Do your research, ask questions about different tanks, setups, running costs etc.
Visit lots of different aquatic shops, (a good shop will have plenty of time for you, even if it means you have to go back and visit them again)
Look on the internet, find out info from other people about problems, time you will have to spend looking after the tank. (the fish don't feed themselves)!

Keeping fish in general (though they are relatively low-maintenance pets) necessitates some basic knowledge of requirements and patience, and this goes doubly true for marine animals, which are usually many times more sensitive to water quality than their freshwater counterparts. So there is some degree of minimal devotion that you really must have and keep up with to 1) do the background research required and 2) determine if you have the time and financial resources to maintain a healthy marine system over the years.

EQUIPMENT

The type of equipment you get will depend largely on what you are really aiming for in terms of livestock. You must decide on what you are most interested in keeping, and then do research on those species to make sure they are suitable for beginners (many are not).

With a Fish Only system this will tend to be the easier type of marine setup, because lighting is not important, and you can in many cases just go with a standard tank setup and the equipment provided, with a few add-ons, like protein skimmers, and p0werheads. Within Fish Only there are two primary subtypes... the peaceful "community tank" (usually houses smaller, more omnivorous fish like clownfish, damselfish, gobies, small wrasses, dottybacks, etc., which may still be territorial and must still be carefully matched) and the "aggressive or semi-aggressive tank" (which houses fish such as lionfish, triggers, various eels, groupers, and usually larger, predatory fish). You cannot generalise which fish will always work with which other fish, because this is a tricky subject depending on individual combinations. Clowns, for example, are often considered "peaceful" fish, but there are species that are more aggressive than others, and some will kill those of similar appearance unless they are a mated pair (and no, clowns do not NEED an anemone host, contrary to myth--they can have a symbiotic relationship with one, or can live alone--anemones require high lighting and water conditions, and are not recommended for beginners). Lionfish, as another example, are peaceful towards animals their own size, but will eat just about any moving animal that can fit into their mouths. And tangs and angels, which are both gorgeous and popular groups of fish, may be seen occasionally in both types of tanks, but many people don't know they are picky about water requirements and need tons of swimming room to do well (minimum 75 gallons for most species of tang, larger for non-dwarf angel species). So do a lot of research into each fish and their requirements.

WATER

A basic understanding of water chemistry is extremely important in properly maintaining a saltwater tank. This is why people who have never kept any type of fish before may be better off starting with a simpler freshwater tank first before tackling marine, just to acquire very basic experience, such as with the nitrogen cycle. Marine animals are more sensitive than freshwater fish to dissolved solutes and impurities, such as those usually found in tap water. Freshwater animals may not be affected by anything except chlorines and chloramarines in tap water (removed by dechlorinator and stress coat type products). For marine animals, even tiny ppm (parts per million) fractions of impurities may be. The only way to really get rid of these is through water purification.

This water should then be made up to . Specific gravity (S.G.) measures salinity, or actual concentration of the salt... for marine animals, this should fall in the 1.021-1.024 range. S.G. should be measured with a hydrometer. Other tests which are absolutely vital for beginners to own include ammonia and nitrite (both should be 0 at all times in a cycled tank) and pH (should be roughly 8.3-8.4). pH can be kept stable through addition of a marine buffer, and in water changes or anytime there is life in the tank, this should all be done in a separate bin and premixed with the salt. Other good tests to have that are not as vital include KH (to measure buffering capacity, which determines pH), nitrate and phosphate (both best kept at a minimum for optimal coral calcification, and to prevent pest algae from blooming), calcium (best kept as close to or above 400 as possible), and copper (absolutely needs to be kept at 0 in all reef tanks; it is an ingredient in antiparasitic fish meds and sometimes seen as a trace in tap water, but is highly toxic to all inverts). Some corals may require dosing of certain trace elements (calcium, iodine, strontium, etc.) and some filter-feeding organisms may need separate feeding with phytoplankton.

Also remember that when just topping up the water in the tank only use dionised or R/O water. Do not use tap water unless you treat it with a suitable tap water treatment product.

Do not top up with saltwater as this will increase the salinity in your tank, when water evaporation occurs the salt levels within the remaining water stays the same. Hence, only needing to do top-ups with unsalted water.

Obviously, when doing a water change use saltwater.

