I need help

[sharuq1]

I don't know much about salt water, but I would like to learn.. I have heard you cannot just turn a fresh into a salt water. But why? Why can you not use the same plastic plants and gravel?

I know you need a protein skimmer, but what else do you need to set up a simple SW tank? Special lighting? Special chemicals?

[FishBrain]

Lighting depending on what you want to keep in it.

Live rock for filtration.

And If I understand correctly you kill ALL beneficial bacteria if you bring up the salinity to fast.

[jvision]

I don't know much about salt water, but I would like to learn.. I have heard you cannot just turn a fresh into a salt water. But why? Why can you not use the same plastic plants and gravel?

I know you need a protein skimmer, but what else do you need to set up a simple SW tank? Special lighting? Special chemicals?

AFIK, if you just want a few fish, then you can just convert. SW fish like a bit more flow, so you may want to over filter or add a powerhead or two. I know a few people who don't use protein skimmers, either - just do more WCs.

Do a lot of research before you make the switch. Talk to people like Murminator - I think he did a mini reef tank for cheap, and likes to keep things simple.

[sharuq1]

Does live rock need special lighting? I have one strip (just an aqua-glo) but it is not enough to even keep live plants alive in that tank, lol. How is it that live rock stays alive? What do the critters in there eat?

How slow is slow enough to bring up salinity? How often would I need to WC?

I am guessing the tank is around 100g, but I really don't know for sure. Is one Rena filter enough (it is the larger canister filter, I can't remember what it was called) if it is 100g? What media do you recommend in the filter?

I would like to try a FOWLR tank. What about putting in tuffa rock as BR and just getting a bit of LR? How long do I have to run the tank "naked" before putting in the LR? How long do I have to keep it free of fish after putting in LR? Where is a good place to buy LR? How much is it?

I am thinking of starting off slow (mnostly due to lack of $, lol), maybe putting in a couple clownfish and whatever else you guys would recommend for a beginner. I'm very grateful for all the info. you can pump into me. TY!

PS: Thank you for being so patient with me in answering all these noobie questions

[snaggle]

For adding LR you can add it as soon as the water has the right specific gravity and temp. As for adding fish I would test the water weekly once you get readings of .00 ammonia .00 nitrate and less then .05 nitrates. Once you get the leaves you need wait another week then start to add your fish.

What type of fish are you planning to keep, if keep reef fish you will soon want to have corals and every thing else. I would plan to buy the equipment that would support a 100g reef so youdont have to upgrade, it is cheaper in the long run. You will not need the lights yet though since you are not keeping corals. If you are planning to keep fish like puffers, lion fish, eels, and triggers, you will want to filter the tank around 4 times the amount that you would for a fresh water tank.

For your skimmer I have heard good things about this one, Tunze skimmer.

Brad

[DZ Reefer]

I am guessing the tank is around 100g, but I really don't know for sure. Is one Rena filter enough (it is the larger canister filter, I can't remember what it was called) if it is 100g? What media do you recommend in the filter?

Hi, I'm new here but I'm not new to Reef Keeping. The first few things you will need in order to convert to a FOWLR tank are as follows:

Refractometer.

Don't waste your money on inaccurate swing arm or float style salinity contraptions, you'll end up buying a refractometer anyway. Well worth the extra money.

Live rock.

For 100 gallons buy as much as you can because it does most of the filtering. Its expensive so look for deals in the various buy/sell forums online. There's always some one shutting down a tank.

Flow.

As mentioned above, you need at least 4x more flow in a salt tank.

Filteration.

You should be able to get by with your cannister filter for now but ditch the filter media and just use it for carbon. Save up your money in order to buy a good protien skimmer, don't waste your money on the cheep ones, again, you'll end up buying the more expensive ones in the future anyway.

These are just my opinions but I hope it helps.

