Hi,
I currently have several tropical Malawi cichlid tanks and have decided to convert one 200L tank to a fish-only marine setup, with just a few fish. I have a few questions and would be grateful for some help:
1. Will the existing freshwater bacteria all die when salt is added to the system?
2. I currently have coral sand in the bottom. Should I add some live sand to this, or is that not necessary?
3. Do I still need to add some bacteria to the water, even though the tank itself is over a year old?
4. Does the water have to be RO water. My tap water is fairly soft. Are there some hardy fish that don't need RO water?
5. I have some porous 'spaghetti' rock at the moment. I'd really like to keep this and it has been well cycled with the freshwater tank. Would it be sensible to just get one piece of live rock to mix with it, so that the 'life' spreads? Or do I need to scrap my existing rock and replace it completely with ocean rock?
6. I have a very substantial external filter. Will that be enough if I just get a few fish?
7. If I am not having coral, do I still need a protein skimmer? If so, why?
8. What easy, hardy brightly coloured fish would you recommend for a small community setup? I'd quite like some clown fish, and my kids obviously fancy a couple of Regal tangs, but I'm worried that they will get too big for this size tank? Is that the case? Are there dwarf varieties?
9. Do I need some crabs or shrimps to help keep the tank clean, or are they tricky to keep for a beginner? What is recommended?
Many thanks for you help - and patience with a keen beginner to marine. I hope that these are sensible questions...
MARTIN
I currently have several tropical Malawi cichlid tanks and have decided to convert one 200L tank to a fish-only marine setup, with just a few fish. I have a few questions and would be grateful for some help:
1. Will the existing freshwater bacteria all die when salt is added to the system?
2. I currently have coral sand in the bottom. Should I add some live sand to this, or is that not necessary?
3. Do I still need to add some bacteria to the water, even though the tank itself is over a year old?
4. Does the water have to be RO water. My tap water is fairly soft. Are there some hardy fish that don't need RO water?
5. I have some porous 'spaghetti' rock at the moment. I'd really like to keep this and it has been well cycled with the freshwater tank. Would it be sensible to just get one piece of live rock to mix with it, so that the 'life' spreads? Or do I need to scrap my existing rock and replace it completely with ocean rock?
6. I have a very substantial external filter. Will that be enough if I just get a few fish?
7. If I am not having coral, do I still need a protein skimmer? If so, why?
8. What easy, hardy brightly coloured fish would you recommend for a small community setup? I'd quite like some clown fish, and my kids obviously fancy a couple of Regal tangs, but I'm worried that they will get too big for this size tank? Is that the case? Are there dwarf varieties?
9. Do I need some crabs or shrimps to help keep the tank clean, or are they tricky to keep for a beginner? What is recommended?
Many thanks for you help - and patience with a keen beginner to marine. I hope that these are sensible questions...
MARTIN