PROTEIN SKIMMERS

The last element generally included with filtration (but technically slightly different) is protein skimming. This is highly recommended for any marine tank with fish in it, especially one that is well-stocked. There are small technical differences between the various types of skimmers, but all work on the principle that organic waste (primarily fatty in quality) tend to float to the top of the water column; the protein skimmer uses the foaming up of tiny bubbles in a special chamber to separate them from the main flow of water. They are often combined with sump wet-dry filters or other types of filtration.
POWERHEADS
Though not an absolute requirement in some tanks, extra powerheads (which are just little mini-pumps for moving water around) can add overall benefit. They not only stimulate circulation and prevent dead zones in the tank, they also create flow patterns in the water that simulate natural waves. Different corals like current to varying degrees (individual preferences require some personal experimentation). Some people put their powerheads on "wavemakers", which turn different ones on and off in a regular pattern, further creating wave effects. Water movement is very good in helping to maintain fish health.

LIGHTING

Lighting, as mentioned previously, is not very important in the Fish Only setup, but is the most important, and usually most expensive, piece of equipment for the reef tank. It's for good reason--the large majority of corals and anemones depend on good lighting for photosynthesis. To understand lighting, we have to understand both the elements of colour spectrum (quality of light) and intensity (quantity of light). Most normal output fluorescent lights that come standard with many hoods are fine for fish and look OK to the human eye, but inadequate for growth of almost all corals and anemones, in both spectrum and intensity.
Colour spectrum refers to the wavelength and frequency of the light, they appear as different colours, with red on one end and blue-violet on the other end of the visible spectrum. Most photosynthetic pigments that are needed by the algae living within corals require a wide spectrum, with peaks in the red and blue range. Blue light also has the added advantage of being able to penetrate water to greater depths, since it has shorter wavelength and greater frequency, which is why many "actinic" lights (very blue in colour) are used in reef tanks.
Output and intensity does decrease with time, so bulbs must be changed regularly (interval and half life depends on the specific type of lighting used).

GARLIC IN FOOD

The product we use is Seachem’s GarlicGuard™ which contains the naturally derived, active ingredient found in garlic, allicin, which has been demonstrated to possess health promoting benefits. Allicin possesses strong anti-oxidant properties (similar to Vitamin C) which promote enhanced health through elimination of dangerous free radicals. For enhanced health benefits, GarlicGuard™ also contains Vitamin C.

ALFAGROG

Alfagrog is made of a highly porous material that contains many thousands of tiny pockets in which bacteria can thrive, making in an ideal material for biological filters. This is used in the sump system instead of live rock and is placed directly under when the weir outlet pipe is, on top of this alfagrog is a sheet of polywool filter wool which is used as filtration media and the filter wool collects any large pieces of food debris and fish waste.

PURIGEN

Purigen™ is a premium synthetic adsorbent that is unlike any other filtration product. It is not a mixture of ion exchangers or adsorbents, but a unique macro-porous synthetic polymer that removes soluble and insoluble impurities from water at a rate and capacity that exceeds all others by over 500%. Purigen™ controls ammonia, nitrites and nitrates by removing nitrogenous organic waste that would otherwise release these harmful compounds. Purigen’s™ impact on trace elements is minimal. It significantly raises redox. It polishes water to unparalleled clarity.

FISH

Many books will show you compatibility charts that say certain fish will not go with any species of fish or say take caution when putting these certain fish together.

In some cases this is true, such as putting small fish with a lionfish, the result will be that the lionfish will have a very expensive meal.

However, some reference books and fish shops will tell you not to put more than one butterfly fish in a tank as it will fight with other butterfly fish, we have found this not to be the case and have three very happy butterfly fish living in the same tank. Butterfly fish are classed as finicky eaters and as requiring a specialised diet, we have found this not to be true. Our butterfly fish will eat anything edible that is put into the tank. As a rule we have found as long as all fish are kept well fed they will not squabble.

WATER TESTING

If is essential to test the pH level of your water, Ammonia levels, Nitrite levels and Nitrate levels.

pH should read 8.3, Ammonia and Nitrite 0 at all times and Nitrate under 25ppm (preferably 10ppm or less.)

We also test the following, O2 (oxygen), Phosphate, Calcium, Magnesium, kH (carbonate hardness) and very occasionally Copper.

pH, Ammonia, Nitrite and Nitrate are testing once weekly.

Phosphate tested fortnightly.

All other tests are done once montly.

Magnesium is tested for because we have invertebrates in our tank (shrimp). An optimal level of magnesium in a saltwater aquarium is required in order for invertebrates and ornamental algae to thrive. Just as in nature a saltwater aquarium should maintain a magnesium level of c. 1300mg/l (ppm).

CALCIUM

The ideal calcium level should be between 350-450ppm.

In the ocean, there is a constant source of vital minerals, nutrients, and vitamins. In a closed aquarium environment, some of these essential minerals are depleted as corals and invertebrates use them to grow.
Aquarium additives replenish essential mineral and nutrient levels to provide an ongoing source invertebrates need for proper growth, physical strength, biological function, and coloration. They also help the organism resist minor changes in water conditions, as well as diseases. Thus we add calcium when needed.