There are many things to consider with a beginner salt water fish tank, such as the lighting, water and the type of salt water aquarium fish to keep in it. Hobbyists must also figure out how much gravel they will need when they are setting up a salt water fish tank. Figuring out how much gravel to purchase and use isn't too hard, though, with a simple formula using the aquarium length and width.
The formula for setting up a salt water fish tank with gravel is as follows: (length x width) / 10. The product of this formula should be equal to the number of pounds of gravel needed for a beginner salt water fish tank. The standard tank that a salt water aquarium fish owner usually starts with is 20 inches long by 10 inches front to back, for example, which would require 20 pounds of gravel. When beginner salt water fish tank owners use crushed coral for their new hobby rather than gravel, the calculations will be quite different.
As far as the depth of salt water aquarium fish gravel goes, anywhere from none to about 6 inches will work. In most aquariums, gravel is primarily used for decoration, and it helps to support other items such as rocks, corals and driftwood. Two to three inches is generally sufficient when setting up a salt water fish tank. Shallow gravel lacks character and supporting power, and deeper gravel is hard to keep clean, so this is though to be the perfect amount for an attractive and manageable aquarium.
