I just bought a 55 gallon tank and assembled the whold thing and then realized ithe instruction said for freshwater use only. I am interested in a saltwater aquarium. Is there any way I can still use this tank??
2006-08-01 13:48:35 · 7 answers · asked by Anonymous in Pets ➔ Fish
For a salt water fish only tank you will need florescent lights (replace bulbs every six months), heater, filter (combo of mechanical-some kind of sponge, biological-bio wheel and chemical-charcoal) that moves at least 500 gallons of water per hour, hydrometer and a heater. You will need to put in two to three inches of crushed aragonite, or live sand as a substrate, and at least 20 pounds of live rock. The salt will have to be mixed with reverse osmosis cleaned or distilled water to a specific gravity of around 1.022 (you can mix it in the tank for the first time, but before you put in any live sand or rock. By a test kit for marine tanks and test the water regularly. If your tank can go two weeks without an ammonia, nitrite or nitrate spike, you can start adding your 'clean-up crew' (invertebrates like snails and hermit crabs) and slowly build up from there. A lot of people will tell you to start with a damsel to get your tank going, but they are very aggressive and probably not get along with any other fish you put in there.
2006-08-01 15:05:27 · answer #1 · answered by iceni 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Normally saltwater tanks depend more on the biological filter than a mechanical one. Most people have protein skimmer. You need to use crushed coral or live sand rather than gravel. This keeps your water healthy, it works as a buffer. You also need to add live rock 1/2-2lbs per gallon. This helps keep the water clean.
When you add the live rock there will be some critters on it that die. This will cause your water parameters to go crazy. You should not add fish until this and the rest of the cycling process has settled. You can add a cocktail shrimp to help cycle the tank.
I would suggest that you go buy a book about aquariums. They are delicate and very exspensive. You should start with freshwater- that's how you can affordably learn the basics.
This site may help you if you want to stick to saltwater
http://aquarium.union.rpi.edu/setup.html
2006-08-01 16:53:28 · answer #2 · answered by Lynn 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
all they are probably talking about is the accessories that came with it, for example... you do not use regular gravel in a salt water setup, you use crushed coral.. things like that , the lighting is also different, I would suggest you got to the local pet store or buy a good book on the subject and educate yourself, there is alot of work invested in keeping a salt water tank, alot more than you may think, good luck
2006-08-01 13:58:39 · answer #3 · answered by twiggy2151 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Just keep the tank and buy the right accesories for saltwater fish!
2006-08-01 14:40:29 · answer #4 · answered by starbluewolf 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You'll probably also need a different filter. Saltwater tanks need a lot of special care. Please make sure you read up about them before purchasing any fish or coral or live rock (you can kill them easily without the proper knowledge).
2006-08-01 14:11:49 · answer #5 · answered by thislifeisnotforme 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The fish. Tropical fish are in saltwater and the leftovers are in freshwater
2006-08-01 14:13:45 · answer #6 · answered by keℓsey<3 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
you can still use your tank. I have a fresh water tank and I use it as a saltwater. Good luck!.
2006-08-01 13:59:04 · answer #7 · answered by CanadianGirl 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