Freshwater conversion

[agiversonjr]

Hello everyone and thanks for reading my thread. Okay so right now I have a 46g bowfront freshwater setup. I have been contemplating converting this to a saltwater for some time now.
I would like to start with a fowlr tank then add corals at a later date. Preferably after I've got the marine basics down.
For equipment right now I have an eheim 2217 filter, eheim 1212 powerhead, dual t5 with 4 royal blue led's, and a hydor 300w inline heater.
I was wondering if the filter could be used (with the media replaced, sponge prefilter and a skimmer attatchment) and also if the poolsand-argonite-crushed coral substrate and the texas holey rock can be re-used in a marine aquarium.
What other equipment would I need to begin?

 

[Amba]

Texas Holey is fine for a reef tank, I would let it die though if it's currently in a tank, just let it dry out and clean it. You don't need a filter on a FOWLR really, if you have enough live rock that will be your filter. I would however invest in a quality skimmer. Most people just use argonite. A skimmer is really the best thing you can buy for your tank.

 

[agiversonjr]

Thanks for your response amba, so would i need to get an actual protein skimmer or would a surface extractor attatchment for my eheim do the same job?

 

[Bifferwine]

The filter would not accomplish the same thing as a skimmer. They work in different ways. You are better off getting a skimmer. The powerhead and heater would be fine to re-use, but you will need a second powerhead. And new lights if you plan on keeping corals. I would not use the substrate. It can lead to poor water quality in saltwater. You should use aragonite sand instead. Good luck. :)

 

[Samhain]

Biff has you covered. Crushed coral traps detritus, which absolutely RUINS your water quality. Better to just go with sand. And definitely get the skimmer. They are totally worth while when it comes to salty tanks.

 

[agiversonjr]

Thank you everyone. I did some more research at work today and learned what a protein skimmer really is and how it works. I have also decided that I am going to to keep the freshwater how it is and just start fresh.
I'm going to have a a lot of time just sitting at my house this winter. So I'm thinking a smaller setup. If I can get my skills down on something small the large tanks will be cake. Plus it won't cost nearly as much to stock and if something happenstance I end up loosing everything I won't be out as much money either. I saw a thread on a different forum of a man who made a 15g tall, 10 refuge and a completely custom stand. Something similar will fit some available space in my house.
So it's more research... Once I get going ill be sure to post a new thread and pics. Any known useful websites and advice would be appreciated.

 

[Bifferwine]

Larger tanks are much easier than smaller tanks -- more water to dilute out mistakes. :) For a first tank, I'd go with at least a 29 gallon.

 

[poksal]

I'd like to add this.. yes a skimmer.. absolutely. ..and a refractometer for checking your salt level in the water. In a 29 gallon salt tank just two ppt off on the amount of salt is .8 cups of salt. That is a lot of salt when you figure that your will be running about 11 to 13 cups of salt total (this allows for some example amount sand and rock). You can't read one of the floating bobbing glass meters that close and the various gadgets that you put water in are not to be trusted within 2 ppt points in the long haul. Your salt content is the first thing you need to get right and build eco systems from there.

Believe me, I know from first hand experience! Don't start out with the wrong salt measuring device like I did! You will kill some nice life forms before you figure out your salt is WAY off.

 

[agiversonjr]

So biff, is that just the total water volume or should that be the size of the display tank, i ask because i want to have a display overflow into a refugium that voerflows into a sump and then back again. complicated i know, but i want to build this into an all inclusive stand that i will build myself. I was thinking for that to have a tall tank at the top then the same footprint size tanks below just not the tall ( like a 15 tall and two tens or something similar just a size up) it mostly depends on what i can find on sale when i go buy them. Im hoping to catch another dollar per gallon sale at petco or another good deal on craigslist. It will most likely be spring before this even comes close to fruition. Has anyone ever tried the refuge overflow to sump setup?

