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Aquarium Question, conversion of FW to Marine 12/01/08
Hi Guys,
Thanks for all your help over the years :-)
<Welcome
Mike>
We have a very stable 40g tank that we have had for 4 years
now, with a maroon clownfish/5 inch anemone, a damsel, and a royal
gramma, with much coral (watermelon mushrooms, elephant ears, xenia,
green star polyps). We have 20lbs sand and 40+ lbs live rock.
We
have a bacpac2 protein skimmer and an emperor 400, both on their
last legs after 4 years use (we clean and maintain them well).
We
want to up grade to this 90g acrylic and try a sump/and in sump
skimmer rather than all the hang on the back filtration that we have
been using.
It has been used as a freshwater tank. Is there any
reason we couldn't convert it to saltwater?
<Nope.>
Many
Thanks,
Mike
<Please read here:
http://wetwebmedia.com/fw2mar.htm
and the linked files above. Bob
Fenner> |
 |
Going to switch from fresh water to salt water. 11/29/08
I
currently had peacocks and haps and I gave them to someone so that I
could start making the switch to salt. I am going to start out with fish
only and as I get more funds I am going to switch over to FOWLR. I want
to make sure that this is a ok idea.
<I would highly recommend to
you that you not start to set up your salt water tank until you have all
the funds you need to set up the system the way you want it. Wait till
you can start with the live rock. Trust me, you will have a lot easier
time (and likely lose fewer fish), if you have the live rock from the
start.>
If I start off with fish only and add live rock here and
there what would be bad about this if anything.
<Yes... it could
cause your tank to "re-cycle." Plus, live rock is a major source of
biological filtration in any marine system. You want to have it from the
beginning.>
This is about the only way that I will be able to make
the switch due to the funds.
<Then please reconsider the switch or
wait until you have the funds saved.
Marine aquarium keeping is an
expensive hobby. See if anyone in your area is taking down a marine
tank. They might have live rock you could get for cheap.>
I currently
have a 75 gallon aquarium with a Rena XP3 canister filter. I plan on
picking up a skimmer and I think I will go with a hob for the money.
<Again, this is a bad way to approach marine aquarium keeping. Making
decisions based only on limited cash flow is a bad idea and could
likely, ultimately, cost you more in the long run. Marine fish are not
cheap, and replacing them is a costly habit. Get a good used skimmer
(try Craig's list or eBay, etc.).>
I would like to know the
recommendation for the skimmer.
<The Remora Pro by Aqua C is a very
good hob skimmer.>
Also will the XP3 be ok to use? If so what do I
put in it to use with the setup? I also have an All-Glass Twin-Tube
Black Fluorescent Strip Light for lighting.
<This depends on what
kind of fish you want to keep.>
Will this be ok and if so what bulbs
should I put in it? I was going to go with live sand because I heard
that this would help establish the aquarium.
Is this true?
<Please see the various articles on WWM on these topics:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marsetupindex2.htm>
Please help me with
the setup? I badly want to switch and I am just going to do a little at
a time and take my time doing it.
<Ah, good.>
I was just hoping
that it would be ok to start out with FO and then switch to FOWLR later
by just adding live rock a little at a time until I get to the amount of
live rock I need for the aquarium. Any other suggestions would be great!
<It is much better to start with FOWLR.>
Thanks in advance for the
help!
<De nada,
Sara M.>
Source water for SW sys., switching an African Cichlid set up to marine
– 10/10/08
Hi all,
<Marc>
I have a 75 gallon tank,
with 80 lbs of live rock, a Remora Pro protein skimmer, an Emperor 400
that I just run filter pads with no charcoal, two Hydor stage 4 power
filters, and a stage 3. For livestock I have a Yellow Tank, three Green
Chromis, Lawnmower Blenny, Firefish, Chalk Bass, Six Line Wrasse,
Cleaner Shrimp and assorted snails and crabs.
My question is about
water changes. I do about a 15% water change every Friday. I test my
water, add the necessary supplements, usually calcium and a dKH buffer.
I use tap water and mix in Reef Crystals about 15 minutes before i add
the water. I know it's not ideal,
<Mmm, we'd have to discuss, agree
on what is "ideal"... IF your system is doing what you want it to do...
the livestock fine... this would be ideal to/for me>
but it's not
practical for me to treat the water earlier because of a small living
space, and my girlfriend not being as enthusiastic as i am, doesn't want
two buckets of water kicking around the apartment. And since i only have
one day off, I like to get tank done first thing in the morning, and the
pet store isn't open early enough for me to buy r/o water.
<I use RO
for drinking, cooking... tap/mains water for my own tanks>
Now that
I'm done making excuses, here's my question. Would I be better of doing
a water change every other week? It doesn't seem like my mushrooms open
up all the way until a couple days after the water change every week. I
was wondering, if would be less stressful for the tank, to only do the
water change every other week.
<Worth trying out>
Thanks, Marc
P.S. I also have a 75 gallon African Cichlid tank. I was thinking about
switching it over to a saltwater tank. My question is, I have about 100
lbs. of lace rock in there, and about 80 lbs. of live freshwater cichlid
sand. Could I use the rock and sand for a saltwater tank?
<Mmm, some
"lace rock" has a good deal of phosphate (can be tested for in a few
ways)... and would need to know what the make-up (even just Brand, name
of product) of this sand... but it can likely be added, blended with
something a bit more soluble, otherwise useful. Bob Fenner>
Marine Aquarium Qs, set-up... conv. from FW -02/24/08
Hello,
I have just one main question.
I am interested in starting a new
tank. I would like to have at least 30gal. I am interested in the
percula clown fish, and cardinal fish in a fish with live rock and
eventually adding an anemone after I get the basics down.
<If
you want to keep an anemone, I'd suggest a larger tank (at least
55g).>
I was wondering if you could give me some set-up advice as
well as the types of equipment you would recommend. Also do you know
of any aquarium kits that would be good for a first timers.
<These are all good questions to ask your LFS and other local
aquarists. It's also good to read about these things on your own
(make use of the search tools -get a good book or two). A lot of it
is personal preference.>
I have two freshwater aquariums I have
had them since September and are running fine and think that it is
time to upgrade to a salt water.
