您被礁石的虫子咬伤了，并决定您全力以赴，首先潜入爱好。但是，我们能给您的最好的建议是，花点时间，真正考虑您想完成的工作以及如何到达那里。礁是最有意义的爱好之一，但也可能令人沮丧。
这re are a few things to keep in mind to help you make better, more informed choices early on that will help determine how successful you are in the long run. One of the first decisions to make is about the aquarium itself. It sounds pretty straightforward, right? Just get the aquarium, fill it with water, throw on a light, a filter and “BAM!” you have a reef tank. Nope. Sadly, it’s not like that at all.
对于水族馆，大小确实很重要。水族馆的大小决定了您可以保留的东西，您需要购买的其他东西，运行和维护的成本等等。归根结底，选择将是您的，但是我们在这里为您提供了更容易选择水族馆的过程。
Think about your goals: today, tomorrow and maybe even years down the road
思考您在业余爱好中的目标可能很早就令人生畏，但这可以帮助确定您的方向。环顾互联网 - 社交媒体，网站，论坛等 - 看看您正在吸引哪些坦克。你喜欢小而简单吗？更大，越好？很多鱼？各种各样的珊瑚礁动物群？
例如，如果您想拥有一个充满活力的礁石坦克，并拥有各种海洋生物 - 无脊椎动物，鱼类，珊瑚等，那么您将需要更多的空间。如果您喜欢更大的鱼或像唐斯这样的放牧者，则需要考虑100加仑以北。如果您想要一个易于维护的简单设置，那么在50-75加仑范围内的事物可能是最好的。
一开始确实给出了一些想法，并意识到您的感受可能会变成六个月的爱好。我们所有人都倾向于从几条鱼和两个或三个珊瑚物种的意图开始，但是在我们变得更有经验和知识渊博之后，这种变化发生了变化。如果您认为可能希望将特定类型的鱼类或珊瑚延续到路上，可能会尽早提出几个问题。
爱好是一个有趣的旅程，您将不会在第一天知道所有答案。但是，您可以在购买该坦克之前开始考虑并提出正确的问题。
Know your budget
You can pick a simple aquarium for $20 or spend $2,000 or more depending on the size, materials, quality, etc. There are always going to be unexpected costs involved in the hobby, put together your list of must-haves — the aquarium, lighting, filtration, water movement, etc. — and have the number in mind before you select an aquarium.
请记住，较大的水族馆需要更大（更昂贵）的设备。
首先要牢记预算，您可以提前计划并从一开始就为成功做好准备。您只是不想因为在150加仑的水族馆中获得了一笔可爱的交易而无意中的整体项目增加成本。
Think about where you’ll place it
Great! You have that perfect nook in your living room, or a small space in your bedroom scoped out for an aquarium, but just how much space is it? Do you have an electrical outlet nearby? Is it right in front of a window? These are all the questions you might want to ask ahead of time.
为什么？您可能有所有的意图是搬出狭窄的一居室公寓，为什么不走更大，对吧？请记住，在这种爱好中，墨菲的律法是国王。您会得到这么大的水族馆，但再也不会动了几年，这使它有些局促。
You also need to think about the right amount of space to get in and do maintenance. You’ll want to ensure you can quickly get behind the aquarium and access all your equipment. You will also want to keep in mind, having a tank my a window sounds fantastic, but the added light can lead to algae blooms — just something to consider.
在谈到维修时,你需要记住this is a saltwater aquarium, and when things get wet and dry, the salt stays behind. Think about the walls and flooring. Prepare for the splashing, salt spray and mishaps (like knocking over a bucket during a water change) or what might happen if there is a leak.
I don’t want to dampen your spirits, but if you prepare for the worst, you’ll be in much better shape. On the basic side, this might mean moving some furniture to provide some extra space. But you also might want to put it on more water-friendly flooring or painting a wall in a more forgiving paint (moving from a flat to a semigloss, for example).
