# New to this



## Isrolina (Sep 16, 2012)

I just got a 20 g aquarium, I am interested in turning into a saltwater aquarium, is there a salt mix I have to get for the water?


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## Reefing Madness (Aug 12, 2011)

Any marine salt mix will do. But most use Instant Ocean, one the best beginner and advanced salts out there.


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## susankat (Nov 15, 2008)

Isrolina, I would wait till you get a good grip on freshwater first. Salt Water can be expensive with mistakes and a 20 gal salt isn't anywhere near forgiving as fresh.


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## Isrolina (Sep 16, 2012)

susankat said:


> Isrolina, I would wait till you get a good grip on freshwater first. Salt Water can be expensive with mistakes and a 20 gal salt isn't anywhere near forgiving as fresh.


Precisely, what I was going to do is put the salt mix in, wait 5-7 weeks until bacteria grows and new tank syndrome quits, and everything will be ready when I am. Good idea, non?


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## Reefing Madness (Aug 12, 2011)

You might want to read all this first. It may help.
#1-Dry Rock, there are a few hitchhikers on Live Rock that people want to stay away from, so they opt for using Dry Rock, or Dead Rock. Macro Rock is a good place to start looking for that. Either way you go you will need a minimum of 1lb per gallon.

#2-Replacement filter media like filter floss and activated carbon (if you get a filter) Which is really not necessary.

#3-Multiple Power heads (2 or 3) 10x your water volume for just a Fish Only With Live Rock, and at least 20x your water volume for a Reef Tank. So lets say your going reef, and you have a 100g tank, you would need flow in that tank at minimum of 2000gph, or 2 1000gph power heads.

#4-Protein Skimmer, rated at 2 times your water volume. Unless your tank is under 30g, in which case you can do 10% water changes a week to rid the system of detrius. But, you'll have to watch the water parameters close, if things go haywire, you'll have to do more water changes.

#5-Saltwater Test Kits. Reef Test Kit. Test for Ammonia, Nitrites, Nitrates, PH, Phosphates, Calcium, ALK and Magnesium.

#6-Saltwater fish food. Mysis Shrimp, Squid, Cyclopease, Algae Sheets, Romaine . Flake food is not really a good food to feed your marine fish.

#7-Aquarium vacuum. This one is iffy. Most don't use one, if you have enough flow in the tank you won’t need one

#8-Rubber kitchen gloves

#9-Fish net

#10-Two, clean, never used before, 5-gallon buckets

#11-Aquarium thermometer, digital being the best.

#12-Brush with plastic bristles (old tooth brush) - needed for cleaning the live rock if you don't get Fully Cured Live Rock.

#13-Power Strip, possibly GFCI outlets by the tank.

#14-Optional but definitely recommend getting a Reverse Osmosis or RO/Deionization filter for the make-up water, and a barrel for storing the water.

#15-Possibly a Quarantine Tank for your new fish. They sit in here for a few weeks to kill off parasites and bacteria, to keep it from getting in your main tank

#16-Heater rated for your size tank.

#17-Saltwater Mix. Marine Salt. Instant Ocean is the cheap Salt that beginners and Advanced use alike.

#18-Saltwater Hydrometer or even better a Refractometer, which is more accurate. There is also a Digital Meter that is way advanced if you have the cash.

#19-Aquarium filter (not absolutely necessary if running with adequate amounts of live rock, but nice to have if you need to use a mechanical filter or activated carbon, or GFO and such)

#20-Aquarium substrate such as live sand or crushed coral. Some go bare Bottom, others choose the 2-3" bottom, others, more advanced will try the Deep Sand Bed, which is over 6" deep.

Volusion Demo Store

Aquarium Nitrogen Cycle and cycling. Methods for ammonia, nitrite removal.

aquarium heater | eBay

power heads | eBay

NEW 0-10% Salinity Refractometer Salt Water Aquarium | eBay

MarcoRocks Aquarium Products

Bulk Dry Live Rock - Bulk Reef Supply

Live Rock and Live Sand: Live Saltwater Aquarium Rock and Sand

Fish & Aquarium Supplies: Marine Substrates, Sand, Crushed Coral, Live Sand

Aquarium Lighting; Reef, Planted Light Information. PAR, Bulb, Watt, Kelvin, Nanometers, MH, LED.

http://live-plants.com/

What Your Coral Needs | Successful Reef Keeping

t-5 lighting | eBay

cree led aquarium | eBay

Aquarium Salt Mix: Salt for Saltwater and Freshwater Fish Aquariums


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## roafamily (Jul 30, 2012)

Isrolina said:


> Precisely, what I was going to do is put the salt mix in, wait 5-7 weeks until bacteria grows and new tank syndrome quits, and everything will be ready when I am. Good idea, non?


i like that..the new tank syndrome..


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## Isrolina (Sep 16, 2012)

roafamily said:


> i like that..the new tank syndrome..


It's what they call a new tank, with new water.


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## roafamily (Jul 30, 2012)

Isrolina said:


> It's what they call a new tank, with new water.


yes i never knew the exact term to coin it..thanks


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