<Upgrade? Salt water aquariums
aren't necessarily "better" than freshwater ones. Again, it's a
matter of personal preference. I've seen some professionally set up
planted freshwater aquariums that could put the average home marine
aquarium to shame.>
My fresh waters are a 29H with three goldfish
1 fancy tail and 2 feeders that I put in to cycle the tank, two Cory
cats, 1 red tail shark that the 5 from the 10gallon they were
picking and his fins were torn to pieces and a plecomus. My other is
a 10 gal with 5 red tail sharks 2 tiger barbs and plecomus.
<Ugh, it seems you have a lot to learn still about even freshwater
aquarium keeping.>
Thank-you for your advice and time
<Sure,
but please do be prudent and read as much about marine aquarium
keeping as you can before starting one.>
Brett
<Best,
Sara
M.> Freshwater Tank Qs,
lvstk. sel., cycling... -02/24/08
"My fresh waters are
a 29H with three goldfish 1 fancy tail and 2 feeders that I put in
to cycle the tank, two Cory cats, 1 red tail shark that the 5 from
the 10gallon they were picking and his fins were torn to pieces and
a plecomus. My other is a 10 gal with 5 red tail sharks 2 tiger
barbs and plecomus.
<Ugh, it seems you have a lot to learn still
about even freshwater aquarium keeping.>
Thank-you for your
advice and time
<Sure, but please do be prudent and read as much
about marine aquarium keeping as you can before starting one.>
Brett
<Best,
Sara M.>"
hi I was just wonder if you could
elaborate on you answer to having a lot to learn about freshwater
aquariums?
<<1) you used 2 "feeders" to cycle a 29g tank--not
the best way to do things for a lot of reasons.
2) You have 4
"red tail sharks" and 2 tiger barbs in a 10g tank?! Unless you like
watching fish slowly kill each other, this is a stocking nightmare.
Tiger barbs are fiercely aggressive fish. The red tail sharks get to
be up to 6in long and even ONE of these would need a lot more room
than 10g.
These are the two biggest reasons I think you have a
lot to learn about freshwater aquarium keeping. But I don't mean to
pick on you. Certainly, these are mistakes a lot of people make.
However, if you're not the type of person who likes to do much of
your own homework and reading, these kinds of mistakes will cost you
even more in marine aquarium keeping.>>
and all of my LFS are
lame I have to drive at least 1 hr to an 1 1/2 hrs to get to one
that has any variety of any live plants or any one who has any
knowledge. My 10 gallon and occupants was recommended by my LFS
<<Oh, I can easily believe that. Unfortunately, many LFSs give a lot
of bad advice when it comes to livestock selection. They're better
for knowledge about dry goods (IMO). Fortunately, for knowledge on
livestock and livestock selection, there are a lot of other good
resources... books, websites, etc. Again, best to research before
you buy, before you even set up the tank. Here's one place to start:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/index.htm>>
thanks again
<<De nada,
Sara M.>>
Freshwater Tank Qs -02/24/08
thank you very much. with your
advice I better slow down and do a lot of research before I start
which I plan to do starting with your site.
<awesome>
I have
been reading it all day and it is very informative thank all of you
for your time and patience. could you give me any other web sites
that sell marine kits that you would recommend thank you again and I
will have to do something about my tank right now I agree I didn't
do enough research before I bought but I will do my homework on the
marine setup seeing how the price is so much more
<Yes,
considering marine aquarium livestock run about (at least) 10x the
cost of freshwater, this is a wise plan. As for marine "kits," even
though it's far away, I would still start with a "local"
aquarium/pet store. It's nice to be able to see these things in
person before you buy them. For anything you can't find in the
store, I'd recommend Salty Critter (but only because I'm familiar
with them-- there are likely many other such LFSs with a
corresponding online store).
Good luck and happy reading :-)
Sara M.> |
Freshwater to Marine 12/9/07
Hello WWM crew how is your day
going?
<Hello, very well, thank you.>
I was wondering about
getting a marine tank. I know how to set them up and keep them running.
But I don't know how I should get one. I have a 25 gallon cichlid tank
12 gallon goldfish tank 12 gallon eel/Pleco tank and an empty 25 gallon
that are all freshwater right now and I was wondering if I could make
the 25 gallon Eclipse into a saltwater.
<Sure, but a larger tank is
easier (more stability) for starting out.>
Do they make marine
filters that will fit the eclipse lid and lights that will fit too?
<The same filter will work fine. If you want a reef the lighting will
depend on what you want to keep. You could possibly fit a power compact
inside the Eclipse.>
Or do I have to make/buy a custom lid with
marine pumps and lighting. Would all this doing be worth it?
<For a
reef you will need additional flow via an extra pump or powerhead. It
really depends on what you consider worth it. Reef tanks have a way of
costing more money than you plan at the start.>
Or should I just go
buy a 14 gallon BioCube and spend a lot more money.
Which would be
easier?
<About the same. For my money I would get a tank in the
40-75 gallon range and plan on using the 25 gal as a sump/refugium.>
Also just out of curiosity, do freshwater test strips work for marine
too?
<Some do.>
Thanks for all your help and support.
<Keep
reading on this site and others to familiarize yourself with the
requirements of a marine/reef tank. If you want to take the leap you
will save yourself much time, trouble and money in the long run.
Welcome, good luck, Scott V.> Quicker cycle? FW and SW
nitrifying bacteria are different strains
5/21/07
<Hi Breanna, Mich here.>
I have a well-established
cichlid tank, which I want to turn into SW.
<OK.>
This is a
healthy tank no diseases or issues.
<OK.>
I'm wondering if I
make the N cycle quicker, if not skip it, if I save the water from this
tank?
<Mmm, nope, different strains of bacteria at work here. More
here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/estbiofiltmar.htm
>
I could get rid of the fish, decor, fw plants, gravel, leave the
under gravel filter alone as much as possible mix in salt to right level
put in play/live sand, and a few pieces of live rock....
