Boom Posted April 10, 2010 Report Share Posted April 10, 2010 Well, the time has come for me... Been pretty into fish keeping for a few years now.. and have had lots of fun with my African cichlids. Now, I'm seriously considering switching my 55 gallon over to a saltwater setup. I've read a few articles on various sites on the 'net, and think that so far I have a VERY basic understanding of what is needed. But I'd like to understand in more detail. So I though I'd see what info I could garner here. Fish only vs. Reef tank? What are the differences in requirements as far as live sand / live rock / lighting / filtration? Filtration requirements? Can I get away with whats already running on the tank? A Rena XP2 and a built in drip down system? Do I need more? What filter media should I use? Do I need a protein skimmer? Lighting? Again, can I get away with the built in lighting (just new bulbs)? What kind of bulbs do I need? The hood has 3 x 36" T5's. Substrate? Live sand? Crushed coral? How much? Where to get it without paying a fortune? Live rock? How much do I need? Where to get it without breaking the bank? Fish selection? What to keep in a 55? What's some good starters? I want a few clowns for sure... what goes with them? Water changes? How often? How much? Salinity? What salt to use? Where to get it? How to measure it? Water quality? Where to go from Edmonton tap water? Other than adding salt, what needs to be done to it? What else am I missing??? Thanks for your help. Boom :boom: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fleshgear Posted April 10, 2010 Report Share Posted April 10, 2010 i just switched a 46 gallon bow front from fresh to salt. i thought that i wasnt going to use a skimmer, but i have one now. you should see the stuff it takes out. i have a fluval 405 with the foam taken out. i have marine carbon, some small pieces of live rock ( a few trays worth), and some chemi-pure elite i dont know what that does, but it was recomended to me. as for lights i am using a 36" coralife pc 192w light with a 10,000k and an actinic bulb. some people say that is not enough, but i think it is a matter of where you place the coral when i asked this question a while ago people told me to buy a whole setup from someone who was getting out of the hobby. i didnt do that. i did buy pretty much all used stuff. but it still would have been cheaper to get all the stuff at one time. check out canreef they have really good deals Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boom Posted April 14, 2010 Author Report Share Posted April 14, 2010 Well I've decided NOT to go saltwater. At least not right now. Thanks anyway. Boom :boom: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jvision Posted April 14, 2010 Report Share Posted April 14, 2010 Well, from when you do decide, I'll give you a little insight from my own experience Fish only vs. Reef tank? What are the differences in requirements as far as live sand / live rock / lighting / filtration? Fish only (FOWLR) is probably easier because it won't require much change from your current system. With a Reef tank, you'll want some good light (probably at least 200W T5HO) and Reef tanks tend to require cleaner water. You'll probably want a skimmer. For either FOWLR or Reef, you'll want 1lb per gallon of LR. The best prices tend to be from other hobbyists (CanReef has a lot of locals on it). Stores generally sell it fro $8-10 per lb. Live sand is nice, too b/c it has filtering stuff. Filtration requirements? Can I get away with whats already running on the tank? A Rena XP2 and a built in drip down system? Do I need more? What filter media should I use? Do I need a protein skimmer? By built-in drip system, do you mean you have a sump? If so, that's great. You can use it to hide your heater and skimmer (if you choose to run one). Most SW guys use something to collect mechanical waste, then use LR as biofiltration. I've seen many systems with their canister filters with just a couple sponges, then filled as much as possible w. LR. The main point in filtration is BIOfiltration, so if you have lots of flow around and thru your LR, you'll be fine. Lighting? Again, can I get away with the built in lighting (just new bulbs)? What kind of bulbs do I need? The hood has 3 x 36" T5's. FOWLR, you don't need to upgrade your lighting. You may want to switch out the bulbs to 10,000K or higher - SW guys like thier blue light! Substrate? Live sand? Crushed coral? How much? Where to get it without paying a fortune? My preference is for LS. Detritus doesn't tend to settle into the sand and stays on top where you can vacuum it or filter it. You can pick it up at stores - or just buy some Aragonite and get a couple cups from a hobbyist or store (often for free - just ask someone on CanReef). The other stuff is more of a personal preference. If you want your clowns to host, you can get some lower light corals and place them up closer to the lights. CanReef is a great site, and I've met some great people there. You can definitely get some good deals there! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boom Posted April 14, 2010 Author Report Share Posted April 14, 2010 Awesome. Thanks Jason. I will keep all this in mind for if / when I eventually do switch over to saltwater. Boom :boom: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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