Need help starting a tank

[bluefyre88]

Hi all, i just joined, i am going to start a salt water tank...first off i already have a 55 gallon freshwater w/ goldfish. My friends are gonna take the goldfish off my hands so i can go saltwater...i am doing mostly peaceful, and reef safe fish with pellets and flakes (or i want to). What do i need to do to convert the tank? What do i need to buy...special filters???? cooling or heating? anything else...let me know please i am completly confused...money isn't a huge issue but nothing too expensive...whats a cycle??? i'm soo confused post back soon thanks...
-bluefyre

 

[sebae0]

welcome to the board first off!
first you need to decide if your gonna keep it just fish, or eventually make it a reef? fish only is easier and less expensive, but limmited to just fish and inverts.
for the tank, i would go with aragonite sand for the substrate and use liverock and good water movement to filter the tank. a cycle is letting the tank accumulate beneficial bacteria to break down waste, this takes anywhere from 3-6 weeks every tank is different.
do a search on cycling and you will find tons of reading on this site.
good luck and ask alot of questions.

 

[fishfood]

If you want coral you must consider the lighting as well. Always buy the best you can afford in the beginning or you will end up going back and wanting to change it. Your lighting can limit you on what coral you put into the tank. Other things to thing about are Protien Skimmers, Sumps, Refugiums. I think that a good skimmer will be beneficial to any tank. You say money isn't that big of an issue but it is and can be. For example: Fish only tanks can be set up fairly cheap compared to reef tanks. I'll price out my current 55 reef tank for you.
Skimmer - $200 - would have liked a skimmer that cost $400 but didn't
have room for it.
LR - $150+
Lighting - $600+ VHO's, 250w MH, and 175w MH plus replacement bulbs
Those #'s may be off some. I originally went with just VHO's and it cost about $300 I want to say. You can use the VHO's for a fish only tank and most reef tanks with no problem so you can cut back on costs there.
Please do a search on some of the terms I commented on and read up on them. Go slow and learn as much as you can or you will end up getting frustrated and leave the hobby. It just takes a little patients and reading and things can run smoothly.

 

[bluefyre88]

Thanks all! I think i want to go with Live Rock and Corals...definetly reef tank...but is it possible for me to convert my current tank so that i don't need to buy a new one??? if so how? how would i go about doing this cycle??? Also how much am i looking at for total cost... thanks again
bluefyre

 

[bluefyre88]

oKay so was talking to the friend i was gonna do this w/ and he backed out so now i don't think i can afford reef...so i am gonna do just a tank w/ salt water fish...do i really need all this???? if so what do i need...i might also put in some sand...? thanks for the help
bluefyre

 

[beaslbob]

What you need to maintain a fish only tank is sand ($3/50# 2x2=$6.00), macros (free locally to $30.00 mail order), and to reuse you old filtration for your goldfish. Oh yea you need salt also bout $20 or so. That will be enough to get a FO tank established. Everything else is optional.

 

[thirdmikem]

i have african cichlids, 2 tanks. The larger tank being the 150 . I want to convert it to salt water once my house is built.I am resupporting the floor for all the weight.My question is can i use the lava rock i already have in a saltwater tank.I also have 2 fluval 404s and the elam professonal.The largest they make. I also have sand/coral on the bottom. The filters move the water quite a bit. I still need a skimmer, but for that size tank the hang on ons are so big. Any answers will be appreciated.

 

[beaslbob]

Originally posted by SquishyFish
Bob forgets to put a disclaimer on his post stating that 99% of his advise is highly discouraged by 99% of the ppl in this hobby.
Bob, correct me if I misrepresent you, but his basic premis is that all that is needed to run a tank successfully is tap water, salt, lights, and macros. If you want the long version of this debate we can point you in the right direction.
well as i stated some circulation would help. But essentially correct
To run a successful F/O tank your going to need a DSB (deep sand bed)..this will be part of your filtration, a skimmer, lights (dosent really matter what kind), R/O water, power heads for filtration. With slight variations, this is the set up most will tell you to look at running.
Squishy
So now bluefry now has two ways of maintaining a successful FO system.

 

[justchillin]

Originally posted by ThirdMikem
i have african cichlids, 2 tanks. The larger tank being the 150 . I want to convert it to salt water once my house is built.I am resupporting the floor for all the weight.My question is can i use the lava rock i already have in a saltwater tank.I also have 2 fluval 404s and the elam professonal.The largest they make. I also have sand/coral on the bottom. The filters move the water quite a bit. I still need a skimmer, but for that size tank the hang on ons are so big. Any answers will be appreciated.
kinda depends on what you want to keep in it...with a 150 you have plenty of options, aggressive, community, reef...i personally am a fan of aggressives...
once you decide on what you'd like to keep then we can answer you better...
i would probably pass on the lava rock too...and remember if you trying to keep costs down (like i was) just buy a good amount of base rock (much cheaper) to suppliment the LR...overtime the benificial bacteria will be passed onto it anyway...
hth

 

[justchillin]

Originally posted by SquishyFish
The base rock is definately an option, but I would encourage you to use reef rock..otherwise its very obvious that the rock does not belong in the tank. Just get dry LR. Its the same thing, its just doesnt have any life at all on it.
Squishy
i agree...in fact most of what was labeled base rock in my lfs was "reef rock" and it does look better....but i got a few pieces of the other to and now you can't tell the difference...i just like to give it as an option because reef rock isn't always as easy to find in some areas and it will eventually blend in with the lr anyway...
plus i like to find base/reef rock with interesting shapes vs. say coloring for my aquascaping...

 

[justchillin]

i didn't say that i was having trouble finding it but some places don't have decent lfs...and i know that it can be found online i just don't see the point of paying to ship base rock when you can most likely get it locally.