Converting from a Fish only S/W tank to reef

[MammaDuck]

I may have opened a door I shouldn't have, but here goes.....

My parents are moving and giving up the 95 gal fish only tank that they have maintained for as long as I can remember. SCORE!! I finally get my own tank. I have been helping with theirs for years. I know about testing the water, I know how to adjust the salinity, I know how to cycle my tanks. I figured I had it all planned out. . . WRONG!

Since the aquarium is making a 4+ hr trip all of the fish have found new homes, I am inheriting an empty tank with all of the trimings--filtration, heater, salt, testing supplies... etc. I want to set up a reef aquarium, but I've never dealt with live rock or sand. Will the filtration system I have for a fish only tank be adequete for a reef tank? Also, I have never started from scratch, when I start cycling my tank, is it more or less just the water in it? At what point can I start to add the live rock and sand?

signed
clueless, but ready to learn. . .

[JennM]

Hi MammaDuck and WELCOME to TRT!!!

You've come to the right place - we're here to help.

Can you tell us about the tank's filtration? Do you have a skimmer?

You can cycle the tank WITH live rock (eliminates the necessity for those pesky damsels )

Please tell us more and we'll be pleased to help!

Oh and please tell us about the lighting you have - odds are that you will want/need to upgrade or replace the lighting - that's one of the main differences between a FO and a reef - photosynthetic animals (corals etc) need intense lighting (and everybody's got a differing opinion on what "ideal" lighting is.... *g*)

Let's start at the beginning and get you there!

Again, welcome!

Jenn

[Prismaco]

One question before you goto saltwater. Did you parents ever treat it for ich ???


-Paul

[thefatman]

good question.. but i THINK (from the sound of the post) that's it's already saltwater, or rather was saltwater...

but ... do they have sw ich treatments that are copperbased? or are they strictly fw treatments?

[MammaDuck]

OK, here we go. . . bear with me, some of the terms are more technical than I'm used to. . .

The tank itself is less than a year old (the old tank split and we were forced to buy a new home and relocate the fish). Therefore, the fish that have been living in the tank were treated for ich, the tank itself was not-- ususally infected fish are move to a seperate medicine tank to avoid treating the entire community.

As for the filtration and lighting questions... I can't recall the brand names or specs on the equipment (the tank will actually arrive next weekend, in my exitement I may have put the cart before the horse will all my questions), but I know that there is an off the back water pump/filter and there are several in tank air stones. I know that most of the existing equipment ect will need to be upgraded or replaced before this is over. I have been researching on the net for a week and the more I do the more confused I am. . . I didn't realize there was so much more to know then I know.

I plan to treat this like a brand new set up, but use as much of my existing equipment to save my pocketbook a bit (if that's possible )

[Mrs Smith]

Cool. Just as long as the tank itself wasn't zapped with copper, you should be fine.

In the meantime, read, read, read. There is a mountain of information to learn, but it's interesting stuff. Helps pass the time while things are getting started.

When you have the chance, make a list of the equipment you have, and a list of the equipment you think you'll need. Then we can be helpful and save you money by saying "Nope, skip the Skilter..." and cost you more money by saying "a good skimmer is key - start saving up!"

And bring on the questions. We're used to it. And that's why we're here.

Danielle

[MammaDuck]

I find that my learning curve is vast indeed. I have surfed the internet for hours reading about tank set up, cycling, etc. . . It is comforting to know that I can tap into such a vast pool of knowledge and friendly advice. I will check in again with a more comprehensive list. Until then can you recommend a good reference manual to keep at home? My husband is the type to get the complete encyclopedia of (whatever) when we enter into a new hobby.

[thefatman]

http://www.thereeftank.com/books/

any and all of these will do you right..

and... if you decied to order any of them, doing so through TRT, helps keep trt online for all of us to tap into this vast ocean of knowledge

[Alice]

Jay-yes, ich treatments for SW do contain copper, depending on the brand. There are some copper-less ich treatments but I wouldn't treat for ich with anything other than garlic in my reef tank. To medicate sick fish, the best bet is always a Q tank.

Welcome MamaDuck!

Uh-oh, you've got the "free tank syndrome" LOL The tank's the cheapest part of the whole deal, get ready to start spending.

From reading your post, I'd say Jenn was right and you're in for a redo on about everything. Keep the airstones for your Q tank but you won't need them in a reef tank. You can use a hang on filter for additional water movement but more than likely, that will eventually go by the wayside as well once you get powerheads, pumps or whatever else you choose for water movement.

The big thing right now is going to be to decide if you want a sump or not. You don't have to have one, but they sure are convenient. I'm assuming the tank does not have holes drilled into the glass, up by the top, for plumbing, so if you do decide on a sump, you're going to need an overflow box, a pump to move the water back up to the tank from the sump, a tank or container for the sump itself and assorted hose/tubing, clamps etc. You can add a sump later of course, but it's much easier to deal with before the tank is set up and in place, full of water. If you don't go with a sump, you're going to rely on powerheads for all your water movement in the tank. I'd go for at least 4; I tend towards more smaller gph hour PH's rather than two or three larger gph models-you get more random flow throughtout the tank and better coverage so less "dead" spots where gunk can accumulate.

Lights are going to be the issue and probably your biggest cost. If you want SPS and clams, you're going to need metal halide (MH) or HQI lighting. If you want primarily soft corals-mushrooms, leathers, Xenia- and LPS corals-brain corals, etc. a good start would be 4-110 watt Very High Output florescent lighting fired by an electronic ballast. My ballast of choice is the IceCap 660.

Sorry for this long post, so much to cover! Please ask away, we're here to help.

What part of WA are you in? Lots of great reefers up there

Alice

[JennM]

MammaDuck - there are a million and one opinions out there - best thing to do is to consider most of what you read, and go with what makes the most common sense.

Keep it as simple as you can - that will help keep it cost-effective.

Check with folks like us on brand-names -- example: Rio vs. Maxi Jet powerheads -- Rios are notorious for failing, Maxi Jets have a very good reputation -- we'll try to steer you in the best direction based on our collective pool of knowledge and experience.

A sump IS the way to go, if that's possible for you. If it's not, there are some sensible alternatives, but for a reef, in my opinion, there are 3 MUSTS:

1. You MUST start with excellent water (RO/DI water -- that's water filtered by Reverse Osmosis and/or Deionization), and quality salt mix (Instant Ocean or Kent are what I recommend). If the water quality isn't good, nothing else matters.

2. You MUST have lots of water flow. There are a number of ways to accomplish this, but however it's done, you must have good water movement. This will allow the water to de-gas at the surface and exchange carbon dioxide for oxygen, to keep everybody breathing.

3. (And some will disagree here...) You MUST have a good skimmer. Some folks are going skimmerless - and having run systems with and without, I find it of great benefit to run a skimmer. If you decide that skimming is for you, then go ahead and get the best skimmer that you can. Many of us have cut corners here, only to have something to add to the salvage box after we realize we're putting good money after bad when we need to upgrade.

The same notion applies to lighting too - when you're ready to take the plunge, get the best lighting you can, and avoid the need to change it out down the road -- and as I said before, lighting has to be about the most controversial issue with regard to reef tanks - there are dozens of ways to accomplish adequate lighting - so remember that when you're overwhelmed with opinions

There are many ways of doing things in this hobby - and you will, no doubt be given a wide range of options. As I said before - consider it all (or most of it, anyway!) and do what makes the most sense to you, and to your budget.

And whatever you do - take it S-L-O-W-L-Y. Nothing good ever happens fast in a reef tank!

Jenn