Saltwater Aquarium systems are fairly basic and can easily become over complicated. At Simply Elegant Aquatics we believe in making saltwater aquarium keeping simple and easy and do not recommend complicated equipment for the aquarist.

There are many ways to setup a saltwater aquarium, we offer a few simple package designs to get you started that are expandable and upgradeable depending on the number of inhabitants that you will have in your aquarium. We'll help you pick and design the right system.

There isn't much required to have a saltwater aquarium, especially a fish only system. Fish do not require lighting, other than for you to be able to see your fish and their colors. In this system, we design a low cost starting system that can be upgraded over time to other packages as you advance in what you want to keep in your saltwater aquarium.

Aquarium

The basic of any system is to have an aquarium that holds the water and all of your livestock. We recommend (optional) an aquarium with a built in overflow that is predrilled for a sump. An overflow provides for surface agitation which keeps the surface of your water clean. Although this system here is not designed for a sump, we believe that by having the overflow in place, will allow for expansion to a sump upgrade later on.

Live rock and live sand

This is your biological filter and is what makes saltwater aquariums easy. The live rock and sand serve as the base aesthetics of the aquarium with a nice aquascape and serves as home for the beneficial nitrifying bacteria required to keep the water clean, home for some of the small critters in your tank, and places for your fish to hide.

Hang on Protein Skimmer

A protein skimmer allows you to have a higher number of fish in your aquarium. This device removes organic compounds from the water before they break down into nitrogenous waste. Protein skimming is the only form of aquarium filtration that physically removes organic compounds before they begin to decompose, lightening the load on the biological filter and improving the water's redox potential.

(Optional) - Power heads

Power heads create flow and circulation in the aquarium. This flow can be very important to reef aquariums for coral.

This system allows for a higher bio load in your aquarium system, since the water capacity is increased in your system and higher efficiency equipment can be used. The system design here doesn't include a lighting system, letting you chose the ideal lighting for your environment.

Aquarium

The basic of any system is to have an aquarium that holds the water and all of your livestock. We recommend (optional) an aquarium with a built in overflow that is predrilled for a sump. An overflow provides for surface agitation which keeps the surface of your water clean.

Live rock and live sand

This is your biological filter and is what makes saltwater aquariums easy. The live rock and sand serve as the base aesthetics of the aquarium with a nice aquascape and serves as home for the beneficial nitrifying bacteria required to keep the water clean, home for some of the small critters in your tank, and places for your fish to hide.

(Optional) - Power heads

Power heads create flow and circulation in the aquarium. This flow can be very important to reef aquariums for coral.

The Sump Aquarium

This aquarium is designed to house some of the key filters. The sump design helps aerate the water which increases the amount of dissolved oxygen in the aquarium. In the sump tank itself, there are baffles which are installed. These baffles purpose is to reduce the amount of micro bubbles that get into your aquarium.

(Optional) - Filter Sock

Filter Sock provides for mechanical filtration which removes large particles from the water as it enters into the sump.

In sump protein skimmer

A protein skimmer allows you to have a higher number of fish in your aquarium. This device removes organic compounds from the water before they break down into nitrogenous waste. Protein skimming is the only form of aquarium filtration that physically removes organic compounds before they begin to decompose, lightening the load on the biological filter and improving the water's redox potential. We recommend an in the sump version just in case the protein skimmer overflows due to a water change or to the collection cup not being cleaned often enough.

Return pump

pumps the water from the sump back into the aquarium. This pump provides for circulation of the entire system.

This system allows for a higher bio load in your aquarium system, since the water capacity is increased in your system and higher efficiency equipment can be used. This system is designed for reef aquariums with the ability to provide for coral growth with lighting that supports photosynthesis necessary for coral growth. has all of the components of the Tank with Sump design with the addition of lighting:

Lighting

Good aquarium lighting is required for successful reef keeping. The lighting provides for improving the aesthetics of the aquarium along with providing a light source that allows for corals to grow and thrive in your aquarium. There are many good lighting systems out in the market such as halides, LED, T5, etc. In Arizona, heat is a big issue, as such we generally recommend T5 lighting systems because it provides a very good balance of cost, light quality, and low heat.