<I
personally would remove the undergravel filter when setting up a marine
tank. More here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/u_gfiltmarfaqs.htm >
Guess the real
question: is the bacteria that changes ammonium to nitrate in a fw tank
the same as in a sw tank?
<That is the question and the answer is
no.>
Would I be better off "gutting" and cleaning and starting the
standard way?
<Yep! Your live rock will be the most helpful in
cycling your system. Start fresh! Mich>
thanks
Breanna
Another half-baked idea? SW, FW tog. – 4/9/07
Someone on
another forum discovered this. I have no idea if it's a wind-up or not.
But it's certainly insane!
http://www.freepatentsonline.com/6016770.html
Now you *can* keep
marine fishes in your freshwater aquarium!
Cheers, Neale
<I see
future queries with titles such as "Clown Trigger not Getting alone with
Koi fish..." Thanks for sharing...Adam J.>
<<The real issue...
compatibility... Brings back memories of the "Magic Ocean", "Wonder
Water", other sucrose products that would allow this temporary
association... Raising specific gravity, osmotic pressure sans ionic
content. Bob Fenner> Converting Freshwater Tank to Marine risk
questions 2/19/07
Hey crew,
<Joe>
Kind of an easy
question (or two) but one that I cannot easily find an answer to. I
have had a 240g Freshwater tank up and running since new for 3yrs with
all the necessary equip for a marine set-up (Wet/Dry, dual overflows,
titanium submersible heaters, dual powerheads, retro CF lights 10k and
Blue.
<Some planning ahead!>
I have just removed all water,
substrate, cleaned the tank, cleaned the wet/dry and bio-balls. The
only places I cannot easily get to is the overflow boxes (inside) and
the hoses for the drain and return to the wet/dry.
They have brown
and green algae in both that I cannot get to clean. I know these will
not live in Saltwater, but will they cause me any issues?
<Mmm,
no... will likely die, be killed... but of no practical consequence...
will be supplanted in time by other species>
I need to know this
before I refill the tank with RO/DI water, Salt Mix, and Aragonite sand.
<Not a worry>
Lastly, the water that was used in the Freshwater tank
was my well water. Due to the older pipes in my house I think there was
some trace amounts of copper in the water. I have never used any
medications or copper on the tank, but should I be concerned about the
trace amounts of copper that was in the tank before?
<Mmm, how much
copper? If there is measurable (parts of ppm), likely this will "fall
out" of solution in being mixed with your synthetic salt mix... allowing
a few weeks to go by before livestock introduction... If not, or if you
are further concerned, use of Polyfilter, Activated Carbon, other
specialty filter media can/will remove... But/and the "real" question
to/for me, is if there is "too much" free cupric ion, am concerned re
what all else there might be... and want to encourage you to investigate
the use of simple RO technology for your system as well as potable
uses... See WWM re... and/or let's chat...>
Better to know these
risks before I spend several thousand dollars on
300lbs of Live Rock
and inhabitants.
<Yes... though, I assure you, this is not really
likely a concern>
Thanks guys and keep up the great work,
Joe
<Thank you Joe. Bob Fenner> FW to SW Setup 11/30/06
Hi
Bob and Company,
<Hi>
Your website is great very informative. I
was searching the website but had some questions about the
transformation from freshwater to salt. My current tank is 125 Gallons,
and houses African Cichlids. I was planning switching over to SW with
fish and some live rock, and maybe some invertebrates.
Substrate: I
currently have African Cichlid sand and Florida Crushed Coral, 3-4
inches in some places. Do I need to reduce the level of substrate?
<I would either go with less than 1/2 inch or more than 3 inches of
sugar fine calcium based sand.>
Filtering. I currently run two Eheim
Pro II canisters 2028. Should I remove the mechanical filtration and
replace with biological substrate only? I also have an emperor 400
BioWheel filter and Hagen 501 powerhead. Do I need anymore filtration?
<A skimmer is necessary in my opinion, along with live rock which should
give you all the biological filtration you need. You can use the other
filters for water movement but I would not run any filter pads or the
BioWheel.>
Final question, a few months ago I treated the tank with
CopperSafe, I know this doesn't come out of the water for awhile, if I
plan on adding invertebrates, Do I need to do anything about the
CopperSafe?
<Definitely remove the substrate, this will hold and
slowly release the copper over time. It can also bind with the silicon,
so run poly-filters to try to remove any that is release from there.>
I was planning on adding: clown fish -
blue tang -1 -2 <1>
puffer - if possible <Be careful, some of these get quite large.>
some other small fish
<ok>
Many thanks, and I'm going out today
to buy your book.
James
<Good luck with your new endeavor. See
the articles on WetWeb for more on setting up a salt water tank.>
<Chris> Converting fresh to saltwater -
8/9/2006
Hi,
<<Hello.>>
When converting a mature
freshwater tank to saltwater can I use the existing water by doing a
partial water change and adding the correct amount of salt?
<<I
suppose you could, but I wouldn’t want to. I prefer to aerate and heat
my saltwater for at least 24 hours before adding it to my tanks.>>
And assuming the existing substrate is suitable for saltwater can I just
give it a thorough vacuuming?
<<Again, possible, but not
desirable. If you are hoping to keep any nitrifying bacteria alive,
they will die with the addition of the salt, and you will have to
re-cycle your tank anyway. You will see significant (read: ammonia) die
off in the substrate of anything living if you go straight from fresh to
salt water. My recommendation is to empty the tank, give the substrate
a thorough rinsing (assuming it’s aragonite or another SW substrate) mix
your SW, add it to your tank, cycle it, and then research fish to add
:).>>
Thank you.
<<Glad to help. Lisa.>>
Minimum Age For Saltwater Aquarist??? - 06/07/06
Crew:
<Paula>
I know I am a newbie to this site, and some to my knowledge
of fishtank care, but is there a minimum age or "experience years" that
I should be before I try to convert my freshwater tank to a saltwater
tank?
