if i am going to do a fish only salt water aquarium.....?

Question

If I am going to do a "fish" only salt water aquarium, do I need any crushed coral or anything like that? so, all I would need to do is get the salt water right, get a heater, get a hydrometer, get a thurmastat(to tell what the tempature is, i think i spelled it rong) . okay, so the filter i have now which is what came with the aquarium it is a "AQUA-TECH" filter. And what you do is change the blue double-thick polyfiber pad. is has a patented ribbed backing on it. so, could it use that for the salt water filter? and i was wonder-ing is "AQUASAFE" okay to use to get the water "de-chlornate" the water out of the sink and make the water plain so then i can add the "aquarium salt" and mix it into the water to put in the 10 gallon aquarium. The "AQUASAFE" de-chlornate" say's that it is safe for all fresh and marine fish. so, there is waht i have. it is good for a salt water tank? o, and do you have to have flouresent light's for a marine tank? or can i use the blue bulbs in my tank?

Answer 1

You wouldn't have to use the crushed coral, aragonite, or other substrates, but they have advantages. You should have some type of substrate (even if just plain aquarium gravel) because this is where the bacteria that cycle the tank attach (besides the filter media). Without the substrate, you have less surface for attachment, so less biological filtration. That means you have to keep a closer watch on the ammonia and nitrite levels, since all of these might not be converted to nitrate as quickly. Some fish (wrasses, jawfish) also need a substrate for burrowing, since this is what they do to escape predators. It's their natural behavior, so if you don't use a substrate, you'll have very stressed fish if you keep these species.

The aragonite (crushed/small shell or oolitic aragonite or aragonite sand) will help buffer the pH. That doesn't mean it will keep the pH from falling, but it will react with the water to keep it around 7.8. It should be 8.2-8.4 for marine organisms, so even 7.8 isn't ideal and you may experience problems with your fish. Regular aquarium gravel won't provide any buffering, so it could fall even lower.

The heater, hydrometer, and thermometer would be good to have. Any filter can be used for both fresh or salt water, so you could keep using the one you have.

As far as the water conditioner, you'll need to check with your water company to find out which of the treatments they use in their water supply, chlorine or chloramine. If it's chlorine, what you have should be okay to use. If it's chloramine, the Aquasafe would not be good to use, if all it does is remove chlorine. You would need to find a conditioner that specifies that ir removes (or neutralizes)chloramine. Some products just say that it "breaks the chloramine bond" - this will release both chlorine and ammonia into the tank, both of which can be fatal to your fish.

If all you're keeping is fish, any lighting will do. You only need special lighting if you plan to keep macroalgae, corals, anemones, clams, or other organisms that make food by photosynthesis.

Answer 2

STOP!!!!!
Before you do anything do some research on the subject!
A fish only or FO isn't a bare tank!!! it just means that you only have fish.
There are so many ways to set up a tank.. you need to so some major thinking and planning before you ever get your tank wet!

Lets see if we can get you on the right track...
The 10g tank is not a good idea for a 1st SW tank. In a small tank everything can go horridly wrong in a blink of an eye!
Also most, not all, but most SW fish get way to big for a 10g
My suggestion.. take it back and get the LARGEST tank you can afford. A 55 is more a SW starter tank and would make a great FO. But even a 20g would be better than a 10!

Water;; NO TAP WATER!! To get the best results you should use RO?DI or reverse osmosis De-ionized water. If you don' t have a RO/DI filer system you can buy water from just about any pet store Tap water has heavy metals and chemicals you DO NOT want in your tank.Your going to need to have enough water to so water changes and top off your tank.

Lights.. In a FO you can use the same bulbs as fresh water tanks. But you should look into VHO's (very high out put)or PC's (power compacts) If you think, down the line, you might want to have a reef tank then the lighting requier

Filters.. I'm not sure about the filter you mention but, though I've seen them used byt experienced hobbiest, Under gravel filters are not the way to go .. On a smaller tank a Bio-wheel bare.. no media other than a piece of that blue pad would work.. on a larger tank your going to need a bit more. A canister or a sump would be best. There are also things lie a skimmer you might have to have depending on what you want to keep In fact ther all kinds of different filter set ups!

Answer 3

You will need to cycle the tank for about 6 to 8 weeks. Should put crushed coral on the bottom. You also wantg to buy about 10 pounds of live rock to put in there. They do sell premixed salt water but it can get expensive. Also expect to do a cleaning at least 2 times a month maybee more to keep the nitrate and ammonia down. If you dont want any coral or enimies then your finr with the bulb that came with your tank. This is a great website to look at and ask qs http://wetwebmedia.com/marine/index.htm

Answer 4

The crushed coral used in marine aquaria is to help maintain the pH at 8.3 or thereabout, it's important to do that. A 10 gallon tank is very hard to maintain as a saltwater tank,not saying it can't be done,but it's a lot of work. If you are going to remain "fish only" then the lighting is not that important. Aqua safe is OK as a dechlorinating solution.

Answer 5

only use stuff that is made for salt water tanks bc if you use somthing ells it will cause problems, sorry i cant give you much info my bro is the fish expert not me, o and its ok if you dont always correctly spell words its no bigy.

Answer 6

same as the other one I sansweredd