Aquarium

The basic of any system is to have an aquarium that holds the water and all of your livestock. We recommend (optional) an aquarium with a built in overflow that is predrilled for a sump. An overflow provides for surface agitation which keeps the surface of your water clean.

Live rock and live sand

This is your biological filter and is what makes saltwater aquariums easy. The live rock and sand serve as the base aesthetics of the aquarium with a nice aquascape and serves as home for the beneficial nitrifying bacteria required to keep the water clean, home for some of the small critters in your tank, and places for your fish to hide.

(Optional) - Power heads

Power heads create flow and circulation in the aquarium. This flow can be very important to reef aquariums for coral.

The Sump Aquarium

This aquarium is designed to house some of the key filters. The sump design helps aerate the water which increases the amount of dissolved oxygen in the aquarium. In the sump tank itself, there are baffles which are installed. These baffles purpose is to reduce the amount of micro bubbles that get into your aquarium.

(Optional) - Filter Sock

Filter Sock provides for mechanical filtration which removes large particles from the water as it enters into the sump.

In sump protein skimmer

A protein skimmer allows you to have a higher number of fish in your aquarium. This device removes organic compounds from the water before they break down into nitrogenous waste. Protein skimming is the only form of aquarium filtration that physically removes organic compounds before they begin to decompose, lightening the load on the biological filter and improving the water's redox potential. We recommend an in the sump version just in case the protein skimmer overflows due to a water change or to the collection cup not being cleaned often enough.

Return pump

pumps the water from the sump back into the aquarium. This pump provides for circulation of the entire system.

This is the ultimate system that allows the maximum amount of tank inhabitants. This has all of the components of the Tank with Sump design, lighting and a refugium inside the sump:

Lighting

Good aquarium lighting is required for successful reef keeping. The lighting provides for improving the aesthetics of the aquarium along with providing a light source that allows for corals to grow and thrive in your aquarium. There are many good lighting systems out in the market such as halides, LED, T5, etc. In Arizona, heat is a big issue, as such we generally recommend T5 lighting systems because it provides a very good balance of cost, light quality, and low heat.

Aquarium

The basic of any system is to have an aquarium that holds the water and all of your livestock. We recommend (optional) an aquarium with a built in overflow that is predrilled for a sump. An overflow provides for surface agitation which keeps the surface of your water clean.

Live rock and live sand

This is your biological filter and is what makes saltwater aquariums easy. The live rock and sand serve as the base aesthetics of the aquarium with a nice aquascape and serves as home for the beneficial nitrifying bacteria required to keep the water clean, home for some of the small critters in your tank, and places for your fish to hide.

(Optional) - Power heads

Power heads create flow and circulation in the aquarium. This flow can be very important to reef aquariums for coral.

The Sump Aquarium

This aquarium is designed to house some of the key filters. The sump design helps aerate the water which increases the amount of dissolved oxygen in the aquarium. In the sump tank itself, there are baffles which are installed. These baffles purpose is to reduce the amount of micro bubbles that get into your aquarium.

(Optional) - Filter Sock

Filter Sock provides for mechanical filtration which removes large particles from the water as it enters into the sump.

In sump protein skimmer

A protein skimmer allows you to have a higher number of fish in your aquarium. This device removes organic compounds from the water before they break down into nitrogenous waste. Protein skimming is the only form of aquarium filtration that physically removes organic compounds before they begin to decompose, lightening the load on the biological filter and improving the water's redox potential. We recommend an in the sump version just in case the protein skimmer overflows due to a water change or to the collection cup not being cleaned often enough.

Macro Algae

Macro Algae is grown in your sump. The macro algae serve as an additional filter by removing nitrates and phosphates from your water. It can also serve as a good food generating supply for feeding herbivores in your aquarium by taking clips of macro algae growth.

Live Rock and Live Sand

This increases the amount of filtration load in your system, as well as provides for a safe place for copepods to grow and develop. These copepods can find their way into the aquarium and serves as a natural food source for some of your aquarium inhabitants.

Refugium Light

This lighting helps the macro algae which are photosysnthetic to grow. We recommend a reverse daylight photosynthesis approach which helps maintain your water oxygen and PH levels. That is the refugium light is on when the main aquarium lighting is off.

Return pump

pumps the water from the sump back into the aquarium. This pump provides for circulation of the entire system.