Site Selection and Installation

Water weighs about 1 kg per liter, and salt water a little more. On top of the water come the glass, rock, sand, stand, sump and equipment. So a 300 L system weighs well over 300 kg, and that weight sits on the stand's feet: a few small points of the floor.

Before a large system goes in, the floor has to be checked. Ask the building's owner or manager, or a qualified person such as a structural engineer, whether the floor can carry it where it's planned to go. Don't guess.

Work out the total weight from the real amount of water in the system, not the size printed on the tank (Module 35 covers the calculations), plus everything else in and under the tank. Planning for the full weight, not just the water, avoids a nasty surprise.

Every aquarium and stand comes with the maker's installation instructions. They say what support the tank needs, how flat and level it must be, and how to set it up. Read them and follow them. A tank that isn't supported the way its maker says puts stress on its seams (Module 11).

Check the stand with a level in both directions, front to back and side to side. Adjust it while it's empty, with its leveling feet or as the maker describes. Fill the tank, then check again.

Never move or adjust a tank with water in it. If it needs to move, drain it first. Report a stand that rocks, cracks, bows or shows water damage.

Power: enough outlets and circuits for pumps, heaters, lights and controllers, placed where water can't reach them. Module 2 covers electrical safety.

Water: a supply of purified water nearby for top-off and water changes (Module 4). Drainage: somewhere close to put used water, and a way to deal with spills. Carrying water a long way makes every water change slower and riskier.

Ventilation: air moving in and out of the room. It carries away moisture and heat from the system and brings in fresh air (sections 4 and 5).

The room's temperature decides how much work the heaters and chillers do (Module 14). A room that gets very hot or very cold makes the water harder to hold steady.

Direct sunlight on a tank heats the water and feeds nuisance algae. Place tanks out of direct sun.

Water evaporates from the system into the room, so the room gets humid. Without ventilation, that moisture can damage walls, floors and furniture and lead to mold. Check the room for damp, and report it.

People breathe out carbon dioxide (CO2). In a closed room, indoor CO2 builds up. CO2 in the air dissolves into the water and forms carbonic acid, which lowers pH (Module 6). High CO2 in the air around a tank is a common cause of low pH, when alkalinity is already where it should be.

A simple test: let fresh air into the room for about 24 hours. If pH rises, indoor CO2 is part of the cause. Fixes include more fresh air, an air exchanger, or a CO2 scrubber on the skimmer's air intake (Module 16).

Bubbles bursting at the surface throw tiny drops of salt water into the air: salt spray. Where water splashes or wicks and then dries, salt crystals build up and spread: salt creep.

Salt corrodes metal. It rusts stands, fittings and fixings, and it damages plugs, contacts and electronics. Salt and water near electrics are also a shock risk (Module 2). Moisture damages walls, floors and furniture.

Wipe salt creep away early, before it builds up. Keep plugs, power strips and controllers away from spray and splash. Report rust, corrosion or water damage.

Pumps pass vibration into whatever they sit on or touch, and a hard surface makes it louder. Soft mounts and keeping pumps off hard surfaces help. Water falling into the sump makes noise too; the drain is set up to limit it (Module 12).

Place loud equipment such as chillers and fans away from where people sit or work.

A new rattle or hum is information. Something may be loose, worn or touching something it shouldn't. Find it, and report it.

Leave room to reach every piece of equipment, clean the glass inside and out, and lift things out without straining. Module 2 covers safe lifting.

Check that equipment can be carried in and out of the room, and that power can be switched off without reaching over water.

Jobs that are hard to reach get skipped, and skipped jobs show up later as problems.

Ask where the water would go if the sump overflowed, a hose came off, or the tank failed completely. Plan the floor, and anything below it, for that.

Use a floor that water can't damage, or protect it. Put trays or a raised edge under the sump and anything else that can drip or overflow. Leak sensors can raise an alarm or switch a pump off (Module 20).

Keep towels and a way to remove water close by. Report any leak, however small; small leaks get bigger.

The higher a tank sits, the less stable it is. A low, solid stand helps. An earthquake mat or gel mat under the stand can reduce shaking. Inside the tank, keep heavy rock low and stable, so it can't fall against the glass.

Move tall or loose things, such as shelves and vases, away from the tank. Secure equipment and lids so they can't fall in or come off.

After an earthquake or power cut, the first need is oxygen for the animals; keep a way to aerate the water without mains power. Module 33 covers emergencies. Find out which other hazards apply to the site, such as flooding, storms or long power cuts, and plan for them.

Cables need drip loops and should stay off the floor, where water collects (Module 2). Keep power strips up high and away from water lines where you can.

Hoses must be secured so they can't pop off or move out of place. A loose hose can empty a container onto the floor. Pipes need support and should be easy to follow, so anyone can see what goes where (Module 12).

Keep walkways clear. Nothing should run where people step.

Salt takes in moisture from the air and cakes, so keep it dry and sealed. Chemicals and additives: keep them labeled, apart from each other, and stored as the maker says. Food: store it as the maker says; keep frozen food frozen.

Tools: keep them clean and in one place, so they can be found in an emergency.

Don't store anything above a tank. Anything that falls in, from a lid of chemicals to a tool, can harm the system.