Water.

Always use R/O water for your tank, which can be obtained from most aquatics and garden shops. This is pure water you wont have to use chemical treatment, it will also keep algae blooms down to almost zero.
Buy a 25 litre canister they are around £14, you will need two trips to fill the tank.

Salt.

You will need to mix salt prior to filling the tank. I always use Tropic Marin Pro Reef salt 4kg. Buy two boxes as nearly all the first box will be used in the tank.

To mix the salt I use a brand new car wash bucket, fill it with R/O water and add about half a pint of salt. I always sit the bucket in a sink of hot water and stir well.

Use a thermometer to test water temperature in the bucket.

Once the water is to a temperature of 25 degrees C, then test the salinity with a Hydrometer, I use ‘Instant Ocean; relatively cheap. Note, read instruction on box before first use.

The salinity should be 1.024, top up with R/O water to reduce salinity if you have put too much salt in.
Always try to keep the salinity below 1.025 and above 1.022. You won’t kill anything if you’re a little off but we try to maintain a near perfect environment.

Once your tank is full (water line should just be touching the black plastic surround) Plug everything in and place your thermometer on the inside the tank and set the heater.
You will need to play with the heater setting to get the required temperature to 25 Degrees C. Don’t worry that the dial on the heater says 22 Degrees, just go by the readings on the thermometer.
It may take a few days to get it just right, depending on the temp of the room ect. Don’t let it fall under 21 degrees or over 27 degrees.

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