# freshwater to saltwater



## nevets_eural (Oct 1, 2010)

*fresh to salt*

im sure this has already been asked but im lazy and dont want to go through all the posts.... im aware of most of the BEST stuff to put into starting a new salt water tank... but unfortunatly was unable to purchase everything so i went with a freshwater oscar tank... i was just wondering what would be the basic hardware needed to convert to salt later on... minus live rock and live sand and salt of course


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## drhank (Aug 3, 2009)

Many experienced freshwater fish keepers eventually decide that they want to do a saltwater tank (I know I did). I'd like to pass on a few tips to hopefully help folks out.

First, forget about filters! I don't care if you have a huge Fluval or a dynamite wet/dry, don't use it!!!

Think live rock. Maybe I should say think of lots of live rock. It's your primary biological filter. One and a half to two pounds per gallon is an absolute minimum. More is always better! Chemical filtration usually isn't needed and particulate filtration is accomplished by your clean up crew. Sand is secondary to rock in importance. There are lots of successful reef tanks that are bare bottomed (no sand).

Also, avoid crushed coral. It traps detritus which leads to lots of problems. In salt water you don't want to disturb the substrate. In other words, you don't mess with the sand and you don't clean the crushed coral (which you really shouldn't use) with a siphon like you would the gravel in your freshwater tank.

Look for the best protein skimmer that you can afford and make sure that it's rated for a tank that is twice the size of the tank you want to use. Also remember that there is nothing wrong with a used skimmer. Chances are good that the person selling it is either getting out of the hobby or getting a larger tank and needs a bigger skimmer. Your skimmer is responsible for removing Dissolved Organic Concentrates (DOC) which will otherwise turn to ammonia. You are essentially eliminating the cause before it becomes a problem.

Everyone seems to be giving hydrometers the thumbs down when compared to refractometers. Personally I've been using hydrometers for over 30 years without incident. I prefer a simple bulb hydrometer that should cost about $10. That way the swing arm can't get stuck or have bubbles on it (which would have a negative effect on accuracy).

Finally, remember that the smaller the water volume, the quicker water parameters change and the more difficult success becomes. Also, most marine organisms are used to a very stable environment and do not do well when changes occur rapidly. For this reason I will say that the larger the tank you have, the easier it will be to maintain. I've had many tanks from 29 gallons all the way to my present 200 gallon and I can honestly say that the 200 is the easiest tank to maintain by far. Everything from tank, to live rock, to equipment was purchased second, third or fourth hand (even some of my fish). The only thing I bought new was the sand. I saved a bunch this way and you could to.

I hope that this post is of some help and recommend highly that you go slowly. Read, research, ask lots of questions and be prepared to learn. If you do decide to dabble in saltwater, I wish you all the best.


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## Chillwill007 (Aug 20, 2010)

*Re: So you want to go from freshwater to saltwater*

beautifully put Dr.


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