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Old 02-21-2004, 11:49 PM   #1
mattjk
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Default Salt water fish tank owners.

It is possible to make a good salt water tank from fresh water, and then adding something like Kent Marine Salt Mix? Or is it that simple?

Thanks,
Matt
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Old 02-21-2004, 11:59 PM   #2
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fitration and lighting requirements are usually WAY different.. but it depends on exactly what you are wanting to do. If you are just wanting to put a couple finding nemo looking clownfish in there, then yeah, you probably could.
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Old 02-22-2004, 12:00 AM   #3
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yeah, I just want 3 or 4 colorful little fish.
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Old 02-22-2004, 12:24 AM   #4
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Hey Matt, Tong's on Warner/Magnolia sells filtered Catalina Sea water for $.35 a gallon. Its cheaper than getting/making RO water and salt mix. I prefer it.

You then just need to get some bacteria cultured. Here's an interesting read on fishless cycling.

http://www.tomgriffin.com/aquamag/cycle2.html
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Old 02-22-2004, 12:26 AM   #5
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Yeah, I was thinking that also, but I didn't know it was that cheap. Cool.
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Old 02-22-2004, 12:37 AM   #6
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Quote:
Originally posted by footypaul
fitration and lighting requirements are usually WAY different.. but it depends on exactly what you are wanting to do. If you are just wanting to put a couple finding nemo looking clownfish in there, then yeah, you probably could.
Ugh....if you aren't going to do the research...back away from the saltwater. And definitely don't listen to this guy!

I'm too tired to help you. But it's NOT easy if you want a good system. Well it IS easy if you do the research, which is NOT easy.

I'm NOT hungry. I mean I am.
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Old 02-22-2004, 01:04 AM   #7
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Fresh water it is! I'm not THAT into it anyhow.
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Old 02-22-2004, 01:09 AM   #8
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Yeah, freshwater is fun.


Except when your roommate thinks he can make a Guinness castle in your tank.
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Old 02-22-2004, 01:10 AM   #9
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Fresh sucks man. The fish are all dumb and not colorful. JK, but I find fresh just sooo boring.

Hehe, I have mad puffers!

But seriously, salt is not that hard if you're doing fish only. All you need is a decent mechanical filter and a skimmer if you keep meat eaters.

Here's a good link to edumacate you.

http://www.thereefweb.com/starting_a...right%20start.
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Old 02-22-2004, 01:15 AM   #10
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I'm going to have to agree. If you're not willing to do the research than it's not for you. I had a beautiful 55 gallon saltwater tank. Anemone, clowns, corals, etc... I sold it before I moved.

But FYI, you can start a saltwater tank with a freshwater tank but the filtration is normally different. If you have bio balls, however, it would be a good start.

It isn't totally necessary but for optimal lighting for the tank (to show off all the pretty colors) you're also going to want to get some higher wattage lights too. Those can be very expensive - most times more expensive than the tank and stand. I got a set of the JBJ Formosa Deluxes with 4x65w power compacts.

-Jason

Edit: lights. Sorry for the confusion.

Last edited by avatarr; 02-22-2004 at 01:24 AM.
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Old 02-22-2004, 01:19 AM   #11
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You don't need a wet/dry and pc's for a simple fish only tank.
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Old 02-22-2004, 01:21 AM   #12
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Pic of my tank a couple years ago. Taken with a crappy camera so it's chopped together but you get the idea.

-Jason

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Old 02-22-2004, 01:23 AM   #13
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Quote:
Originally posted by thesmokingman
You don't need a wet/dry and pc's for a simple fish only tank.
No, you don't. I'm saying, however, that some freshwater tanks already have wet/dry filtration systems with them and if that's what he has than it would work for his saltwater tank (although it would have to cycle of course). And as for lights - no he wouldn't NEED them but it certainly sets off the tank if you do have them.

-Jason
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Old 02-22-2004, 01:23 AM   #14
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I just got a wild hair up my ass because I bought a $27 tank from walmart.

I'll stick to goldfish.
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Old 02-22-2004, 01:25 AM   #15
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I'm a big fan of the micro-reefs. They are amazing. One clown, some mushroom coral, a small PC light and a skimmer. Simply amazing to see.

-Jason
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Old 02-22-2004, 01:27 AM   #16
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MY friend is totally into that, I should give him a call.

He has this book from Japan, on micro-reefs. Some of the setups in that book are simply amazing.
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Old 02-22-2004, 01:32 AM   #17
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Quote:
Originally posted by avatarr
No, you don't. I'm saying, however, that some freshwater tanks already have wet/dry filtration systems with them and if that's what he has than it would work for his saltwater tank (although it would have to cycle of course). And as for lights - no he wouldn't NEED them but it certainly sets off the tank if you do have them.

-Jason
Do you know what a wet/dry system is? See those balls, water runs down them and bacteria grows on the balls removing ammonia, etc. I'll give you a big cookie if you can find a wet/dry system sold at Walmart.

