How long does silicone take to cure?
• Silicone cures in 24 hours.
• If you build a tank, don’t fill it up for about a week.

Can you use tempered glass to build a tank?
Yes, but most aquariums don’t because it can’t be drilled e.g. for an overflow chamber.

Can you use acrylic to build a tank?
• Yes, but it is expensive.
• It is easy to drill.
• It will scratch easily.
• It is hard to clean.
• It tends to retain heat (which can be a problem in summer).
• It isn’t as long lasting as glass.
• It may get a yellow tint with time.
• It has less chance of cracking
• It is lighter.

Do you need lids on the tank?
• You can get away without lids if you have a surface skimmer in the tank because the surface skimmer will aid in gas exchange and stop the build up of dust.
• I advise using lids because the fish that are put into saltwater tanks are too beautiful and expensive to be on the floor if they jump out.
• Thin glass for the lids aids light penetration and heater dispersion.
• If you don’t have lids then try not to fill the tank right up to the top so there is less chance of fish jumping out.
• Lids slow down evaporation and retain heat.
• Nutrients such as phosphate are able to enter the aquarium more readily from the atmosphere in a tank without lids.
• Weighted lids are a must at all times if you wish to keep eels or octopus.
• It is great to have a reef lit with metal halides with an open top so it can be viewed from the top as well.

What are the best dimensions for a salt water aquarium?
• It is best to ensure that the height of the tank is no higher than the width. This is to aid gas exchange, heat diffusion and light penetration.
• The bigger the tank, the better.
• Bear is mind when buying a tank above 2 foot high or wide that it becomes harder to clean.

How do you work out how many litres are in your tank?
Length times height times breadth in centimetres divided by 1000 equals liters.

How heavy is a tank?
Depends on the size of the tank though as a guide
• one litre of saltwater weighs about 1kg.
• 300lt tank in total with all the filtration and furniture weighs about 500kg

Why are fish, fish tanks and related equipment still measured in feet?
This is because a lot of aquarium related brands come from America and Americans still use the old system.

by Paul Talbot