<No age or "experience years", Paula. Do read here, and
related links above, to get your feet wet. http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marineSetUp.htm>
Thanks
<You're welcome. James (Salty Dog)>
Paula
Permission request. Looking for AnthonyC 5/28/06
Dear Sir,
(I could not find contact info for Mr. Anthony Calfo, I apologize if
this is a wrong address to contact for this subject. And if this is the
case and you forward the message to the right person, I will be
grateful)
<Ah, will send this to him... best to reach at/through
MarineDepot.com where he works, is paid to help folks>
I am
writing this mail for a permission request about publishing one of the
articles, "Converting from freshwater to marine aquarium keeping", on
WWM site. The content of this permission requisition is to publish the
Turkish translation of the selected article on a Turkish aquarium forum
website.
Actually, the success of your article
directed us for such way. I believe that trying to write a similar
article on the subject will not make more than a cheap copy. On the
other hand, lack of foreign language, many aquarist in our country do
not have the opportunity to utilize such articles. That is why we want
to translate the selected articles and place them on our Turkish web
site, with their author name, link to original page, and the publishing
permission provided by authors or sites, if given, of course.
Let me give the information below about the permission we request,
- Website:
http://www.akvaryumforum.com/forum/
-
Action: English to Turkish translation and publishing the Turkish
version ONLY under related topic of akvaryumforum.com
- Article to translate and publish: "Converting from freshwater to
marine aquarium keeping"
Your response will be
appreciated.
Best Wishes
<Cheers, Bob Fenner>
FW to SW conversion 5/9/06
Hell!
<Heaven! aka Hawaii>
I
have heard a rumor that once a tank has been used for freshwater fish it
can't be sterilized and then used for SW fish. Is this true? <Bunk> Is
the converse true?
<Nope, a good cleaning with a mild bleach
solution and some elbow grease will make tanks fine for any use>
Thanks, Love this site! <Me too!>
Jeremy
<Chris> 27
gal. Eclipse planted tank conversion to SW 4/25/06
Hello,
<Hi there>
I have a 37 gallon eclipse 3 that
is currently a planted tank, but I am thinking of converting to a FOWLR
or a low-light reef
tank. I retrofitted it with a 65 watt 6700k pc
bulb and a 20 watt NO fluorescent. I plan on using about 45 pounds of
LR and a remora skimmer
as filtration. I have several questions,
and was hoping for your expertise to answer them.
1. Here is my
proposed fish list: a flame angel,
<This system is really too small
for this species>
pajama cardinal, percula clown, and a couple of
neon gobies. Is this too many fish? Can I add a royal Gramma?
<In
place of the Flame, yes>
2. Is my lighting good enough for low-light
corals and possibly an Entacmaea quadricolor?
<Some of the former,
not the last>
3. I will have a couple of power heads for
circulation, but should I continue to use the filter with some floss for
added mechanical filtration?
<Mmm, not adequate... use the Google
search tool on WWM with the two words "Eclipse Conversion" or "Eclipse
Modification" and read the cached versions. Bob Fenner>
Thank you so
much for your time! Nitrifying Bacteria, FW not SW not
FW 2/23/06
Hello Friends at WWM!
<Hi Scott! My name is
Tim – I will be answering your question today.>
I have an emergency,
so I don't have time to browse through the archives. I'm just going to
hope it's not somewhere really obvious! I
am setting up a marine
quarantine system <Excellent!>, that I at this very second have fish
bagged/boxed waiting to go into. The quarantine system that I
bought came from a local freshwater breeder who is moving and came with
established sponge filters. I need to know if the bacteria that is in
those sponges will live in saltwater and provide me with filtration - or
if they're going to die off and wipe out my new system <The bacteria are
unfortunately not the same - your quarantine tank will cycle when
converted to saltwater. My suggestion is to clean the filters thoroughly
with water as you suggest below, although new filters would undoubtedly
be the preferred option if possible! Afterwards keep a close eye on the
ammonia and nitrite levels in your QT and be prepared to make frequent
water changes to keep these as low as possible. Note that you can help
the cycling process by using water from your display tank in the QT as
this will contain beneficial bacteria. Otherwise the addition of a
biological starter such as Stress Zyme will encourage the cycle>. I was
hoping I
could just rinse them out with RODI water and be ready to
roll. Could I
be that lucky? <Sorry.>
Preemptive thanks!
Scott
Marine Set Up, reading... 1/18/06
I have a
29 gallon fish tank that I want to convert to a salt water tank. I want
to put a dwarf lionfish in it? What kind of set up would you suggest
that I use? <Read here for starters my friend. http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marineSetUp.htm Most
questions can be easily found on the Wet Web Media. Please search here
before sending a query. Thank you. James (Salty Dog)>
Thanks for
the help, <You're welcome>
Mike Making The Transition (FW to
Marine) 10/28/05
Hello.
<Hey! Scott F. here today!>
My name
is Landon, and I was just wondering if you could help me out a little
bit.
<That's what the site is all about!>
I currently have a 20
gallon tank with tropical fish in it, and I am going to upgrade to a
saltwater tank.
<How exciting for you!>
I was wondering if you
could give me some general information and stuff that you suggest I buy
for a new tank. Also, I would like to know what size tank you think I
should start with, and some types of coral, rock, and fish I should get.
Please e-mail me back with some advise as of what to buy and general
information.
Thanks, Landon
<Well, Landon- that's a tall order to
fill in the confines of the Daily FAQ's! You could literally fill a book
(in fact, many have) on how to set up your first marine system. You're
in the right place by coming to WWM. We have a ton of information here
on virtually every topic of marine aquarium set up and care, right here
on the WWM site. You can read for days and days on just about anything
that you need!
Also, do consider investing in a good book, such as
Michael Paletta's "The New Marine Aquarium", or Bob Fenner's "The
Conscientious Marine Aquarist". Both provide a tremendous amount of
concise information on the design, set up, and care of marine systems!
I'm thrilled for you as you start your new journey into saltwater! Enjoy
the adventure, and feel free to consult us if you have any questions
along the way! Best of luck on your new adventure! Regards, Scott F.>
Freshwater to Marine Conversion: Substrate 10/27/05
Hi, I'm
pretty new to the hobby.
