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teabag
Guest
Hi can anyone tell me the best way to approch this task, i have about 1-1.5 years experiance and have had great enjoyment from my fresh water tank but would like to try a salt water tank. I have a 125 gal tank.
piscesblue
Member
Have you ever medicated the tank when it was freshwater? If you dumped anything with copper into it, you choices should be limited to a fish only tank. If not, and you have $30-50 a gallon to spend, you will have a big, beautiful piece of the ocean in your house. I've got over $1,100 in my 30gal and never regret spending the money. Thank god I'm not married! 
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reefnjeff
Member
To start get rid of the fresh water fish.. start from scratch, a clean bare tank!! get sea salt, hydrometer, starter bacteria, ammonia nitrite and nitrate test kits, look at some post reagarding some good filters and lighting for your saltwater tank, if your going to do LS and LR get it right away, it will help it cycle faster.
start from scratch, a clean bare tank!! get sea salt, hydrometer, starter bacteria, ammonia nitrite and nitrate test kits, look at some post reagarding some good filters and lighting for your saltwater tank, if your going to do LS and LR get it right away, it will help it cycle faster.
ren
Member
As above - have you ever treated in the tank? I believe that the best substrate is Live Sand. You would need (Rule of thumb here) about 1 1/2 lbs sand per Gl. Figure about 190 lbs of sand. You can use the playground grades - southdown etc.- but that will contain no bacteria. If the tank has never been treated with anything and ya want Live rock too - figure at least 100-120 lbs @ around $6.00 a lb. Your gonna need serious water movement compaired to freshwater. Do you want a sump or not? if no sump then I'd say a couple of canister filters and 2 powerheads at least. Lighting / heating / a skimmer(not right off though) / etc.
Probabally the best thing to do is get a copy of 'the consciencious marine aquarist.' I got a copy from northcoastmarine dot com for 29.95. Ask your LFS's questions and prices and I'd second guess here before purchase. Ya can never get too much advice IMO. And the people here are great!
Don't forget the small things as well- if and when ya make the shift also set up a small 10-20gl quarentine tank for any new fish that you buy. This will save you alot of worry and $$$ in the long run.
Probabally the best thing to do is get a copy of 'the consciencious marine aquarist.' I got a copy from northcoastmarine dot com for 29.95. Ask your LFS's questions and prices and I'd second guess here before purchase. Ya can never get too much advice IMO. And the people here are great!
Don't forget the small things as well- if and when ya make the shift also set up a small 10-20gl quarentine tank for any new fish that you buy. This will save you alot of worry and $$$ in the long run.
canadian-reefer
Member
Just did a similar task. I started off with a 65 gallon freshwater tank. I totally cleaned it out and washed it with water, vinegar and a new sponge. Fill up your tank with Reverse Osmosis water, it's worth it. You can get it in 5 gallon jugs. Let it circulate through your totally clean system, including pumps, heater, powerheads. Get a good book and do some studying. Now that you know how much of each to get, buy yourself a protein skimmer, powerheads and upgrade your lights. Maintaining proper temp is very important so I went out and got a new heater aswell. Put it all together and add the Marine Salt Mix to the water. Let it run for a good 24 hrs and take your first water readings, salinity etc. After about one week I added 90 lbs of Fiji live rock to my 65 gallon tank, so double that, then add the type of substrate or sand that you want and let the tank cycle. Leave the lights off. Mine took about 1 week. Once your ammonia, nitrite and nitrate are at 0 you can add a cleaner crew, crabs and star fish, and I added 1 royal gramma and 3 highfin Cardinals. Also, I suggest 10% water change every week. Remember to age your replacement water. It's worth all the work, have fun!!
T
teabag
Guest
Thanks to all who replied, looks like i have some work to do but the end result should be well worth it. Thanks again.
wolffam
Member
I say being married has been an advantage for me. Had a 30G & 55G FO salt water. My wife wanted a freshwater tank to call her own. Found a deal and upgraded to a 135G salt water reef and gave my wife the 30G. Now were a big happy family. As to you question, unless you bought the freshwater tank brand new, I'd buy a new tank and enjoy the best of both worlds. HTH
pkzbliss
New Member
I had a stable freshwater 135gallon tank for 6months and dumped (in the existing water)live rock in it and pre mixed salt and it took 2months before I could put anything in it without dying except damsels and crabs. I didnt know anything about copper so i wish I would have started from scratch myself because there probably is slight traces of copper in my water but I would not want to waste the money i payed for the salt I used. El Cheapo. I just figured i wouldnt put any coral in my tank till I move next year.........But I do have tangs doing fine as sensitive as they are.
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25gator
Guest
the copper will leave with water changes and time but its not good for lr start with clean tank!!!