I have a 90 gal tank, and I have been thinking about setting it up for salt water. I have a wet/dry for up to a 300 gal tank,proien skimmer,heaters,and air pump. I have it up and running for fresh water but Im thinking about going to a salt water tank. Do I have all the equipment needed to swith? Also another problem I might have is my house is heated by hydronic heat (water tubes running thrue the floof). So it is extreamly dry. I loose at least 1 gal. a day of water in the tank. Will the salt evaporate with the water or would I just have to keep the water level the same. If I would have to add salt and check the content every day I will have to stay withfresh water. I have it set up with a plunger switch in the wet/dry to automatically fill the tank daily-with filtered water. I also have a 280 gal, but I wanted to try a salt water tank with the 90 gal because of the cost of live rock, coral, and fish.Oh-also a have the lid with 4 floresent lights. Would I need to change the floresent bulbs, or I aslo have a 600 watt mtal halide growing light would this work better? SORRY about all the questions, but this is all new to me and I want to do it right with as few problems as possible.
Trying to set up salt water tank
- Thread starter daveolejnik
- Start date
Salt doesn't evaporate with the water, so evaporation is covered by just adding the water to get the correct specific gravity. Most of the hardware you have is *typically* interchangeable between FW and SW. It's been a LONG time since I did SW, so I can't answer more specifically.
In a more necessary way, you'd be better off with the larger tank being setup for salt, as the water chemistry of SW is far more important for the fish than FW usually is, unless you stick with the hardier fish like certain Clowns and of course Damsels. Larger tanks are just more stable, and that becomes more of a factor with salt.
As for the cost of live rock/sand, corals, etc., I think that's one of the more prohibitive factors in SW (at least for me).
As for the lighting, fluorescent will only work with FO (fish only) tanks. You'll need HO (high output) metal halide lighting for corals.
I would suggest you do a LOT more reading before even entertaining the idea, if for no other reason the cost alone. If you do decide to go through with it, the fish options in SW are absolutely STAGGERING! Colors and appearance are like nothing available in FW.
I'd love to setup salt again, but I can't afford it for the indefinite future.
Good luck if you decide to go that route!
Chuck
In a more necessary way, you'd be better off with the larger tank being setup for salt, as the water chemistry of SW is far more important for the fish than FW usually is, unless you stick with the hardier fish like certain Clowns and of course Damsels. Larger tanks are just more stable, and that becomes more of a factor with salt.
As for the cost of live rock/sand, corals, etc., I think that's one of the more prohibitive factors in SW (at least for me).
As for the lighting, fluorescent will only work with FO (fish only) tanks. You'll need HO (high output) metal halide lighting for corals.
I would suggest you do a LOT more reading before even entertaining the idea, if for no other reason the cost alone. If you do decide to go through with it, the fish options in SW are absolutely STAGGERING! Colors and appearance are like nothing available in FW.
I'd love to setup salt again, but I can't afford it for the indefinite future.
Good luck if you decide to go that route!
Chuck