 

[poksal]

For refge & sump type tanks.. I drive past lots of garage sales (ya see one ya stop)... people tend to sale off 10-15 gal acrylic tanks often, and cheap, and those babies drill nicely!! Plus... you generally pick up lots of free aquarium junk with them. Most of which you toss but sometimes get a great give-me. Fore example: I scored a free RO canister and other parts and was able to branch a separate RODI behind my pre-filters to my change water tank for cheap.

 

[agiversonjr]

Nice! I don't think I'll be encountering too many garage sales, it's already starting to snow here hahaha. ya know i was thinking about just using standard glass for the sum/fuge but acrylic would be sooo much easier to drill thakns for the idea. plus i can then make the internal baffles and what not a lot easier too. poksal, how is your sump/fuge setup (or is there another thread for me to find that info) like, are the one above the other, side by side, or all in the same tank (probably a 20 long?)

 

[poksal]

Nice! I don't think I'll be encountering too many garage sales, it's already starting to snow here hahaha. ya know i was thinking about just using standard glass for the sum/fuge but acrylic would be sooo much easier to drill thakns for the idea. plus i can then make the internal baffles and what not a lot easier too. poksal, how is your sump/fuge setup (or is there another thread for me to find that info) like, are the one above the other, side by side, or all in the same tank (probably a 20 long?)

I use two acrylics from garage sales.. both are about 12 gallons.. (one is a bow front the other was actually a sump). I return into my sump one, pump into my reactors from the center chamber and return those back to the first chamber with the tank return. The reactor pump also branches off to the refuge, the refuge returns back to the center chamber. The skimmer (here is a cool thing about acrylics) is in an annex I built on to the side of the sump. I used a soldering iron to punch a series of holes in the wall between the annex and the sump. ... I glued the annex together with Loctite Super Glue Ultra Gel Control.... (I actually slipped and fell against it once and cracked a joint and was able to re-glue it with water in it with the same glue using duct tape to hold it while it cured.... That scared the crap out of me).

So.. they are all on the same level. There is a thread "somewhere" with a picture of my "processing plant".. . it isn't up to date but does show it close enough... well.. heck.. I'll take one and post it showing the answers to your question best. The skimmer is hard to see behind the main return from the tank and valve. The refuge is being re worked so is about empty of LR and k-toes. That is my RODI fill tank sitting on top of the sump so the ATO is then gravity. The bow front "free at garage sale" refuge is sitting with the bow to the wall and is why the square glass cover looks odd shaped. You can still see the black duct tape bracing from the accident, I never took if off. This is day time so the sump light is supposed to be off but I have this one light that is on plugged into a full time outlet for the moment. I forgot to plug it back into the "light time lights" outlet... oops.. the picture taking reminded me..

 

[agiversonjr]

i should also add, another reason for going smaller on the diplay is to make it easier on myself when i move next summer/fall and to reduce my stocking cost.

 

[Bifferwine]

So biff, is that just the total water volume or should that be the size of the display tank, i ask because i want to have a display overflow into a refugium that voerflows into a sump and then back again. complicated i know, but i want to build this into an all inclusive stand that i will build myself. I was thinking for that to have a tall tank at the top then the same footprint size tanks below just not the tall ( like a 15 tall and two tens or something similar just a size up) it mostly depends on what i can find on sale when i go buy them. Im hoping to catch another dollar per gallon sale at petco or another good deal on craigslist. It will most likely be spring before this even comes close to fruition. Has anyone ever tried the refuge overflow to sump setup?

29 gallons is the size of the display tank. Adding a sump/fuge (thus increasing water volume) does make things a lot easier too.

 

[agiversonjr]

Thanks again for the help everyone, this has been enlightening. And poksal, wow that's a lot of plumbing lol. I think i'm going to go with and design a vertical setup so that i only have to use one pump and less plumbing (hopefully tho i doubt this will be the case) Well it's off to the LFS to finish off my Tanganyikan community tank and do some more research on salt water.