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Changing From Freshwater To Saltwater


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8 replies to this topic

#1 Jonesy83

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Posted 25 October 2015 - 06:04 PM

Hi guys, been on the forums but just been looking around.

 

Have a 6ft tank which i setup to be a freshwater tank. Have been thinking I want to change it to a saltwater tank

Currently have large gravel on base, cannister filter and LED lighting.

 

Just wondering what I would have to do to the tank to make it a saltwater tank? Will be changing to a sand base. 

Im guessing no longer need the cannister filter? and go for power heads and a skimmer box? Plus live rocks

 

TIA

Justin



#2 dazzabozza

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Posted 25 October 2015 - 09:26 PM

Hi Justin

Going fish only or planning to keep coral also?

This might be more suited to the Marine section. Let us know if you want this thread moved there.


Daz

#3 Jonesy83

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Posted 26 October 2015 - 07:52 AM

Hi

Planning to go fish and live rock.

Umm yer wasnt sure if it was in the right spot can be moved 

 

Thanks



#4 dazzabozza

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Posted 26 October 2015 - 11:14 PM

Plenty of circulation with a large amount of live rock is usually the best approach.  Comes down to stocking levels.  If there's a lot of fish you may still need additional filtration (monitor with test kits).  The canister would still provide polishing benefits as well as the ability to add absorbent pouches (phosphates could get high from feeding) if required.  Canisters are often referred to as "nitrate factories" which is more an issue if you wanted to keep coral.  Any equipment leaving the tank can start getting a bit of salt creep which is a tad annoying.

 

Protein skimmers always handy as it'll help remove waste from the tank rather than it going through the nitrogen cycle.

 

I'd also consider lime sand / coral sand / aragonite as a substrate to give you better buffering to maintain your pH.

 

Planning on mixing your own salt or getting the water delivered?



#5 Jonesy83

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Posted 27 October 2015 - 04:01 PM

Yer thinking of getting the tank drilled now and running a sump for it. Keep as much things out of the tank as I can.

 

Not to sure yer, Will most probably try and mix my own and monitor it :)



#6 dicky7

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Posted 27 October 2015 - 07:35 PM

I believe aot of people now get there salt water home delivered they say it is far easier and fairly economical ...im sure a old hand from the salt section will say something soon



#7 Jonesy83

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Posted 27 October 2015 - 08:39 PM

Yer went down to a local shop and it was cheap enough to just buy it from them. So will end up doing that. Now just gotta sell my fish and stuff i wont be using, and decided to get tank drilled and run a sump on it. 

Now I just need to find money :)



#8 aussiemcgee

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Posted 28 October 2015 - 03:24 PM

Ay mate,

Pretty much everyone either collects their own water or has it delivered from a couple of suppliers;
Dennis/ Nathan from Oceanfarm 0419637770 and John from Fish to do 0409082135.
I collect my own;

Attached File  20140905_135355.jpg   271.28KB   7 downloads

Get yourself a couple of the blue 220L drums or an IBC and store it out of the way for water changes - just make sure what ever you get is Food Grade - check out CCR Plascon

Another thing you need is an RODI unit to top up evaporation - don't use tap water. If you become a member with MASA you will get a discount from PSI filters.

I think I posted on the thread below yours about flow rates etc and my journal is a few down from that (ryans 6x1x2)

#9 MrLeifBeaver

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Posted 29 October 2015 - 04:01 PM

3 words! Take. Your. Time.

 

Here are a few pointers;

  • When you get all the water and live rock in the tank, it will probably take about 3 days and become crystal clear, yes the tank is running great, but IT IS NOT CYCLED!
  • 1 to 3 weeks is not enough for cycling, a Marine tank needs to mature, 3 months is a good amount of time - I have heard that a tank is not fully mature until it is 3 years old!
  • I kept my Nano running with liverock and water only for 3 months before I added any large bio-load items (I did put in a couple of cleaner snails and mini corals in, you just can't resist)
  • Over the next 6 months I added corals, slowly waiting between each one added - you will note in my recent aquascaping comp how slow I have taken my over-haul. http://www.perthcich...showtopic=60878
  • Finally I added the fish (the biggest bioload on the tank) last
  • Get a chiller for this hot summer, the coral will die off if you do not control the temperature properly. (I have a second hand one [bought it untested from a fellow PCS member] I can sell you for $150 that I am not using, for your size tank too, it was way to big for my 34L).
  • Us PCS guys are not experts on Marines. I like to dabble in it, MASA is certainly better for experience - However, I really like the people here so I stay here and jsut shjow it off only.

 

I think once you convert the tank to salt it is harder to change it back due to salt and that purple calcium stuff that sticks all over the tank (hard to remove).

 

Regards M.L.B


Edited by MrLeifBeaver, 29 October 2015 - 04:02 PM.





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