Salt water environments are described as marine environments. Marine fish need different environments to tropical fish so you need different equipment to keep a marine fish tank than to keep a tropical fish tank.

The biggest difference between fresh and salt water tanks is the salt. This is not like table salt, it is actual marine salt.

Warm salt water can evaporate rapidly, a large size tank can lose over 25 litres a week, and as marine fish are not used to large fluctuations in salinity an automatic top-up device can be used to regulate the environment.

One of these devices includes a switch that floats in the main tank and is connected to a pump in some top-up water. When the water level drops the float switch tells the pump to top up the main tank.

To indicate how much salt is the water in your tank you will need a vital piece of equipment called a hydrometer. These are inexpensive and easy to use, and should always be used when making up water for a water change, and occasionally to check the levels in the main tank. Some even come with a built-in thermometer.

Another essential bit of kit that you should have is a protein skimmer, as this will help you keep the water clean. A protein skimmer should be used in conjunction with a biological or a natural filter system in your tank.

Other equipment you need to keep a marine tank includes a chiller, or cooler. This is a sort of refrigeration system that gets connected to your tank. As the water is pumped through it it is cooled down and then goes back into the tank. Marine tanks do not need much heat and due to all the electrical equipment that we use nowadays in aquariums more power is being used, which produces heat.

You might need some other pieces of equipment too for a marine tank but the ones mentioned are the basic requirements. Be sure to do some research about the kind of fish you'd like to keep and get some advice from an expert before you buy any fish. Remember that keeping a marine tank can be expensive so make sure you look at all the costs before you start.

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