Bigger is better (for the most part)
由于各种原因，水族馆的大小很重要。正如我之前提到的，从小到更大的水箱的成本有些巨大的摇摆。另外，海洋生物有一些限制，您需要牢记，因为鱼类，珊瑚和其他小动物需要适当的空间才能生长和繁殖。
With that said, get the biggest aquarium you can. Why? One of the benefits of a larger aquarium is they can be more forgiving and easier to maintain water stability. I can’t remember who said it first, but one of the mantras I have stuck in my head is “dilution is the solution to the pollution.”
尽管我们有最好的意图，但我们的水箱中的所有鱼类废物和多余的食物都不会被食用。大自然可以通过氮循环清理所有这些方法，但是在氮转化为亚硝酸盐的硝酸盐中，每一步都会在水族馆中产生一定的毒性。额外的水量将提供一些缓冲区，因此尽可能大。
Nano aquariums or纳米坦克，那些大约30加仑或以下的人听起来很棒 - 它们很小，可爱，而且很多时候都可以完整包装，因此它们应该更容易保留，对吗？不完全是。较小的坦克很难保持平衡。如果出现问题，他们往往会很快出错，即使是经验丰富的业余爱好者也会挑战。e
也就是说，您还需要从成本的角度看一下大小。通常，较大的水族馆成本更高。When comparing two separate aquariums, you might find there is only a small difference in price in sizes for the “box” but if you add up the additional costs for more lights, larger pumps and protein skimmers, you’ll start to see the costs can add up quickly.
只需记住大小，并问您认识的人的很多问题 - 无论是在当地的业余爱好俱乐部还是在论坛委员会中 - 您都会得到很多建议和投入（大多数情况下，这非常有用）。
玻璃还是丙烯酸？
在水族馆方面，基本上有两个主要材料选项 - 玻璃或丙烯酸纤维, and there are pros and cons for both. But since this is going to be the cornerstone of your entire experience in the hobby, it is good to know a bit more about the two.
For most people getting into the hobby, glass is the way to go for a few reasons. First off, the cost of a glass aquarium is typically less, and because it’s a harder material, it won’t scratch so easily.
不需要抓一个丙烯罐,nd many of us have found out the hard way when starting out. That said, if you’re at a larger aquarium something in the 150-plus gallon range — acrylic might be a better bet.
首先，让我们看一下玻璃水族馆的好处。玻璃窗格通常比丙烯酸更薄，更耐用。正如我们提到的那样，它不像丙烯酸那样容易刮擦，但是您可以刮擦玻璃，因此您必须小心任何一种方式）。
玻璃水族馆的成本可能有很大差异。一个简单的玻璃水族馆可以价格合理，其中一些大型宠物商店的销售价格为每加仑1美元（通常，您会看到的最大的是55加仑的销售水族馆）。这些是您的标准矩形水族馆，顶部和底部周围有木纹或黑色框架，以增强玻璃。
But on the flip side, you can spend thousands more for glass aquariums depending on the shape, size and features like if its made fromStarfire or low-iron glass或者如果它具有独特的形状或管道选项。
Starfire glass is a brand name of glass with low iron content to provide an ultra-clear glass. If you look at a piece of regular glass from the side, you’ll notice it has a greenish-blue tint. In thinner aquariums, this isn’t a big deal, but the thicker the glass, the more noticeable it is.
Many people use the term Starfire to describe any low-iron glass, and you may not see it listed on product descriptions. You will see words like low-iron or ultra-clear, and this just means the glass is significantly more transparent than standard glass.
如果您看到两个水族馆并排，您一定会注意到差异。一些供应商在主观看面板上为水族馆提供带有低铁玻璃的水族馆以降低成本，因此，这是在预算内获得更好的水箱的另一种选择。
Acrylic aquariums are made from a durable and transparent material with brand names like Plexiglass or Lucite. Acrylic has several advantages. First, it is significantly lighter and stronger than glass. Acrylic is also easier to machine, allowing for endless possibilities in making custom designed aquariums. Acrylic aquariums typically have支撑, sometimes called Euro bracing, around the rim.
