how do you start a slat water aquarium?

Question

I have a 55 gallon fresh water aquarium. want to make the switch

Answer 1

Most freshwater parasites and diseases will not make the transition to salt water so I would suggest the following steps (for a common marine tank with fish, and invertibrates only although sponges, fans, zooanthids and mushrooms are easy to add)

-Empty and rinse out your tank and allow it to dry in sunlight.
-re-fill it with salt water ( specific garvity should be around 1.021 - 1.025 and a new filter (you need somthing that moves at least 200 gallons/hour. Use only Reverse Osmosis cleaned water, regular water (even dechlorinated) will cause huge slime and algae blooms.
-Add a few inches of crushed aragonite, shells or sand
-Add at least 10 pounds of live rock (cured is best, you can tell if it isn't if it has a stong smell)
- You will need to have floescent lights (one floescent and one actinic tube is better and you channge one every six months so that niether is ever more then one year old)
- A heater is probably a good idea depending on what fish you have
- Test the water daily, Like a freshwater tank the ammonia nitrite and nitrate levels will all take a turn at rising, then subside to normal levels. When the levels are no longer spiking, it is time to start slowly adding fish. This can take a few months to a year - depending on how lucky you are.
- Maintaining a fish-only tank isn't too hard once it is started. You do weekly salt-water changes of about 10% of the water, and replace evaporated water with water only (salt doesn't evaporate). Feed whatever is appropriate to the fish in the tank.
- Corals are what makes it a huge expense and challenge as they need metal halide lights, skimmers, refugiums, chillers etc. not too mention the supplements and feeds.
http://fins.actwin.com/mirror/sbegin-setup.html#setup
http://www.bestfish.com/breakin.html
http://faq.thekrib.com/sbegin-setup.html

Answer 2

First of all, TAKE IT SLOW. I set up one in early april and it's not an easy or cheap task. For a good 55 gallon saltwater you need to make sure you have about $1k to spend on it. You'll need live rock, maybe live sand, a good quality light fixture, A protein skimmer, a heater, and a filter that can support a 110 gallon tank. It would take me all week to try to explain everything, you could buy a book like "The Conscientious Marine Aquarist", I've heard it's really good. If there's one where you live, go to a STRICTLY saltwater aquarium store, preferably mom & pop, and talk to them. They know more than any chain store will know.

Answer 3

You can buy a salt water in Fish Stores or just buy a salt water mix and make it to yourself. I prefer just buying the salt water. Good Luck !

Answer 4

need to empty the water and change it i think or go to a pet shop where they sell salt water fish and ask

Answer 5

dunno