how do i convert freshwater tank to reef tank?

[neupane00]

hey guys i have one small pico style tank for my betta fish. i wanna convert that to saltwater/reef tank. what do i need to do? do i need to change filter completely? or can i just clean filter and change the filter media? how should i wash the tank? do i need to use special cleaning agent to clean the tank or just warm water is fine? how do i clean the filter? any advise would be very helpful..

 

[yummysalt]

You can keep the filter unit and throw out the filter stuff inside of it, and replace it with new one. You can clean the unit with vinegar and rinse throughly, or you can just use warm/hot water to clean it, either way is fine.
As for the tank, if you haven't use any copper than you should be fine with the above method also.
If Copper is used. (This also include the filter unit too if it have been expose to Copper)
Rinse it with hot water, and clean it with Vinegar. Rinse it well, than clean it with bleach. Rinse it well again, and let it sit for a couple of days.
This might be a bit extreme, but you want to be on the safe side.

 

[fretfreak13]

How small is "small"? When I hear "betta" I usually imagine a 3 to eight gallon tank. If you're a new hobbiest in the saltwater department, it's said that you should use a larger tank. In saltwater, there are a lot more chemical components that need to be taken note of and monitored than in fresh (ie. Ammonia, nitrites, nitrates, PH, Sg, Salinity, and many more). If you have a small tank, and theres a problem, that can get out of control extremly quickly. Think of it as a little kid peeing in the bathtub. It's disgusting because it's in such a small place, but there are countless people who pee in the large bodied lakes and oceans, and the water's fine.
As YummySalt stated above, copper is extreemly bad for corals. Most fish disease treatments have copper in them, and having even a small trace of that in your tank (especially if its a small tank!) will kill any coral. Read up on some of the sticked threads in the new hobbiest boards, they'll help a lot.

 

[eric b 125]

+1
i wouldnt use copper to clean out the tank. white vinegar will do the job safely.

 

[katsafados]

JUST ADD SALT! HAHA JKS
I would clean out the tank with vinegar, go through all your equipment now to make sure nothing contasins metal parts. Buy new lighting if you want a reef.
Buy some LR and some LS
Reasearch a ton of information
Then start your cycle.