When deciding to establish a salt water aquarium, it is just as important to know what NOT to do as to know the proper procedures for things. And, since I’m a glass half empty kind of person, I thought I’d focus on the negative.
The number one mistake that people make when establishing a salt water aquarium is not maintaining the aquarium properly. Without proper filtration and cleaning, the species inside the tank won’t thrive. In fact, they may all die. Though it may be a lesser consequence to not maintaining your tank, there is the fact that it will look, well, dirty. Algae will grow unchecked and waste won’t be filtered out properly. That does not make for sparking glass panes and clear blue water.
Another common mistake that people make is overloading their aquarium. Whether it’s adding too much coral, or putting in live rocks that are too large for the tank, this can be a serious issue. If there is too much going on in he tank, species may not be able to receive the amount of oxygen and nutrients they need to survive. And again, the cleanliness of the tank becomes an issue.
Finally we come to what I think is the most serious mistake that people make when dealing with salt water aquariums. People think that just because a fish or other individual is cute or interesting, that they can introduce it to the tank. This could be a mistake on many levels. First of all, who is to say that the specifications of your tank gel with what the individual needs in a natural environment. Secondly, not all aquatic creatures get along. If you aren’t careful and don’t have a 
knowledge of the animals you are putting in your tank, then you’ll probably be dealing with a horde of dead individuals.
Care to add? If you just want to get some issues dealing with aquarium mistakes off your chest, do it by posting a comment today!