Agreed. Though most people getting rid of their rock are getting out because it is being neglected so it may not be the nicest stuff but worth it none the less. I got almost all of my rock off Craigslist.
from freshwater to saltwater
- Thread starter REGGAEX
- Start date
Agreed. Though most people getting rid of their rock are getting out because it is being neglected so it may not be the nicest stuff but worth it none the less. I got almost all of my rock off Craigslist.
Not in a hurry is good!
I have a 210 oceanic and cheap is not exactly the reality. Best to start with Dry sand not wet for economy - 2/3 rds dry rock 1/3 rd Live Rock to start the cycle and seed coraline, pods, micros and macros. Rock should take up approx. 1/3rd of the total tank volume. For good circulation Powerheads on opposite ends of the tank facing each other equaling the total water volume in tank not sump. For economy 1 large box of Instant Ocean Reef Crystals (Cheapest of quality salt mixes IMO) and a Hydrometer. Add in a Saltwater basic test kit and you can relax for 4-7 weeks as it cycles thru.
Hopefully by then you'll know which route your going Reef or Fish Only - either or with a large tank you can't go wrong with a skimmer, at the least it'll refresh 02 and help remove nitrate causing dissolved protiens but totally unwise to run during the initial cycle. Depending on the type of Marine Life you keep an upgrade in Lighting may be inorder. As for gadgets and gizmos used for water quality adjustments and purifications you won't really know what you need till your tank is running and cycled thru with fish.At this point if Corals and inverts are in your future a Reef Pro style test kit will be needed to help with added adjusting stuff.
Just an FYI 10% weekly water changes cost me $20 in salt every 2 weeks.
Since you are just getting started on saltwater and won't be considering a reef for quite some time, just get the cheapest salt you can buy, most likely instant ocean or coralife. No need to get reef crystals or anything else because it won't benefit you in any way.
You also can just buy one of the plastic swinging arm hydrometers. No need to buy a more expensive one because you don't need it to be exact, just close.
Find cheap rock like mentioned above.
For in tank flow, Koralia powerheads are the best way to go for the price. Look to get 2 Koralia Magnum 6's or bigger.
I agree with those above that a quality skimmer is a must. You can save some money by buying a used one, but do not buy a cheap one. This is one area where you get what you pay for and you will need to spend quite a bit of money to get a decent one rated for your tank. The skimmer should be rated for at least 300 gallons as companies are notorious for overrating their skimmers.
You also can just buy one of the plastic swinging arm hydrometers. No need to buy a more expensive one because you don't need it to be exact, just close.
Find cheap rock like mentioned above.
For in tank flow, Koralia powerheads are the best way to go for the price. Look to get 2 Koralia Magnum 6's or bigger.
I agree with those above that a quality skimmer is a must. You can save some money by buying a used one, but do not buy a cheap one. This is one area where you get what you pay for and you will need to spend quite a bit of money to get a decent one rated for your tank. The skimmer should be rated for at least 300 gallons as companies are notorious for overrating their skimmers.
Have not cleared out the freshwater fish yet but how good of a cleaning job do i need to prepare for the saltwater change over.I know the substrate i have now needs to go what about the filters what kind of cleaning do they need thanks for all the help.
I would clean it all as well as possible before starting the change. Everything in the filters now is waste and bacteria that will die, so you might as well clean them out.
Maybe this will help you out bro.
http://www.oscarfish.com/article-home/fish/157-converting-from-freshwater-to-saltwater.html
http://www.oscarfish.com/article-home/fish/157-converting-from-freshwater-to-saltwater.html
queston what kind of water to fill tank i have a 220 i keep reading use r/o water to fill a 220 would be kind of costly.have city water i have 2 55 gallon food grade drums i use to treat my freshwater fish they have heat and areation plumbed to the tank ?
R/O water will eliminate any additions of phosphates, silicates, heavy metals, and dissolved solids which usually leads to the elimination of nusance algae and diatoms. Although new tank syndrome (new sand, new rock, new fish, immature bacterial colonies) usually produces them anyways. With Tapwater I can pretty much guarantee all of the above wil be present and eventually reactors may be needed to remove their build up. With that being said, I don't use R/O water - never have, but do run 3 reactors - Protien Skimmer, Phosban, and Carbon.
With a tank this size a RO or RODI unit is something that will eliminate a lot of headaches. Buying it and hauling it from the LFS obviously isn't an option and would be super super expensive. RO units aren't over expensive with the cartridges being the costly part when you have to replace them over time. When I bought one for my tank it did wonders for the amount of algae in my tank. Nitrate levels are easier to keep down too, I think there is some level of nitrate in the water out of the tap which makes keeping the nitrate levels in your tank low almost impossible because water changes will be adding some nitrate while you are taking some away.
just bought a ro/di spectrapure filter 4 stage 180 gpd i will use that to fill the tank i have two 55g food grade tanks to hold the water and mix the salt? may as well start off right.