<Hello Andy and welcome to the addiction, I
mean Marine hobby.>
I have kept some cichlid for a while and want to
try my hand on coral and anemone.
<Okay be sure to thoroughly
research these animals beforehand, reef tanks are not a casual endeavor.
The anemone especially is quite challenging and has specific needs….best
left in the ocean or to veteran aquarists.>
I need to know if I can
use my current crush coral as a substrate for my saltwater tank?
<Short answer is yes. However depending on the grain size you may want
to reconsider, if it is a large grain size I would not use it as it will
trap detritus and cause nutrient problems. Also look into adding more
sand or crushed coral to enjoy the benefits of a Deep Sand Bed. At the
least I would remove the crushed coral and thoroughly rinse and dry it
before use in the marine tank.>
Thank you very much for the advise.
Andy
<You are welcome, Adam J.> Marine aquariums, not for the
passive 10/2/05
Dear Mr. Fenner <James today>
I am an
experienced person in the area of freshwater aquariums since I own
several discus of an expensive nature and have been many years caring
for them.
I have decided that I want to start up a Marine aquarium
and I need all this new information about how to do so. I also want
to know if it is worth it to leave behind fresh water and begin
saltwater.
<Up to you Dylan, whatever floats your boat. Generally
marine aquariums are more interesting displays than freshwater and if
you stick to easy to care for animals such as clownfish, it is really no
more difficult than freshwater. Discus are much harder to keep than
clownfish.>
I have been looking around in the net but I have been
overwhelmed with all this information about all these products and
types of aquariums.
Having come across your website I am
understanding just a little bit more. I was wondering if you could
assist me by informing me what exactly I would need to set up a
simple marine aquarium to keep clown fish, starfish, anemones,
corals and all the regular stock.
Can you please help me and send an
email with all the products I need for a 300l (80us gallons)
aquarium. <Dylan, lets start by reading this article.
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marineSetUp.htm Using the same WWM site
you can search for info on other subjects that interest you. Your
choice of filters, skimmers, etc is really going to depend on the budget
you are allowing for this project. If you decide to make the change,
stay away from anemones and sps/LPS corals for a while as these will
require more care. Most people give up on this hobby because they
purchase animals that are difficult to keep and thereby watching their
money go down the drain so to speak. James (Salty Dog)>
Yours
Dylan FW to Marine Transition, much more research to be had…
9/25/05
<Adam J here.>
I've had freshwater for years and
recently decided that freshwater wasn't challenging enough and decided
to take on saltwater.
<You never tried a planted discus tank did
you?>
My parents had a saltwater tank until it started to leak and
I liked watching the fish
in there. I recently obtained a 20 gallon
aquarium (since my apartment agency is really testy about large
aquariums, this was probably the maximum size I could get away with. I
want to try a 30 gallon later on).
<I understand your dilemma and
you are right to want to begin with a larger system, tanks 40 gallons
and under are usually a bit to unstable for beginners. However with the
right amount of discipline and the correct equipment you can make it
work.>
I haven't set it up yet and I've been trying to do my
research on how to keep one up with the goal of having
a small reef
aquarium in the future. I haven't researched lighting for reef
aquariums yet but,
<The lighting for a reef tank will depend on the
targeted photosynthetic specimens, the lighting amount and intensity is
highly varied amongst corals.>
if I were to start off without the
correct lighting for the intention (for now) of a fish-only setup, would
a live
rock help/hinder the tank startup?
<I have never run a
marine tank without liverock, whether it be a Fish Only with N.O.
fluorescents or a Reef tank with Metal Halides, live rock is the
ultimate source of efficient biological filtration.>
Would it help
with the Nitrobacter populations?
<Tremendously.>
What can I
expect to grow (plants? Coral?) off it?
<Depends on the region form
which the rock was collected and the curing process that followed.>
Is it possible to grow coral without the blue light at night?
<….By blue light do you mean the actinics that are used to supplement
the lower temperature (white/yellow) bulbs or moonlights? Generally
speaking both are for aesthetics.>
I know Damsels are the best
starter fish due to their hardiness
<Yes but DO NOT cycle your tank
with these fish, live rock is the most efficient way to cycle your
marine tank, furthermore these fish are very territorial and can be
highly aggressive to tank mates.>
But what about the converts such
as black mollies (I know you have instructions somewhere on how to
acclimate
black mollies. Can you link me?)?
I was also
wondering if other brackish fish could be converted,
such as dwarf
puffers and dojo loaches.
<You can acclimate the mollies and allow
them to live in your marine tank but I get the feeling you meant cycling
with them too, just to reiterate do not cycle with fish. The dojos I
believe will not thrive in a full marine environment, in fact I have
only seen them in full FW set-ups. As for the puffer it depends on the
exact species, some will thrive in a full marine environment and some
will not. You can skim through the brackish link as to how to convert
appropriate fish FW to Brackish; Brackish to Marine, the general
recommendation is .002 per week
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/BrackishSubWebIndex/bracfishes.htm >
One final question, how do I figure out just how much fish I can put in
XX gallons?
<There are tons of rules of thumbs for this
particular subject, and in my opinion, and they are all horrible. A
given fish of one size may have very different needs from another
species of the exact same size (24” snowflake eel compared to a 24” Naso
lituratus Tang). You really have to start developing an individual
stocking list and select specimens that are suitable to your set-up. The
stocking levels will generally be a lot less than the FW set-ups you are
used to.>
I know freshwater has the rule of one (tropical) inch per
every gallon but I don't
know if the same generally applies for
saltwater without considering aggression.
<Not in the least bit, in
fact I don’t think this rule of thumb should apply to any aquatic life
whether it be FW or Marine.>
Thank you for your time,
Sarah
<You are wise for researching before taking “the dive” however in
conjunction with your research here at WWM and the Net I would purchase
some books as well: The Conscientious Marine Aquarist by our own Robert
Fenner is a good choice and for first timers I like Mike Paletta's New
Marine Aquarium too. Many more books are out there and you can get
reviews from Amazon and the large number of Aquarium chat boards.>
<Anytime, Adam J.>
Brackish To Marine.. The Switch Is On!
