A great video I would suggest is from “Saltwater Aquariums & Reef Tanks” on Youtube. This video is great for creating your reef structure and placing it in your tank. If you’re interested you may find this link below “Links on saltwater tank information”.

 

 

The first main step for setting up a saltwater tank is the addition of live rock and sand.  The rock can be stacked or arranged in order to resemble a natural reef or structures and be created that provide hiding places and zones for fish and invertebrates to live. Aside from providing places for fish to hide and structure to place corals, rock and sand are a critical part of the biological structure of the reef tank. Rock and sand are considered “live” when it hosts beneficial bacteria that are critical to maintaining “clean” water for both fish and coral.  The beneficial bacteria, some of which number into the hundreds are a key part of the water chemistry and effective breakdown pollutions created by fish waste and other biological processes. Live rock and sand host these forms of bacteria on their surface structure and within their porous material.  The bacteria break down Ammonia, Nitrate, and Nitrates creating a balanced ecosystem.  The harmful Ammonia and Nitrate are consumed by these bacteria in what is known as the Ammonia/Nitrate cycle, which renders these harmful byproducts into less harmful compounds.