Going from fresh to salt

[Nicholas M Recker]

Currently i have a 20 gallon Long fresh water set up.

I have a current USA Fresh Water LED strip light to support my plant growth, a normal heater, and an Aqua Clear filter.

I have been recently considering switching over to salt water.

At this point, i have no knolwge at all about the subject. So that's why I'm here.


What will my costs me to switch over my current set up to salt (without the costs of fish) Also, will my tank even be big enough to support salt.
I spent quite a bit of money on my light strip. It says its a fresh water strip, but could it support marine life.

Filter: People have told me that my aqua clear will be fine for a salt water tank, is this true?
Also, what is a protein skimmer, and do i need one?

Live rock: how much money worth will i need?


What else do i need to know?

How cheaply could i set up a basic beginers salt water fish tank?


ALSO, In the next couple years, i am going to have to move. How realistic is it to say that ill be able to move this salt water tank to a new house, without ruining the whole thing.



Basically i need any information you can give me,
I have an extensive knowledge on fresh water. But don't know anything about salt.
I want to have a basic salt setup, something good for beginers

 

[lmforbis]

a 20 gallon salt can be done but it is difficult. Small changes can crash a small tank fast. A larger tank would be much easier to do, 55 or even better a 75.

With the equipment you have you could do a fish only with live rock (FOWLR).
You would need:
First and most important, a good book on salt water aquarium keeping. Do lots of research, salt is nothing like fresh. I think a lot of us have made that jump though. It is more challenging then fresh but more rewarding as well.

Sand

live rock, you can do mostly dead rock with one piece of live to seed the tank (around 15-20 pounds total). You can get dry rock for around $2.50 per pound and live anywhere from $5 - 12 per pound. You want this in the tank while you cycle. It provides the surface for the beneficial bacteria to grow, and this is your primary filtration.

A source of Reverse osmosis/Deionized (RODI) water. It could be your own system or purchased at a store. You can get if bulk at walmart for $0.37/gallon some fish stores sell it or a basic system for about $150.00. Do not use tap water.

Lighting for salt water. You wouldn't need a fancy fixture if you don't want coral but you don't want a fresh water fixture or you will get tons of algae. You should be able to find a t5 flourescent or a LED fixture for fish only for under $100. I bought 2 bulb T5 fixtures on ebay for $40.

A hang on the back filter will work fine, just clean it really good and replace any filters and do regular maintenance on it.

Power heads for flow. Salt water tanks need tons of water movement. Depending on what you choose it could be $20 on up to over $100. In my 20 gallon quarantine tank I use an 800 gph power head (sold as a wave maker) that I bought on amazon for $12. It isn't fancy but works fine.

Any heater that will maintain heat at 76-80 degrees will work. If yours is older I'd suggest a new one just to be safe they will eventually fail and that will not be good.

You absolutely need test kits for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, phosphate, calcium, magnesium, pH and alkalinity. Initially only the first three are necessary while the tank cycles. You can get master test kits for $50-60. Just stay away from API they are not very reliable. SeaChem, Salifert, or Red Sea are good ones.

A protein skimmer (also called a foam fractionator) helps remove waste from the system. For fish only, it isn't necessary. If you want one a good hang on one will cost $100 or more.

And when you are ready for fish after the tank is fully cycled.
A small tank (could even be a small plastic food safe container) for a quarantine. You'd also need a heater and filter for this. You should quarantine all fish for 30 days prior to adding to your main tank. A Quarantine set up for a small tank will not be a ton of money but is an absolute necessity.

When you get to fish a 20 gallon can hold 3-4 SMALL fish.

I have moved tanks before. It is a lot of work but it can be done.

If in doubt ask questions. We may have different ways to get there but the goal for all of us is a healthy, beautiful tank.

 

[Nicholas M Recker]

So, if I bought a t5 fixture I would be able to have coral?

If I got say, 2 clown fish and a bristle starfish,

Would I need coral, live rock and a protein skimmer?

Sorry if my questions sound stupid, I just want to make sure I'm doing everything right before I start

 

[lmforbis]

Questions are good. The more info you have the more successful you will be. Far too often the questions come after the tank has been set up incorrectly and the animals are dying. Ask away.

I think you'd need at least a 4 bulb high output T5 and you'd need to get good quality bulbs (ATI or Geisemann) for coral. That would probably be enough for soft corals and large polyp stony corals (LPS). It wouldn't be enough for anemones or small polyp stony corals (SPS). I use T5s to supplement my Kessil LEDs to get more even coverage. You wouldn't want to add corals immediately but after the tank is stable. You could start with one HOt5 with 2 bulbs and add another later. It will take 4-8 weeks to cycle the tank. If you add coral you might want a protein skimmer, people have done it with out but the skimmer helps keep water clean by removing proteins and dissolved organics.

Two clown fish as long as they are both the same species and small would be fine along with a brittle star. If you want two clowns, I'd go with either ocellaris or percula. Clown fish change sex as they get older with the largest becoming female. When that female dies the next largest turns female. You don't want to chance 2 females in your tank. One will kill the other. You wouldn't need coral or a skimmer but you would need something to provide a surface for bacteria to grow and hiding places for the fish and brittle star. Dry rock is the cheapest way and you can buy bottled bacteria starter. You could use fake coral and aquarium decor the fish don't care it just depends on what looks good to you. Make sure any rocks you put in are calcium carbonate. Look at the BRS reef saver rock.

 

[Nicholas M Recker]

I am sort of worried about power consumption.

Could I get led lights that are suitable for soft corals, live rock and some dish?

 

[Nicholas M Recker]

http://www.ebay.ca/itm/AQUAMANA-AQ-LED-55x3W-Dimmable-165W-LED-Aquarium-Light-Panel-for-Coral-Reef-/231692242697?hash=item35f1ef0f09:g:JYMAAOSwA4dWFYjn

Would something like that be suitable?

I had somebody on another site tell me a t8 bulb would be suitable for soft coral

 

[lmforbis]

That would work for softies and LPS. I have run that exact fixture on my tanks with LPS. I believe reef radiance are essentially the same fixture but is marketed in the US and comes with more support if you have a problem. They are adjustable with the blues and the rest of the leds separated. As for power consumption, a HOt5 fixture that would fit a 20 gallon tank would use 24W bulbs (4 bulbs would be 96W). The LED fixture is 165 W which is more energy consumption. From my experience the LED would result in more algae than the T5s but it will work. I use mine on my quarantine tanks now.

 

[MarkShimala]

I recommend getting this book...it may be a 10 year old book, but it gives a newcomer to the hobby a decent understanding of what you need and how it works. You can get it on eBay for about $5.