From Freshwater to Saltwater (newbie help)

[thadius65]

Just found this forum tonight. I have just started my research into moving from freshwater tank(s) to saltwater. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Here is my current setup, which I would like to use as much equipment as possible:

54 Gallon bow front corner aquarium
Fluval 304 canister filter
TetraTec UV5 clarifier
300w submersible heater
Standard single light

Can I use the above and add to it what I need? I am possibly looking for a small amount of live rock, so lighting may be an issue due to corner tank??

Any help with what I need and general recommendations would be greatly appreciated. In the meantime, I will be reading and absorbing as much as I can from this site.

Thanks for all your help!

Ted :sfish:

 

[jhnrb]

welcome to the forum. Go to the helpful articles and read all there is for your there. it may take a bit but most all your questions will be ansered. once finished with the articles come back to your thread here and post any lingering questions you may have.

on the equipement, the heater is too large of a wattage. you problem with proper lighting if for corals will be overheating. for fish only though your lighting needs will not be as stringent. I would recommend a 250 Mh directly over the corner tank hung from above, a rotating water pump out let from the back portion of the tank. if sized correctly you will only need one or two. anyway im getting ahead of myself. read the articles which will explain all of the ins and outs of setup, cycle, equipment, etc. then back to the thread and we can all exchange info. also you might consider joining us at live chat mon, wen, or fri, where you can interact in real time. good luck and keep us posted on your progress.

 

[ReefWannabe]

the main things are, listen to john and read read read read. After that, read more lol. John has pages of stuff in the helpful articles section. after that you should have a good understanding of basically anything you need to know!!!

 

[minireefer]

agreed read through the articles there some realy helpful info there.With the canistor filter.you will need to clean it every 4-5 days to keep it from release nutrients back into the tank.Once you have the right amont of rock you can remove the bio filter.I would sujest adding a protein skimmer to the setup.It will remove any extra nutrients and nasties from the system before they become an issue.I do agree with the sujestion of a single halide that the best option for your configuration.

 

[cwis24]

Welcome,
There are great helpful articles on these boards that will help you through.

But let me give you my off hand experience of converting from a 75 gallon freshwater tank to saltwater (my conversion was about a year and a half ago)

I originally had a eheim pro II filter, a heater for my size tank, and the standard light that came with my tank.

The first thing i had to get was a protein skimmer, at first i did not know much so i got this cheap little one that hung at the back of my tank.
I also had purchased 2 blue damsels to help with the cycling process. I did not get any live rock because at first i was thinking of making this a fish only tank(recently i have just begun my change over).

I left my tank like this for a while(i was really busy at this point which was nice because i did not rush the cycling process whats so ever)
My first addition into the tank was a hermit crab (for cleanup and alge control)

I did some reading and decided that my protein skimmer was garbage and a wet dry filter would be very benefical.

I purchased a wet dry vac with a protein skimmer built in. I left my ehiem hooked up because my cycling process was done with that filter and i new the new filter would have to develope before it was effective.

Infact i still have my eheim running to this day, i use it for extra water circulation and flow :-)

I purchased a new heater that fits in my sump that is good for my tank size (tank looks better with out it being in plain sight)

I have a better lighting unit now also (you can find many helpful articles on lighting and what is sufficient)

 

[jhnrb]

Check out the following article in the helpful articles forum. part 6 addresses your question. the rest of the article will also be very helpful you may want to read the complete article. it is long but full of information.

Article - Beginning Saltwater Aquarium - part-6.

 

[amonya]

welcome ,time to read read read ,helpful articals are great,check out the photo gallary have fun.is there a echo in this thread.lol :lavalamp:

 

[thadius65]

Thank you all for the info. I am in the process of my "learning" process as I will be starting to read shortly. I do have somewhat of an update thought.

I have been looking for a used 29H tank for my boys baby red eared slider and bumped into a killer deal on this:

AGA 55 gallon w/megaflow
AGA megaflow kit
IceCap 430-008 ballast
1-48" actinic light vho light
1-48" aquasun vho light
custome hood with above lighting mounted
wired with gfci outlet
AGA stand

All recently purchased and never ever used. Boyfriend must have ticked of his "ex" girlfriend..... All for $100!! :bounce: Good deal, huh?

So, though my equipment needs have changed, I must read and learn before I proceed. Wet/Dry, sump is all really new to me.

Thanks again for all your input. Hopefully I will now be able to focus on getting this hobby off the ground.

Ted

 

[amonya]

One thing I would suggest when setting up your live rock dont stack against the glass just one of the things I did in my first tank thats a big no no no cant clean or reach behind if something dies or gets stuck. :twocents:for 100 bucks Ill give two hundred for it lol