Brad9 Posted June 27, 2007 Report Share Posted June 27, 2007 Hey everyone, Firstly, this is my first post to Alberta Aquatica, so thanks for having me. I've been working with fresh for a long time. I've done 3 kinds of freshwater rays, discus, S/A and C/A cichlids, piranha, big peaceful communities, South American stuff for the most part. Anyway, I've recently freed up a 90-gallon tank, cleaned it, and prepped it for a makeover. I'm considering this to be my first attempt at a salt tank. It's a standard 48"x18"x24" size, and right now it's set up with a Rena xP3 canister filter, a pair of Fluval Tronic heaters(a 200W and a 150W), a dual-bulb Glo T5 fixture with 2 54W 4' Power-Glo bulbs, and was being treated with Prime and Stability. I'm curious to know how much of this equipment will effectively transfer over to keeping saltwater, as well as some basic information on keeping saltwater(I've never even started learning about it until now). I'm currently reading "Saltwater Aquariums for Dummies" and planning to hit some of the local saltwater places in the Calgary area(Let me know if you know of a good one). Any information that you could share would be greatly appreciated. Brad Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishytime Posted June 28, 2007 Report Share Posted June 28, 2007 You can use most of your stuff. With the exception perhaps of your lighting. But that will depend on what you are planning to do with your salty tank. If a fish only tank is what you want to do then your light will probably do. But if you want to keep corals and fish then an upgrade will be in order. Generally three choices, metal halide, T5HO, or power compact. Reef tanks require at least 4 or 5 watts per gallon. Thats the rule of thumb anyway. Colby @ Elite Aquatics is a good guy and will help you with what you NEED and not push anything on you.Hope this helps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prodogg02 Posted June 28, 2007 Report Share Posted June 28, 2007 (edited) i hav 1 glo double 48 with 1 blue and 1 marine bulb on my 45 gal and its awsome 2 on i 90 would be good for zoos and mushroms just my 2 cents.deff see colby for a skimmer Edited June 28, 2007 by prodogg02 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brad9 Posted June 28, 2007 Author Report Share Posted June 28, 2007 I thought the filtration was quite a bit different, and that canisters were less efficient. Also, I heard earlier I should look into some new lighting, is there something specifically that I should be looking into? It might be tough, I haven't decided exactly what I want to do with the tank, but I know the corals are definitely going to play a big role. And I think I've heard of Colby before, where is his place located? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bosshog Posted June 28, 2007 Report Share Posted June 28, 2007 Welcome Brad, Thanks for starting this thread. Over the past couple months I've been showing the wife tank pics on Canreef, I think she's coming around to the idea. I've been wanting to start a thread like this also but have been reading in the the saltwater section and also on Canreef. You pick up tidbits here and there that have only caused me more confusion. Gotta love it!!! I'll probably start one in the fall. No idea what I'm going to put in it, nor how big yet, lots of time to decide. Brad Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Osprey Posted June 28, 2007 Report Share Posted June 28, 2007 Use the canister filter to run activated charcoal and phosphate absorber. Replace the media frequently to prevent it from turning into a nitrate factory. Are you able to add a sump to this tank? Either with some Tunze overflows or a drilled back wall? A sump will give you some added options; very useful for holding the skimmer, heaters, etc. Without a sump, you'll be limited to HOB skimmers, which really aren't efficient enough for a 90g. You're lighting should be sufficient for some soft corals; decide ahead of time which type of corals you want to keep, and plan lighting and current accordingly. Definitely try to get your hands on Robert Fenner's "The Conscientious Marine Aquarist"; his new book with Anthony Calfo (Reef Invertebrates) is marvelous as well. If you're thinking corals, I strongly recommend reading Eric Borneman's book on the subject. A great place for web research is www.wetwebmedia.com. Elite (Colby's store) is in the south, on McLeod trail... Riverfront and Gold's you'll already know about, I suspect, and Wai's is in the north, across from Pete's drive-in. It's worth your while to check out all the stores in the area. They all have something different to offer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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