convert from freshwater to saltwater?

broylz · 01/30/2010, 03:47 PM

i am a total newbie when it comes to tanks in general. i have had my tank now for maybe 4-6 months. its a 72G bowfront tank that is currently setup for freshwater Koi. i am looking to move the Koi to a pond and have my tank converted to Saltwater.

what equipment should i have to add? i do have a pump and filter that i was told would handle saltwater. other than that its a general glass hood with a flourescent light sitting ontop of the glass. the pump and filter is an external moun unit that uses loose activated charcoal as filter material. the only chemicals i have ever used in this tank are a water stabilizer meant for Koi and a calming something or other when i got the tank moved.

how many fish can i get into my tank? is it really big enough?

as far as the coral goes, im not sure if its better to have live plants or set up a tank with fake coral to get more used to caring for the fish? one step at a time kind of thought.

what about cleaning the tank? is it generally similar to freshwater? right now i also have 3 plekos in there and replace half the water once a month while rinsing down the rocks and such every other month.

any hlp is greatly appreciated.

ls1boost · 01/30/2010, 03:53 PM

depends on what you want to keep saltwater gets expensive you will need live rock, a good skimmer, lights t5 imo, if not drilled need a overflow and sump, and most of all time you cant move to fast in saltwater there is plenty of info online read read and read again

Octoshark · 01/30/2010, 03:54 PM

You shouldn't put a bunch of fake corals in the tank, saltwater tanks are not meant to be artificial like freshwater (unless its something you love to do of course).

Yes, 72 gallons is good.

What kind of light do you currently have? You will most likely need to upgrade your lighting depending upon what your current freshwater light is. It will also depend upon if you want FOWLR (fish only with live rock) or a reef tank with corals. A reef tank with corals will need more lighting than a FOWLR.

You should look into getting a protein skimmer too.

Jarred1 · 01/30/2010, 05:30 PM

broylz you said "as far as the coral goes, im not sure if its better to have live plants or set up a tank with fake coral to get more used to caring for the fish? one step at a time kind of though" corals are not plants they are animals.

one clownfish · 01/30/2010, 07:11 PM

Imo I would start with a good skimmer,sump,and add a few fish/live rock to see if you like it. I would not waste my money on "fake" coral. Lighting can be evaluated at another time if you choose to add coral.

kluivertfan2 · 01/30/2010, 07:17 PM

As everybody said there is some additional equipment that is needed for a full-on reef tank, but as you begin subtracting from that you may also be able to reduce how much equipment you need to buy.

So with that the first thing you need to figure out is what you want to do with the tank. Do you want a reef with corals, clams, shrimp, crabs and thousands of other things? Or do you just want a tank with one Lionfish as a centerpiece? Look through some of the galleries here and find out what appeals to you. If you have a library nearby, maybe they have an aquarium book that lists types of saltwater fish. I would recommend Scott Michael's book, Marine Fishes, to start. Another one that has lots of information on fish, coral, and other invertebrates, as well as how to set-up a salt water tank is "The Conscientious Marine Aquarist" By Bob Fenner. Use these tools to figure out what kind of life you want to keep and then you have a clue as to what kinds of equipment you need to buy.

For example if you are only going to keep fish and other non-photosynthetic animals, such as shrimp, crabs, or snails, you won't need to upgrade your lighting. You will still want, but not necessarily need, a sump and a protein skimmer. Most hang-on back filters don't do much good in salt-water tanks. I tried using one and it got caked in salt spray within a few weeks. If it is a canister filter that you have you can still use that for filtration, but I would recommend you still augment that with live rock.

In order to accomplish biological filtration (if you are unsure of what this is, read here http://fins.actwin.com/mirror/begin-cycling.html ). Most marine tanks use what's known as "Live Rock" to do this. What that means is there are bacteria on and in the rock which feed off the ammonia and nitrogen in the tank and convert it into less harmful forms.

If you intend to keep coral, anemones, or clams then you will need to boost your lighting. Fake coral is an option, but it usually looks bad unless you buy the expensive items, and then it may be cheaper to purchase a T5 lighting system.

As far as cleaning the tank goes, most people seem to opt for an similar method as freshwater, except instead of plecos we use snails, hermit crabs, sea slugs, nudibranchs, and sea cucumbers. Each has it's own role and not all are required by every tank.

I would also recommend a more gradual water change cycle, 10% a week should be good, and if you do need to scrub the rock make sure to do it using old tank water, or else you will kill off the beneficial bacteria that cycle the tank.

That should be a decent overview of the switch for you, though I'm sure I've forgotten something in there.

Sisterlimonpot · 01/30/2010, 07:32 PM

Water quality is different from fresh water, the majority of reef keepers use a reverse osmosis deionization (RODI) filtration system that produces very clean water. This allows to have the least amount of problems with many invertebrates and corals.