WETDRY


POWER w/ BIOWHEELS


Most el cheapo fresh water kits are mechanical, ie power filter kits, not wet/dry. I don't know anyone who runs a wet/dry system with a fresh water tank.
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Old 02-22-2004, 01:38 AM   #18
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I was wondering what those were. My friend has a HUGE filter with a bunch of those.

I have one of those mini/10 filters.
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Old 02-22-2004, 01:57 AM   #19
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Quote:
Originally posted by thesmokingman
Do you know what a wet/dry system is? See those balls, water runs down them and bacteria grows on the balls removing ammonia, etc. I'll give you a big cookie if you can find a wet/dry system sold at Walmart.

WETDRY


POWER w/ BIOWHEELS


Most el cheapo fresh water kits are mechanical, ie power filter kits, not wet/dry. I don't know anyone who runs a wet/dry system with a fresh water tank.
Quote:
Originally posted by mattjk
I was wondering what those were. My friend has a HUGE filter with a bunch of those.

I have one of those mini/10 filters.
Don't just assume I don't know what I am talking about. As it turns out he DID have a wet/dry filter. Just because you don't know anyone who runs a wet/dry with a freshwater tank doesn't mean they aren't out there and don't work. In fact they do work rather well - albeit with different bacteria. Ammonia is produced from the detritus and there has to be bacteria to get rid of it.

Why people hate on other people and try to make themselves look smarter is beyond me.

-Jason
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Old 02-22-2004, 01:58 AM   #20
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Quote:
Originally posted by mattjk
I was wondering what those were. My friend has a HUGE filter with a bunch of those.

I have one of those mini/10 filters.
I personally don't like wet/dry trickle systems. There have been many papers written on their faults and such but thats a whole other topic.

You can setup a salt setup in that 10 gal tank easily. Get yourself a more powerful biowheel, such as a Emporer 280. Change your bulbs to actinic white bulbs. Use a rocky substrate and top it off with finer gravel and crushed shell which will give you a good buffer.

Follow the fishless cycling. Then add your fish.

Buy a saltwater test kit, a salinity tester, and some saltwater essentials additive.

Enjoy.

http://saltaquarium.about.com/
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Old 02-22-2004, 02:04 AM   #21
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Quote:
Originally posted by thesmokingman
I personally don't like wet/dry trickle systems. There have been many papers written on their faults and such but thats a whole other topic.

You can setup a salt setup in that 27 gal tank easily. Get yourself a more powerful biowheel, such as a Emporer 280. Change your bulbs to actinic white bulbs. Use a rocky substrate and top it off with finer gravel and crushed shell which will give you a good buffer.

Follow the fishless cycling. Then add your fish.

Buy a saltwater test kit, a salinity tester, and some saltwater essentials additive.

Enjoy.

http://saltaquarium.about.com/
I agree with all of this with the exception of the fishless cycling. That would be fine (good) if you were to add live rock from the get-go but that wasn't included in the suggestion. Probably an oversight? If you do cycle without fish it would be advisable to use live rock. If you don't have live rock then a damsel or two with that filtration should do the trick.

-Jason
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Old 02-22-2004, 02:05 AM   #22
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Quote:
Originally posted by avatarr
Don't just assume I don't know what I am talking about. As it turns out he DID have a wet/dry filter. Just because you don't know anyone who runs a wet/dry with a freshwater tank doesn't mean they aren't out there and don't work. In fact they do work rather well - albeit with different bacteria. Ammonia is produced from the detritus and there has to be bacteria to get rid of it.

Why people hate on other people and try to make themselves look smarter is beyond me.

-Jason
I'm not hating. Sorry if you felt that way. You gotta admit that your inference that he had a wet/dry system (which he described as a freinds) with a fresh water system is rather odd.

I don't wanna get into a fish war but the effectiveness of wet/dry systems is highly debatable.
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Old 02-22-2004, 02:07 AM   #23
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Live rock is good, but when all you've got is 10-20 gallons, thats precious water volume thats needed as a buffer.
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Old 02-22-2004, 02:09 AM   #24
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Quote:
Originally posted by thesmokingman
I'm not hating. Sorry if you felt that way. You gotta admit that your inference that he had a wet/dry system (which he described as a freinds) with a fresh water system is rather odd.

I don't wanna get into a fish war but the effectiveness of wet/dry systems is highly debatable.
I wan't inferring, only stating it as a possiblity. And yes, the whole wet/dry debate is better saved for another day (or better researched on his own). It is, IMO, a good setup for a n00b though. I started with a wet/dry years back, later decided I didn't want to deal with the whole nitrate sponge problem, got some live rock, and weened the tank bit by bit of the bio balls. I eventually ended up with only the live rock, a protein skimmer, and a small mechanical filtration system (bio-wheel system sans bio wheel). It's great to let nature take care of itself.

-Jason
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Old 02-22-2004, 02:11 AM   #25
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Quote:
Originally posted by thesmokingman
Live rock is good, but when all you've got is 10-20 gallons, thats precious water volume thats needed as a buffer.
I think with a 10 gallon tank, if you get live rock that is porous enough, it'll buffer plenty along with the substrate. The bigger hurdle IMO with a smaller tank setup is temperature stability (especially with cycling the lights).

-Jason
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