Hi,
<Hey there! Scott F. with you today!>
I have been searching
for this info and cannot find answers. Brackish tank 16 months old, all
stock are fat and sassy!
<Cool! Brackish tanks are neat!>
Tank ½
round cylinder, 70 gallon Eheim, power head, need skimmer.. and better
lights
Stock, 3 Monos, 3 Scats, 2 Mollies, 1 Puffer (Figure 8), 3
Rams, 1 Krib, 2 Knight Gobies and 5 Weather Loaches.
<Nice.>
I
have been moving the salinity up gradually, the fish such as the Rams,
Weather Loaches and Krib will not go full marine so I will trade them.
<Sounds logical!>
Here is the question.
As I move this to a full
marine system I would like to have a reef/marine setup.. At what
salinity will live rock grow?
<Well, the rock will not "grow", but
the fauna on the rock will. You'd need to get the specific gravity in
the range of 1.019-1.026>
Can these fish share space within a reef?
<The Scats and Monos do get pretty large; you may have to trim down the
population as they grow.>
If so what do I need to watch out for/
avoid?
<In a tank of this size, you need to monitor water chemistry
parameters carefully, especially with messy, aggressive feeders like
Scats and Monos. Also, do observe the behaviors of the fish carefully to
make sure that everyone gets along okay.>
I would like to add,
inverts, corals and a few more marine fish later and really can not find
much written on this subject.
<Well, I have not seen all that much
written about converting brackish systems to marine/reef tanks. However,
once your tank is "marine", all of the standard husbandry and stocking
rules apply...nothing new there. The WWM site is, of course, chock full
of information on maintaining a marine system.>
Can you folks help or
direct me to a reference? Thank you in advance. Ellen O'Meara
<You'd
do well to start right here, Ellen! Also, refer to good basic primers on
the marine hobby, like Mike Paletta's "The New Marine Aquarium", and
Bob's "Conscientious Marine Aquarist". These texts will serve as a basic
introduction to the marine aquarium. Enjoy the journey! Regards, Scott
F.> Converting from Fresh to Marine
>Hey,
>>What?
>I've been keeping fish for about 3 years now (first brackish-water tank
w/puffers, Oscars, etc), and I'm looking for a bit of change now. Ever
since I've laid my eyes on the clownfish at the LFS. I'm wondering about
what's needed in order to make the transition from one of my 30.US-G
Freshwater tanks to a FOWLR marine tank scenario.
>>You know what's
funny? We already have many, many articles and FAQs that cover this
extensively. Have you tried searching the site? One recommendation I
want to note first is to ONLY use A. ocellaris or A. percula in a system
this size, and NO MORE than two, as they'll limit what other animals you
can keep (unless you decide you want to try adding inverts).
>It's
equipped with a 100watt Heater, AquaClear 150, and a Powerhead
w/filtration add-on. I've also purchased plenty fine-grain Arag-sand,
and wondering if I should add some coral substrate.
>>Heater wattage
is determined by tank size, same-same for fresh vs. salt. I like to
double/treble filtration (as indicated by manufacturer's specifications)
as a minimum starting point. Consider also investigating refugia
technology for filtration.
Beyond that, FIRST decide what you want to
keep - this size tank is to be considered and treated as a nano. Choose
animals, filter accordingly. No need to worry about adding another
calcareous material, aragonite sand is fine, unless you happen to like
the crushed coral.
>In addition, I also plan to order 10-15lbs of
live rock and get some live sand from a friend's reef tank.
>>Plan on
AT LEAST 1lb./gallon of live rock for best utility/filtration, get more,
cure, quarantine. Also, this is NOT the place to scrimp, get the best
rock you can. If you're already paying for live rock, paying for live
sand is a huge waste of money in my opinion, and I'd want to be
absolutely CERTAIN there have been no diseases, parasites, or other
unwanteds before adding sand from your friend's tank. I feel that just
seeding with the live rock is plenty sufficient. Use our Google search
to answer all these questions, as well as the ones you don't have yet
(such as curing the live rock).
>Am I set with just the add of
sea-salt and cycling to successfully keep actual fish? Or is it yet
another classic death trap for my fish due to an amateur marine
hobbyists like myself? Please, I need help. Thank you. Abdul.
>>You'll be fine, but know that there is a LOT of information contained
within our site. I think you should start here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/index.htm
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/fw2mar.htm
There will be, I promise,
MANY more links of interest in just those two to start. Pay particular
attention to the "small marine" FAQs and articles. As for myself, my
favorite tanks over the years have been nanoreefs. Marina
Fresh to marine substrate
Mr. Fenner,
<Ron>
I have a 75
gal aquarium that has been used for African Cichlids. It has an
aragonite substrate. If I change this tank to marine, Can I keep
the same substrate in there?
<Mmm, yes... I would take it out, wash
it (likely in a "pickle bucket" and garden hose, until it ran clear),
and add more (like a good half again) as the older material has likely
lost a good deal of its "easy solubility">
What will the effects be
if I do? Will it cause an ammonia spike resulting in a cycle?
<Will have to be recycled again... the microbes present will be almost
completely wiped out with the cleaning, change to saltwater... Read
about this, and be prepared to wait a few to several weeks for cycling
to become established... with or w/o the use of prep.s. Bob Fenner>
Thanks!
Ron And Christina Allison
Plans for the Future -
Freshwater Now - Saltwater Later
>I am going to be purchasing a
180 to 200 gallon aquarium to set up as a
native fish freshwater
aquarium. In 3 -5 years I plan to convert it to a saltwater fish only
tank.
>>Alright.
>I do not want to start off with a
saltwater tank because we occasionally lose our power during storms,
sometimes for a day or two, and I do not yet have a generator.
>>Understood.
>My question is how I can setup my freshwater tank to
avoid the least amount
of equipment conversion when I later switch
to a saltwater fish only tank?
>>Quite easily,
especially since you already know what direction you want to go in when
converted to marine.
>I imagine that I can purchase a light that may
be overkill for freshwater, but
will not need to be replaced at a
later date.
