suggestions, or tips for me? Let’s share this incredible hobby together!