Danny

Edited April 4, 2007 by DZ Reefer

[Osprey]

Some reference books are a good investment, as well. Order them in from the local library if you don't want to buy them. I recommend starting with The Concientious Marine Aquarist by Robert Fenner. Reading through the databases on www.wetwebmedia.com is also a good starting point. Decide which fish are 'must-haves', and work your tank around them. As mentioned, a good skimmer is essential. Also, unless you want to keep a bare-bottomed tank, you'll want some aragonite sand (or similar calcium based substrate) to keep the pH up; FW gravel isn't really good for SW tanks.

Edited April 4, 2007 by Osprey

[Rainmaker69]

Stay away from crushed coral, also, as it is about impossible to clean and a real nitrate trap.

[sharuq1]

After almost dying from sticker shock I decided to go nano at least until I own my own house. I bought an oceanic biocube 14 in the hopes I would be able to do this.

Fish I was thinking of:

false or percula clownfish (1 or 2)

pseudichromis (sorry if I can't spell)

and.....well I am not sure yet, something flashy that would get along with those 2 fish, suggestions? anything blue?

Corals I was thinking of:

frogspawn

anything I can put with frogspawn in the tank (suggestions? pretty please??)

Inverts:

red and blue legged hermit crabs

porcelain crab?

peppermint shrimp or fire shrimp?

cleaner shrimp?

Suggestions very welcome, anyone with SW in red deer who can mentor me along would be a godsend!!

[Murminator]

The Pseudochromis or dottyback needs a bigger house than a 14G at least 25G with lots of caves and are really aggresive will be a bully. You could do a firefish they are real calm. Clown gobys(yellow or green), yasha gobies, hi finned gobies, red head....actually most small gobies and add nice color just make sure the lid is tight there jumpers. You mention you wanted blue, but try to stay away from damsels they are like pitbulls of the ocean damsel hate all fish including damsels, not all but it is so hit and miss it's better to stay away and a 14 will not work for them.

here is good place for info on fish and coral http://www.liveaquaria.com/

I am not familar with the boicube lighing but for coral frogsapwn "should" be ok as well as hammer, torch. Softies would probably be better like mushrooms, zoos, leathers, xenia. I would stay away from any sps right now

All the inverts look ok to have

Edited April 5, 2007 by Murminator

[sharuq1]

What is sps?

Over at Gold's they said a small pseudochromis would be fine and had that in the display cube in the fron t of the store. (gorgeous cube, full of corals *drool*) What is a very tiny goby that might be interesting and get along with the clown etc?

Where is a good spot to buy frogspawn. I was enchanted by the pink stuff they had at Gold's but it was not on sale (display tank). Any special things I need to do to keep it alive? Does it require light or food drops or shrimp to eat?

For goby choices....What about:

Amblygobius rainfordi (court jester goby)

red striped goby

catalina goby

Elacatinus oceanops (neon blue goby)

Hi-fin red banded goby

Nemateleotris helfrichi (Helfrichi firefish)

Other ideas:

Fridmani Pseudochromis - Tank-Bred

Any other ideas for brainstorming what to keep in here? The only have to is the clownfish, the frogspawn and hubby requests a purple fish I would love a blue fish that is not a damsel, are there no tiny peaceful blueys?

What about a clam? I have seen some very cool ones. Ones with red tentacles, ones that look like big purple lips, etc.

Edited April 6, 2007 by sharuq1

[Murminator]

You mean this one? it would be like keeping a german sheppard locked up in a bedroom it can be done but will it be happy? and like a german sheppard some are nice and some are mean It will work when it's small but they do grow up

http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?cl...;articleid=1761

What about a clam? I have seen some very cool ones. Ones with red tentacles, ones that look like big purple lips, etc.

Clam would die not enough light the( big purple lip ones) the red tentacle ones are scallops most likey flame scallops if you look closly you can see a ribbon of electricity running around them and yeah they just die they are filter feeders and I think they like real dirty enviroments I have heard that some poeple have kept them alive over a year.

The biggest things you need to keep coral is light and flow live rock and live sand thats all you need I have ran tanks like this for years

Now can you see why we always start off with small tanks and get bigger and bigger :thumbs:

You are like my wife she picks out stuff at the LFS and it always is a coral eater or gets why to big or it does not do good in captivity