>>Nay, if your intention is to be fish-only
marine, then lighting is not at all a factor. Use what pleases you.
>My budget right now is not a factor, I just want to set the tank up for
now so that I can make the switch easier at a later time, while
switching the minimum amount of equipment. Can I set all the filters,
lights and everything now so that for the most part all I need to do is
switch substrate and water later?
>>Essentially,
yes. Actually, if you went with certain fish (those that do well in
hard, alkaline water) you can even use the same substrate - e.g. African
rift lake cichlids, using crushed coral or even an aragonite sand. You
can, for freshwater, set up what would normally be sold as a marine-type
filtration system, say, a sump with biological filtration (skimming is
difficult in freshwater, but not impossible), power or canister
filtration, really, any/everything except a refugium. The only caveat
is that we must increase filtration by at *least* one third (turnover +
capacity) for marine relative to fresh.
>A LFS told me that most of
the equipment would need to be changed, but some things I have read on
the net tells me differently.
>>Of course they'd tell
you that. They can get you to buy twice if you go that route, can't
they? Or, it may simply be ignorance of the basic principles of
filtration that may have generated this assertion.
>Any advice would
be greatly appreciated. Kevin
>>Kevin, do some research
on filtration for fish-only marine systems, plan for the dirtiest fish
possible, then boost/increase the filtration and apply that to the
system you're creating now. There are those who would say you should
never go with canister filtration, I disagree, but will caution that
there is a "pain in the arse" factor when it comes to servicing and
maintaining these filters. There are also those who will tell you that
something like a biological (bio-balls in tower) filtration is a
"nitrate factory", but this belies a misunderstanding of biological
filtration in general. In concert with good quality live rock and foam
fractionation this sort of filtration will work just fine. Decide what
you can and cannot do realistically (in terms of maintenance,
especially) and go from there is my best advice. Our site has much
information on filtration for saltwater, and this can all easily be
applied to fresh, with the exception of the protein skimming (foam
fractionation). Marina Changing to saltwater
Hi guys at
WWM, this site is always a big help. <SOOOO very nice of you to say!!!>
I currently have a 55 gallon tank with a South American cichlid setup. I
just purchased a Eheim pro II 2026 which is running on the FW without
the biological media (which I'm saving for SW). With in the last week I
bought 3 bags (60 lbs total) of water packed Arago-alive Bahamas oolite
for a substrate (I hope this is enough). <Depends on the depth of sand
you want to have.> I plan on adding LR over a time period as I get money
for it (I'm only 16 but work at a fish store). I was reading on your
site that aqua c remora, Tunze, and CPR bakpak2 are good skimmers. <So
is Euroreef and multiple others.> which is the best one for a 55 FOWLR
in your opinion for a manageable price. <Really depends on what you are
wanting.> What steps should I follow when setting up this tank. Should I
fill the tank with SW then add the substrate since its alive or add it
first? <I would add the sand and its water that's in the bag and then
add additional saltwater.> Anything else to continue the setup would
help also! <You don't have to add your live rock all at once Joe, you
can add it a piece at a time if necessary! Sounds like you are well on
the way and hope its amazing for you. MacL>
thanks,
Joe
Freshwater to Saltwater
Hello, <Hi Melissa, MacL here with you
tonight>
My creatures gratefully thank you for all the knowledge
that you share!!!! <I am sure everyone here thanks you for your
kindness.>
I have a few questions that I have not found on the site;
I think I just cant seem to word it correctly in the search feature.
<You aren't the only one. I spend a lot of time myself just reading
things but I always learn so much>
Firstly I have a Columbian shark
(Arius jordani) about 4-5 inches in a 60 gal., which I have had for the
past year as a barely brackish fish. Since he has thrived/grown over the
past year I have not had thought to look anymore into his preferences.
But yesterday I did and I feel bad, come to find out he prefers
saltwater as he matures. so my question is how to I bring him over to
salt. I imagine that it will be very slowly, say replacing (in a 10
gallon temp tank) 10% of the water daily with salt water until I reach
1.025? <Slow is the key!!! > I have a 120 reef that will be replaced
with a 180 this weekend. This tank is a mixture of creatures it has
yellow tang 2", hippo tang2-1/2" and 2 Bartlett's Anthias, purple
Firefish, GS maroon clown and 2 Lysmata amboinensis and a scooter
blenny and a derasa clam. A branching hammer, frogspawn, Ricordea, open
brain, galaxy, candy, sun coral, some leather coral. We also have a
refuge which has some Chaetomorpha, live rock and DSB. If I acclimate
the shark over to saltwater would any of my reef inhabitants be in
danger (shrimp, corals, snails (Nassarius, Cerith & turbo)? <I'd like to
tell you they would be safe but the truth is that lots of things would
be in danger, definitely the shrimp and snails and quite possibly the
fire shrimp. I have seen some that don't bother anything but for the
most part as they grow their appetite grows and they eat everything in
sight.> Are there any creatures that I should know about that I should
not mix with him (in general)?
Our tank has been running along
wonderfully until a skimmer malfunction and a delay in getting a new one
($$) caused a nutrient increase. We have had the new one on for about 2
weeks (EV 180) and have been getting some very very nasty stuff but I
still feel like there is a lot of excess nutrients, when we upgrade
obviously we will be adding about 60 gallons of water, will this help
with the nutrient aspect and allow the skimmer to actually "catch up"
better? The skimmer is rated for tanks up to 200. <Should give it a
better chance but I would think with it being over rated it might have
been able to catch up pretty easily. Possibly you need to give it some
help by cutting back on the feedings for a while?>
Also we would
like to add maybe one more fish and are looking for variety, I have read
that the copper banded butterfly or Forcipiger are some that could be
reef compatible. <Copperbands sometimes work but they will eat any
anemones. Most butterflies are not reef compatible.> As there are many
butterflies do you have any other suggestions for an addition? I know
that these fish can be reef nippers and am nervous about that addition.
<You might consider a Foxface, I think they work well in reef tanks> But
it would be nice to add one more fish. Also would the yellow of the
Forcipiger cause conflict with my yellow tang?