PS if you want my opinion, fake corals shouldn't even be an option.

Boundless · 01/30/2010, 07:36 PM

If your looking to get a good T5 fixture I suggest you look into used fixture. They work their little dirty but still do their job.

broylz · 01/30/2010, 11:53 PM

ok, upon more research i'll ditch the fake coral idea

i think instead of a reef, ill probably just go with a couple of smaller fish and some live rocks/sand.

i do plan on researching this a bit further as well. i dont want to make any decisions too quickly. i will most likely let the water sit for awhile to get the Ph balance right and get an idea on the testing proceedures and chemicals or whatever is needed. then add a few live rocks and a couple smaller fish.

im mainly looking into this because i have been looking for some interesting freshwater fish and there just arent too many. i like the coloration of the saltwater fish and it gives us a small reminder of living down in Florida and doing some freediving.

broylz · 01/30/2010, 11:55 PM

Thanks for all of the advice so far and for putting up with another new guy. im sure you probably get these same questions fairly frequently.

also my light is a somple flourescent tube in a hood over the tank.

Octoshark · 01/30/2010, 11:58 PM

Do you know how many watts it is?

In general:

2-3 watts per gallon for FOWLR

3-5 watts per gallon for reef tanks

broylz · 01/31/2010, 12:40 AM

just looked. its a single 40W bulb.

i may be looking to upgrade. after looking into the picture threads, i think those reef setups are as beautiful or more than the fish themselves. i see this becoming very addictive.

IndianFeather · 02/01/2010, 03:41 PM

I have decided that my new tank might not even have fish in it. And I won't have any sticks in mine either. I just got mine wet, and have quite a ways to go. It takes lots of time, patience and READ READ READ!!!! I think that there is a lot more color in a saltwater tank, and you can still plant it or not, get live rock, or not, or get fish, or not. Pretty cool. You might want to consider a sump with a skimmer in it. I did a sump and you get all the mess out of the main DT. Put your heaters in the sump too.

01/30/2010, 03:47 PM	#1
broylz Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Posts: 5	convert from freshwater to saltwater? i am a total newbie when it comes to tanks in general. i have had my tank now for maybe 4-6 months. its a 72G bowfront tank that is currently setup for freshwater Koi. i am looking to move the Koi to a pond and have my tank converted to Saltwater. what equipment should i have to add? i do have a pump and filter that i was told would handle saltwater. other than that its a general glass hood with a flourescent light sitting ontop of the glass. the pump and filter is an external moun unit that uses loose activated charcoal as filter material. the only chemicals i have ever used in this tank are a water stabilizer meant for Koi and a calming something or other when i got the tank moved. how many fish can i get into my tank? is it really big enough? as far as the coral goes, im not sure if its better to have live plants or set up a tank with fake coral to get more used to caring for the fish? one step at a time kind of thought. what about cleaning the tank? is it generally similar to freshwater? right now i also have 3 plekos in there and replace half the water once a month while rinsing down the rocks and such every other month. any hlp is greatly appreciated.

01/30/2010, 03:54 PM	#3
Octoshark Marine Biology Student Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: California Posts: 1,366	You shouldn't put a bunch of fake corals in the tank, saltwater tanks are not meant to be artificial like freshwater (unless its something you love to do of course). Yes, 72 gallons is good. What kind of light do you currently have? You will most likely need to upgrade your lighting depending upon what your current freshwater light is. It will also depend upon if you want FOWLR (fish only with live rock) or a reef tank with corals. A reef tank with corals will need more lighting than a FOWLR. You should look into getting a protein skimmer too. __________________ "Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goal."

01/30/2010, 07:32 PM	#7
Sisterlimonpot R.C. Fraternity President Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Litchfeild Park AZ Posts: 11,490 Blog Entries: 2	Water quality is different from fresh water, the majority of reef keepers use a reverse osmosis deionization (RODI) filtration system that produces very clean water. This allows to have the least amount of problems with many invertebrates and corals. PS if you want my opinion, fake corals shouldn't even be an option. __________________ Jimmy MASVC President Dishes are done man! Current Tank Info: 300 in progress

01/30/2010, 07:36 PM	#8
Boundless Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Richardson,Texas Posts: 140	If your looking to get a good T5 fixture I suggest you look into used fixture. They work their little dirty but still do their job. __________________ The biggest tank you can have in life is in your dreams. = ) Current Tank Info: Planning Stage!

01/30/2010, 11:58 PM	#11
Octoshark Marine Biology Student Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: California Posts: 1,366	Do you know how many watts it is? In general: 2-3 watts per gallon for FOWLR 3-5 watts per gallon for reef tanks __________________ "Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goal."

