Do I need fresh water to make a salt water aquarium? I have a fresh water tank already going with no fish.?

Question

The tank is a 20 gallon tank and I have no fish in it now. I wanted to do shrimp in it but I dont know if i can.

Answer 1

If you use a dry sea salt mix, you'll need freshwater to mix the salt. There are some stores that sell saltwater that's already mixed, too.

A 20 gallon is a little small for saltwater, but not impossible. Larger tanks keep the temperature and water quality more stable, so this is why they're recommended for beginners. A 20 long would have better dimensions than a 20 regular because it would have more surface area for better aeration, plus the larger footprint gives your animals more room to spread out - many saltwater species - even shrimp - are territorial.

If you've got a filter and heater for the tank already, you'll need the salt mix and a hydrometer. A hydrometer is used to measure the salinity, or specific gravity - in other words, the concentration of the salt in the water. For invertebrates like shrimp, you should have the salinity between 1.024-1.026. The temperature should be between 76-80o. Also, buy a saltwater test kit to monitor your pH (8.2-8.4), ammonia (should be 0), nitrite (also 0), and nitrate (as low as possible).

A protein skimmer and live rock are recommended, but not absolutely necessary. Shrimp would like some rock in the tank, stacked to make hiding places. If you don't want the expense of all live rock, buy some base rock - it's cheaper - then stack some nice live rock on top. Live rock is your biological filter. The "live" refers to bacteria that live on and in the rock, but you'll find other organisms too - sponges, algae, feather dusters, clams, corals, etc. I've even found three kinds of small shrimp, seastars, an urchin, and a pistol shrimp as hitch-hikers. What will grow well will depend on the quality of lighting, but I like the look that live rock gives to a tank, in addition to it's biological filtration. And you can spend hours just watch the critters that come with it - you may not see all of them for a few months after you put the rock in the tank.

Before you buy a lot of shrimp, do some research on the kinds that are available. Some types, you can only keep one to a tank, others are fine in groups. I'd say to start with a peppermint shrimp or two. This is a hardy species that will learn to eat out of your hand - just wash your hand well (no soap) and don't use any lotion, oil, etc. so you don't get any chemicals in the water. Each peppermint shrimp has organs to function as either male or female and may produce young in the tank. Some others you might want to consider are shown in the links below. You might also want to add a few snails and marine hermit crabs and make a completely invertebrate set-up.

A good book for setting up a saltwater tank is highly recommended - you'll get a lot more information on equipment, tank set-ups, species profiles, etc. I found The New Marine Aquarium by Michael S. Paletta. Microcosm Ltd. ISBN 1-890087-52-1 and The Conscientious Marine Aquarist by Robert M. Fenner. Microcosm Ltd. ISBN 1-890087-02-5 to be very helpful when I first started, and I continue to use them as references.

Answer 2

Actually, yes you can change it over to a salt water tank. You will need to get a hydrometer. your filter is fine for your size tank you do not need a protein skimmer. I have a number of salt tanks and my 30 doesn't have a skimmer and never did. You may want to pull your carbon out of your filter and replace it with a filter media without carbon.

to convert your tank, you will need salt. you will have to mix the salt into a bucket at a higher rate. On your hydrometer you want your new dissolved salt water at 1.4 that will be 10 galllons. Remove the 10 gallons from your fresh water tank and add the new premixed salt water to your tank and let the filter run. After an hour test your salt water with the hydrometer. It should be around 1.001 or so. That is fine since now your tank has to run empty anyway. you will also want to get a salt water test kit. Your tank will still have to cycle. In one week you will want to do another water change. Be sure to mix the salt for the salinity required by the shrimp you are going to get. Your ammonia is .5 or less nitrates 20-40 or less and the PH around 8 (if your PH is too low add a few sea shells to the water this will bring the PH up)
You can also think about getting live rock.

Good luck with your salt tank.

Answer 3

Sure you can. You may not need the protein skimmer if he had one, but the tank and most of the other items can be used. You will not be able to use the gravel or sand. You can clean the tank with warm water and a clean cloth. For the more difficult salts built up use a razor and just scrape them off. A vinegar solution is also a great idea for hard water spots. Rinse well. Also, do not dump boiling water into your tank. It may or may not crack the glass, but depending on how old the tank is, the rubber sealant may be compromised.

Answer 4

20 gallons is hard to do salt water in. Larger is easier when it comes to Salt water. I wouldn't recommend trying it with such a small tank. Most people who's primary tank is salt water is at least 40 gallons. Trying to keep the specific gravity correct in such a small ecosystem is very challenging. If you are expecting to setup the tank and just feed it you are in for a few big surprises. I have done mollies in fresh water, then converter them to a higher salt level over time. Salt water requires special filters read this except from DrFosterSmith.com

"Many aquarists feel that a protein skimmer is an absolute necessity for saltwater aquarium systems, especially those that are heavily-stocked. A protein skimmer is an excellent supplemental filtering device that works by creating tiny bubbles in a reaction chamber. These bubbles propel proteins in the water up to the surface of the reaction chamber. As the bubbles burst, they expel the proteins upward into a collection cup or discharge tube. Skimmers remove proteins before nitrifying bacteria break them down into nitrates. With less waste to process, the bacteria consume less oxygen. Higher oxygen levels and low nitrate levels mean better health for your aquarium inhabitants."

Also you may look into getting a good water filter (not a drinking water filter) you should have a large trash barrel to mix your salt water in and store it, to refill your tank when the water gets low. You can't just top off a salt water tank with tap water!!!

Answer 5

Hm.. you have yourself a 20 gallon tank... freshwater.. a filter.. a heater... and a pocket full of dreams... yup thats almost all you need. A freshwater filter does not have a protein skimmer which is why you will have to go to the store and pick yourself up a saltwater filter which costs a bit more and by a bit i mean 10 times more. You can use your freshwater filter for saltwater but it is not a good idea. All you need besides the filter is salt which you can buy from any fish store. Look for instant ocean.

Answer 6

go to the library or petco or petsmart they have an answer on how to make a balanced salt water aquarium

Answer 7

NO!! basicly you need to buy the salt water first then as time goes on you can put fresh water on it!!!

Answer 8

you want to do shrimp hey. hmmmmmmmmmm. will you fit. ah ha ah ha hahahahahahahaha. i crack me up.