When you own a salt water fish aquarium, there are many things that could occur which would cause a disaster for the life forms within that environment. Salt water fish are delicate creatures, and things like water leaks and overheating could potentially overstress them and lead to disease. You don't want to be forced to find new salt water fish for sale every time an emergency occurs, though, so it is always best to be prepared for anything that could occur.
Leaks are one of the most unlikely salt water fish aquarium emergencies that you may encounter as a hobbyist. There is a low chance that this will happen to your salt water fish, but if it happens you should have a contingency plan such as a small spare tank that can be used temporarily. Salt water fish species will not do well in a smaller tank for long, though, so you will want to get the leak fixed as soon as possible and make sure not to overstress the fish.
A broken heater in your salt water fish aquarium can lead to overheating, which is another emergency to be prepared for. Most salt water fish can handle up to 86 degrees Fahrenheit of water temperature, but they don't really like it. The best way to deal with this salt water fish emergency is by avoiding it by using two smaller, less powerful heaters instead of one large one. This way, when a problem occurs you can detect it during your daily routine checks.
When overheating does actually occur in your salt water fish aquarium, though, you should turn the heater down immediately, remove 20 to 50 percent of the water and place floating ice bags in the aquarium itself. Save the water that was removed, let it cool down, and when the temperature is in the normal range slowly return it to the aquarium. This should avoid a deadly emergency.
