I have a 30 gallon FRESH WATER fishtank up and running now but i want a SALT WATER one with some damsel fish to start off with. I have like 3 fish that are super old and about to die. after they die this is what i was planning on doing. please tell me if this is right or wrong and anything else i need to buy. Once the fish die i will clean out the tank entirely (gravel, rocks, water, and plants). then i will buy salt, a nice test kit, a filter and maby some live rock. what type of filter, salt, testing kit, and live rock do you recomend? remember i only have 30 gallons. also how muck live rock can i have? I want this tank to be mainly about the fish not the rock. i also have heard about powerheads and skimmers but have no clue what they do. and one more thing, is the fresh water under gravel filter good enough for the salt water tank?
~THANKS A TON IF YOU ANSWER~
Answers:
Howdy,
Your direct questions..
filter, salt, testing kit- Skimmers for a filter, salt is debatable.. personally I have a free source of filtered sea water (I live at the beach =), but I hear oceanic is all right.. testing kits you need calcium, ph, nitrates, nitrites, ammonia (if you ever get ammonia in a SW tank you're basically screwed), KH, and something to measure salinity.. usually a simple hydrometer will work.
live rock do you recomend - Tonga and fiji live rock are the best.. they weigh the least and are readily available. Check out liveaquaria.com, sealifeinc.net, and premiumaquatics.com for pretty good prices on liverock online. DON'T pay more than $5 per pound of rock, and that's for the REALLY good stuff.
how muck live rock can i have - At most probably 40 pounds, but if you want the tank to be mostly fish I'd say go with about 20, 25 pounds if you get good lightweight tonga or fiji rock.
powerheads and skimmers - powerheads are basically pumps that push the water around in your tank, they add extra "flow". SW tanks and especially corals need lots of water movement to survive. A skimmer is a special kind of water filter.. the basic idea is that the dirtiness in the water (poo, dirt, leftover food, etc..) weighs more than the water. So the skimmer takes the water, blows A LOT of tiny bubbles into it, and the air from the bubbles lifts the dirtiness out of the water and into a collection area, which you clean out.. That's a really simplified explanation, but it gives you an idea. These are almost a neccesity for a tank if you want a lot of livestock or if you don't want to do at least weekly %10-25 water changes.
fresh water under gravel filter good enough for the salt water tank - Noes! Do not use one of these for a salt water tank! Please just trust me on this one.
Beyond this, I really recommend checking out http://reefcentral.com, that is the best source of marine info out there. Registration is free.. make sure to check out this thread, it's got everything you need to know and more (look at the links in this thread..)
http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread...
Good Luck!
dont forget about the hydrometer. This is a must as it will measure the specific gravity of the water. mostSW fishes like 1.020-1.025
Any filter will do, HOB, i like to add another smaller internal filter in the tank in place of the powerhead. That way it makes alittle current and it adds to the filteration.
live rock is up to you. it isnt required, as some people like FO or fish only tanks.
So it is up to you. Ebay.com under saltwater or live rock is probably the best way to go for cheapest live rock.
i recently saw this auction from this company that uses ebay. they have a 14000 gallon tank where they raise corals and live rock.
Instant ocean is my favorite Saltwater mix. Just get a big bucket and mix the salt mix.
You wont need a protien skimmer,certainly it wont hurt you, but it isnt required. probably best for larger tanks.
Test kits are common.
Yes you can use aUGF,
if i was you i would go with a bigger tank.but heres some websites that may help theres licks to other questions you asked there too i am sure you find this a big help i have 2 155 gallon custom tanks in my house and they are both salt so good luck.http://saltaquarium.about.com
Hi Monto, Forgive me if I have misunderstood your meaning but it sounds like you are almost hoping your 3 present fish will die soon so why not offer them on your local Freecycle group %26 include a picture. When you have several replies you can choose which looks the best new home for them-they will have a great time %26 you can immediately start your salt water tank without having to wait. Good luck with your endeavours!
instead of waiting for the fish to die you should see if anyone wants them. try going on craigslist.com or going to your local store and donate them. then yes clean out the tank. you can either by sand or just use the gravel you have in there. do not really worry about a test kit. its something that people who have realllllly expensive and very large tanks with many fish and reef acquariums. you will need a salinity meter? its the thing that measures how much salt you have in the tank. for filters it really doesnt matter what you use as long as it filters the water and you make sure that you keep the filters clean. you can clean them out every couple weeks and change them every couple months. it will last much longer. power heads are good for undergravel filtration. they are great and will help keep the tank very clean. when it comes to live rock...dont get it if you just want fish. theres no real point in the live rock unless you are setting up a reef tank. the protein skimmers you are talking about just filter off the top of the tank and make the water look clear when you look from the top and theres no film over the top. all you have to do is have the water moving on the top and have something that will break the plane of the water so that theres is not a lot of build up. damsels are good fish to cycle the tank but they are very aggressive and will kill anything else you plan to put in there. they are like tiger barbs for freshwater fish. make sure you stick with the smaller fish with the 30 gallon tank unless you plan on upgrading very soon.
PS for the comment below mine...if you want to spend a lot of money and have it to spend then go right ahead...ive used all the same things from fresh as i have with salt and grew my lionfish from a baby to the size it is now. if you want a picture to see proof then ill send you one for sure...
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