但是，最大的缺点是刮擦。如果您刮擦外部，则可以将其抛光。但是，如果丁在内部，则必须沥干水箱才能将其抛光。
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在水族馆中增加额外水量的一种好方法是结合一个水箱。水箱是另一个被直接进入主水族馆的水容器。这sump也是隐藏加热器，蛋白质撇油器，泵等设备的好地方。另一个考虑因素是礁石水族馆所需的大量水流。
Many aquariums are designed with sumps and water flow in mind and include things like overflows, water returns and pre-drilled holes to allow water to be moved around as needed. Let’s take a quick look at these features.
一个overflowis a feature that allows water from the surface to cascade into another area of the tank. From there, it is either filtered or passed through to a sump. There are several options for overflows offering you more flexibility. Some are inside of the aquarium itself, others are external or hidden out of sight.
Water returns are nozzles that connect to water pumps that provide criticalwater flowand circulation. You can typically move these around and use different nozzles to create a variety of flow patterns.
Pre-drilled holes allow you to easily connect pipes or tubes without having to do it yourself. Drilling a hole in an acrylic aquarium is not that difficult, but glass is tough. You need a special hole saw, and you can easily crack the glass if you let it get too hot, or apply too much pressure.
A few things about surface area and deeper water
Besides the overall size, you need to be aware of the overall water surface. A key part of keeping healthy fish is the oxygen exchange. Fish and other organisms that need oxygen get it from the water, but over time the oxygen is depleted.
但是由于物理学，可以通过空气和水之间的接触将氧气引入水中。因此，更多的表面积更好，但由于湍流的水流，溢出和蛋白质撇油器，还要注意礁石储罐可以保持氧气水平的几种方法。您应该旨在尽可能获得最多的表面积。
对于某些类型的珊瑚，更深的坦克也可能很麻烦。大多数珊瑚需要光，有些珊瑚比其他珊瑚更需要方式。水以不同的速度吸收特定的光谱，因此，在表面上将更有效地降低光线，并且逐渐降低其效力。
水族馆灯有各种尺寸和优势。您想要一个可以覆盖整个水箱的灯，并为所有珊瑚提供适量的光。一个非常长的水箱将需要更多的灯或更长的灯光才能覆盖整个表面，并且更深的储罐可能需要更强壮的灯光才能在较低的深度下提供足够的光线。
同样，这实际上取决于您要保留的珊瑚类型。
交钥匙还是自己建造？
自过去的起动器套件以来，水族馆的包裹已经走了很长一段路，那里的过滤和灯光不是为礁石水族馆的需求而设计的。多合一的纳米立方体开始了这一趋势，在过去的十年中，红海和其他公司都开发了更大的珊瑚礁就绪系统，例如红海的冷藏片, that take a lot of the headache and hassles out of getting up and running.
Today’s reef-ready systems include everything you need to get started with adequate lighting, water flow and filtration included in one price. You can even get a stand designed just for the aquarium.
几家公司几乎在每个预算级别提供这些公司。像红海这样的公司携带各种产品的公司通常包括自己的灯，泵和装备。
您还可以获得包括水箱，架子和其他一般物品在内的半弯曲储罐，但可以添加自己的灯，泵和过滤。最好的选择是四处逛逛合适的包装。
这final option is to buy everything separately. This is definitely more work but allows you to get exactly what you need. Plus, you can even save some money if you shop around and catch the right sales.
Conclusion
获得水族馆听起来很容易做，但是如您所见，您需要做出很多选择和决定。但是，那里有很多信息（希望）使您的选择更加容易。有些人只是冲进去并弄清楚，其他人则花时间，这实际上取决于您的舒适度。
When I first started in the reef aquarium hobby after several years removed from freshwater and basic saltwater aquariums, I researched and took my time before getting my aquarium set up, but made the mistake of just buying a basic 75-gallon aquarium and then building around it. A bit more research and few extra dollars would have set me up for more success in the long run.
