Marine Tank?

Question

I have a 55 gallon aquarium which I want to change into a marine/saltwater tank. I don't want to cut holes in it just in case I later use it as a freshwater again. Is there a way to do the plumbing by not actually changing the tank in any irrevesible way? Also, what kind of sump do I need for a 55 gallon tank? I can easily get a 10 gallon tank, but will that be enough? Also, what kind of filtration should I use?

Answer 1

Ah, welcome to the marine aquarium hobby!

You don't need a different tank. You don't need to drill it. You do, however, need to consider a few things.

1. Surface protein. Marine aquariums tend to build up more surface gunk because of waste from not only fish but also micro-organisms living within the sand and rocks. Eventually, if not at the beginning, you will want an overflow box that can continuously drain / siphon water from the surface into a sump or canister filter.

2. For a 55 gallon, a 10 gallon sump is OK. The concept of a sump is merely a place to put your unsightly gear and be able to support enough water volume for your filtration system. The size of your sump needs to be in balance of how much you are draining into it, and how much the return pump is pumping back to your aquarium. I've kept 75 gallon coral reefs successfully with a 10 gallon sump for many years, but it really does quite frustrating because you can't get the big skimmer, plumb lots of other stuff like UV, Calcium Reactor, etc.

3. For best filtration in a marine tank, you DEFINITELY should get a protein skimmer. A canister filter is a good way to run addition media (like carbon) but should never be the primary. Also with canister filters, you need to be very rigorous in cleaning it at least once every month, or nitrates will build up to very high levels.

4. Your best filter is going to be a deep sand bed (3 inches at least), lots of live rock, and a good protein skimmer.

5. Whatever you do, don't waste your money on a bio-wheel filter. You will soon realize that it does nothing for marine tanks and you will end up buying the stuff I mentioned anyway =)

Answer 2

You don't have to change the tank at all. All you need to do is run your filtration hoses up the back of the tank. I started out with a 55 and have since gone to an 80 gallon without a sump on either. I have used canister filtration for years. The type of filtration you use is totally up to you. There are a lot of different opinions on filtration but you need to pick the method that will work best for you. Here are a few websites that I used to do some research when setting up my tanks.

www.reefcentral.com

http://www.fishlore.com/SaltwaterBeginners.htm

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/Shop.cfm?N=2004

Good Luck.

Answer 3

The first two gave good advice. The only thing I'd add is to get a good book on marine aquaria. Two I found very helpful when I first started were "The New Marine Aquarium" – Michael S. Paletta. Microcosm Ltd. ISBN 1-890087-52-1 and "The Conscientious Marine Aquarist" – Robert M. Fenner. Microcosm Ltd. ISBN 1-890087-02-5

Weclome to the hobby!