Our
cleaner shrimps are always loaded with eggs and last week I noticed that
we actually have tiny cleaner shrimps in the refuge they all hang out in
one corner and vary in sizes from very tiny to a little larger than the
live brine we get at the LFS. <I think what you have is copepods and not
baby cleaners although would be lovely if you had baby cleaners.
Generally Mysis shrimp flourish in refugiums and they look like tiny
shrimp. BUT they are a good thing and a sign of a very healthy tank so
that's good.> They are definitely shrimp and don't seem to have the
characteristics of the brine; so I am assuming that they are the
cleaners. What is their chance of survival, I had been under the
impression that the eggs would never really produce but it does seem
that they have. Of course the conversion to the 180 will be detrimental
but I will try my best to baby them. <Definitely try to take them with
you they are good for the tank.>
Final question, I found some
information on WWM written on "Southdown Sand" from Home Depot which is
their play sand. This info I found said that with Very Good rinsing many
aquarists use it for their tanks. My Home Depot does not have the
"Southdown" brand but carries a brand called Paragon, have you all heard
of this and do you think that I could use it as well? It is a very fine
grain aragonite sand. <There are additional brand names for the sand,
the big thing is to make sure it says Caribbean sand on the outside of
the package is my understanding.>
I really appreciate your time and
knowledge and thanks again for sharing. <Good luck Melissa, MacL>
Take Care
Melissa
Fish and Wives
Hello there!
<Hi, MikeD here>
I have been reading info on your site for quite a
few weeks now, and I believe I am ready to convert my 2-year-old
30-gal FW system to SW. I kept my most prized critters that I
became attached to (a couple of
African Dwarf frogs and a small
school of 5 neon tetras) in a small 10-gal FW hex. I originally
added the frogs in the 30-gal before I knew they were not supposed
to be compatible with tetras, but they've been
very happy and
active, and I'm proud to say I have yet to witness a fatality in my
tank! I could have just gotten lucky...
<While luck may have had some
bearing, the tank size helped as well. In the smaller 10 gal. tank
there's less room for the Neons to avoid the frogs fingers, which act
very much like a catfish's barbels or "whiskers", so there's a greater
chance of them being swept into the amphibians mouth upon contact,
usually at night, so don't be surprised if the school gradually
decreases in size.>
Now, having a neat 10-gal FW tank and an empty
30-gal tank, I wish to convert it to SW. I have just went out and
bought some things, based on literature from your site. So far,
what I have:
30-gal tank
synthetic sea salt
2 hydrometers
(one for the display and one for the QT/mix bucket)
live sand
3
SW-safe heaters (two for the display and one for the QT/mix bucket)
plastic bucket (Walgreen's trash can)
All necessary test kits
Thermometer
Protein skimmer (I got the CPR Bak-Pak 2)
35 lbs of
Live rock
Extra tissue for the times I cry when I think about the $$
spent<LOL! Well said...make sure you keep the sense of humor when using
the tissues!**grin**>
The live rock and the sand, though already
purchased, are still awaiting me at my LFS
The fish:
I tried
to stick with fish that would not exceed 4 inches, and also tried
not to exceed "an inch of fish per gallon of water", keeping in mind
that my tank would hold less than 30 gallons because of the live
rock. I was planning on:
A pair of clownfish
One (or two)
three-stripe damselfish
One flame angel
One Royal Gramma
Several sand sifters and cleaners
That's less than 20 inches of
"total fish" at adult length. I know the damselfish will be
aggressive, but will it get to a point where it will be detrimental
to the health of the other fish?
<There's no guarantee, as like all
animals, aggression often varies from individual to individual, but I've
had Damselfish attack ME while snorkeling, if that helps to gives you
any idea of the attitude they CAN develop once established.>
I used to
own tiger barbs, and I noticed they were less aggressive towards
other fish when
kept in pairs or schools. Would the same apply to
the damselfish?<Absolutely not! These are not school fish and any
similarity is strictly in appearance.>
If you absolutely had to
have one in your tank, would you recommend one or a pair?<Truthfully, in
a 30 gal. tank, NONE. I have one 5" Sergeant-Major in my 300 gal. tank
and wouldn't attempt two there.>
The reason I must have a 3-stripe
is because that is the only way my wife agreed to let me get into
SW! She made me promise to get either a 3-stripe damsel or a Longfin
Bannerfish, which is way too big for the 30-gal. At any rate, she loves
the "zebra" look. (Can you guess whose idea it was to get the barbs?)...
I'm so whipped...<my suggestion would be to skip the damsel and promise
her a Heniochus (the Bannerfish) at a later date, then stock your tank
and resort to your original plan. With your original list you already
have some built in problems to consider....Clownfish are actually
members of the Damselfish family and every bit as territorial, so a pair
plus a 3-stripe is actually three damsels and simply too aggressive for
a 30 gal. tank. For best results, I'd suggest adding the Royal Gramma,
sand-sifters and clean up crew first, then the clowns and finally the
Flame Angel last, keeping in mind that many people find keeping Angels
in a newly set up tank difficult to impossible (I've personally never
had one do well in a tank set up less than a full year, and that's been
almost 40 years now.)>
In the future, I will learn to use her
request for the Longfin Bannerfish as an excuse to get a bigger
tank!
<It worked for me as well! **grin**>
At any rate, I feel like
I'm missing something, like the feeling one gets when walking out the
front door and realizing he forgot to put his pants on!<You mean I'm not
the only one?>
Please advise on what else I could possibly need, on
my tentative fish selection, or just feel free to bash me for getting
married to someone who wants to get involved in my hobbies! ;)<The
latter I'd NEVER do, as, IMO, that's the ONLY way the two of you will
ever truly enjoy the hobby, one that definitely benefits from being
shared. In the future, if there's one piece of information that I can
offer it's that the bigger the marine tank, the easier it is to
maintain....while this sounds like a paradox, it's true, as it cuts down
on inter-fish aggression plus allows for some leeway for error.>
Thank you for a WONDERFUL site with plenty of useful information.
<And thank YOU for looking us up. We try as best we can.>
All the
best,
Paul
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