01/30/2010, 03:53 PM	#2
ls1boost Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Posts: 62	depends on what you want to keep saltwater gets expensive you will need live rock, a good skimmer, lights t5 imo, if not drilled need a overflow and sump, and most of all time you cant move to fast in saltwater there is plenty of info online read read and read again

01/30/2010, 05:30 PM	#4
Jarred1 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: West Palm Beach, FL Posts: 1,262	broylz you said "as far as the coral goes, im not sure if its better to have live plants or set up a tank with fake coral to get more used to caring for the fish? one step at a time kind of though" corals are not plants they are animals.

01/30/2010, 07:11 PM	#5
one clownfish Registered Member Join Date: May 2009 Location: Michigan Posts: 279	Imo I would start with a good skimmer,sump,and add a few fish/live rock to see if you like it. I would not waste my money on "fake" coral. Lighting can be evaluated at another time if you choose to add coral.

01/30/2010, 07:17 PM	#6
kluivertfan2 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: K-zoo Michigan Posts: 77	As everybody said there is some additional equipment that is needed for a full-on reef tank, but as you begin subtracting from that you may also be able to reduce how much equipment you need to buy. So with that the first thing you need to figure out is what you want to do with the tank. Do you want a reef with corals, clams, shrimp, crabs and thousands of other things? Or do you just want a tank with one Lionfish as a centerpiece? Look through some of the galleries here and find out what appeals to you. If you have a library nearby, maybe they have an aquarium book that lists types of saltwater fish. I would recommend Scott Michael's book, Marine Fishes, to start. Another one that has lots of information on fish, coral, and other invertebrates, as well as how to set-up a salt water tank is "The Conscientious Marine Aquarist" By Bob Fenner. Use these tools to figure out what kind of life you want to keep and then you have a clue as to what kinds of equipment you need to buy. For example if you are only going to keep fish and other non-photosynthetic animals, such as shrimp, crabs, or snails, you won't need to upgrade your lighting. You will still want, but not necessarily need, a sump and a protein skimmer. Most hang-on back filters don't do much good in salt-water tanks. I tried using one and it got caked in salt spray within a few weeks. If it is a canister filter that you have you can still use that for filtration, but I would recommend you still augment that with live rock. In order to accomplish biological filtration (if you are unsure of what this is, read here http://fins.actwin.com/mirror/begin-cycling.html ). Most marine tanks use what's known as "Live Rock" to do this. What that means is there are bacteria on and in the rock which feed off the ammonia and nitrogen in the tank and convert it into less harmful forms. If you intend to keep coral, anemones, or clams then you will need to boost your lighting. Fake coral is an option, but it usually looks bad unless you buy the expensive items, and then it may be cheaper to purchase a T5 lighting system. As far as cleaning the tank goes, most people seem to opt for an similar method as freshwater, except instead of plecos we use snails, hermit crabs, sea slugs, nudibranchs, and sea cucumbers. Each has it's own role and not all are required by every tank. I would also recommend a more gradual water change cycle, 10% a week should be good, and if you do need to scrub the rock make sure to do it using old tank water, or else you will kill off the beneficial bacteria that cycle the tank. That should be a decent overview of the switch for you, though I'm sure I've forgotten something in there.

01/30/2010, 11:53 PM	#9
broylz Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Posts: 5	ok, upon more research i'll ditch the fake coral idea i think instead of a reef, ill probably just go with a couple of smaller fish and some live rocks/sand. i do plan on researching this a bit further as well. i dont want to make any decisions too quickly. i will most likely let the water sit for awhile to get the Ph balance right and get an idea on the testing proceedures and chemicals or whatever is needed. then add a few live rocks and a couple smaller fish. im mainly looking into this because i have been looking for some interesting freshwater fish and there just arent too many. i like the coloration of the saltwater fish and it gives us a small reminder of living down in Florida and doing some freediving.

01/30/2010, 11:55 PM	#10
broylz Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Posts: 5	Thanks for all of the advice so far and for putting up with another new guy. im sure you probably get these same questions fairly frequently. also my light is a somple flourescent tube in a hood over the tank.

01/31/2010, 12:40 AM	#12
broylz Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Posts: 5	just looked. its a single 40W bulb. i may be looking to upgrade. after looking into the picture threads, i think those reef setups are as beautiful or more than the fish themselves. i see this becoming very addictive.

02/01/2010, 03:41 PM	#13
IndianFeather Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Los Alamos, New Mexico Posts: 60	I have decided that my new tank might not even have fish in it. And I won't have any sticks in mine either. I just got mine wet, and have quite a ways to go. It takes lots of time, patience and READ READ READ!!!! I think that there is a lot more color in a saltwater tank, and you can still plant it or not, get live rock, or not, or get fish, or not. Pretty cool. You might want to consider a sump with a skimmer in it. I did a sump and you get all the mess out of the main DT. Put your heaters in the sump too.