Eclipse 12 gone salty?

portableSin · 07-05-2005, 11:07 PM

First of all: Hello!
I'm new to these boards.

I've had freshwater aquariums, and I'm feeling like I can give saltwater a try. I've always envied your saltwater aquariums -- every time I was at the pet store the most plain marine fish would look gorgeous next to the best freshwater ones.

So, here I am, with my Eclipse 3 gallon maintaining a freshwater habitat. (3 tiny ghost shrimp, 2 rainbow sharks, and an apple snail.)

(George)

I have an Eclipse 12 gallon which is currently empty. This would be the tank I'd use to establish a marine environment. What are the essential add-ons/mods that I need to do so? For instance, are protein-skimmers absolutely necessary in a fish only tank (which is what I'm thinking about)? I'm a blank slate as far as saltwater goes. I've done some browsing online, but I get some mixed signals on what's needed in a tank.
I am on a budget, being only 16 years of age, so state-of-the-art equipment recommendations will probably slide right past. But I'm willing to shell out some more for aesthetics -- I don't want a tank duct-taped together and spraying sea-foam everywhere. This is going on my desk.

Thanks in advance, I look forward to your advice.

-dm

petlands'great · 07-06-2005, 12:09 AM

i used seachem's purigen, instead of a skimmer. just lay it down on top of your filter. works great.

BRI690 · 07-06-2005, 03:18 AM

What type of fish were you planning on keeping? If you get fish that will stay small, then I would say three fish at the very high end with the filtration that already comes with the tank - Maybe two if you get fish that are bigger and a cleaner shrimp.

I would not say that a protein skimmer is necessary, but it helps. I have one on my 10 gallon and have very good water conditions. If you don't feel like getting one, then just keep up on your water changes.

You also wouln't need to upgrade the lighting if the tank you have comes with power compacts. You would be able to keep lower light corals like mushrooms. For that, I would consider dosing with Kent's nano-reef which is an all-in-one supplament.

portableSin · 07-06-2005, 09:11 AM

Thanks for the replies.
As for what fish I am planning on keeping, I don't know yet. I'm currently trying to figure out what else I need to see if it's affordable before I start thinking about fish.
So beyond the Eclipse 12 there's no more hardware I need? Mini jets for turbulence, etc? All of the setups I've seen look quite intimidating.

georgiajams · 07-06-2005, 09:26 AM

Quote:

no more hardware I need?

Assuming you are planning on keeping hardy fish, a fish only tank is typically much less demanding than a reef with corals. You don't need any special lighting and increased water flow is less important. In a 12g tank, regular water changes are more than adequate to make-up for the lack of a skimmer. Also, fish tend to tolerate higher nitrate levels than corals, so again, I don't think a skimmer is needed for your basic set-up.

With all that said, you might look into a small powerhead such as a maxijet 600 to add to the flow a little. Also, the eclipse tank comes with a biowheel. If you will have live rock in the tank, you can take the biowheel out (else keep it in there). Go slow. Cycle the tank properly.

I'd suggest pricing some live rock (~10-12lbs) into your budget. Aragonite sand is the typical substrate, although both my tanks right now are bare bottom.

portableSin · 07-06-2005, 10:13 AM

I'll look into the live rock and powerhead.
I've heard of UGFs used in saltwater tanks. What kind of substrate would permit that? Certainly not sand...

And thanks for all the advice, I look forward to getting deeper into this hobby.

[Edit:]
Would live rock be appropriate for a fish-only tank? I've read that the fish will eat the beneficial organisms on live rocks. Does it depend on the type of fish?

wharyat · 07-07-2005, 12:35 AM

Hey, Welcome to TRT!

Well, one thinig with this size of tank, you will be limited to 3 small fish (1-3").

Yes, LR is a good thing, not only for feeding, but for the overall look; and if you ever want to jump into reef keeping. The UGF can work as a plenum if not used conventionally, avoid large substrate, sugar-sized sand, or "oolitic" is the best; to use a UGF with sand you can place a piece of screen (non-metalic) and then throw the sand on.

Do lots of research around here and all over the internet, if you read any conflicting advice, post it up here and all of us will do our best to give you the best advice.

georgiajams · 07-07-2005, 02:35 PM

Quote:

Would live rock be appropriate for a fish-only tank? I've read that the fish will eat the beneficial organisms on live rocks. Does it depend on the type of fish?

Yes. The rock serves as your biological filtration. While you may end up buying fish that eat the little tube worms and such, you still get the biological filtration benefits. If you don't add rock, your biowheel will do the trick (they serve the same purpose).

Notably, rock will also add to the bio-diversity of the tank and give you some other things to look at. It may also provide some hiding places for your fish and stuff for your fish to pick at (algea, critters, etc).

Any idea of what type of fish you want to keep? Some/most will prefer having some cover, such as the rock, to take cover around from time to time (esp at night).

portableSin · 07-08-2005, 03:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by georgiajams

Any idea of what type of fish you want to keep? Some/most will prefer having some cover, such as the rock, to take cover around from time to time (esp at night).

I'm thinking about keeping the damsel I'll use to cycle, and maybe add another once the tank is ready. I need something hardy like that so they can survive my beginner's mistakes.

Now, I live in Texas, so I ran into another problem. As previously mentioned, I have a small 3-gallon eclipse freshwater set up. The temperature in there is around 82 degrees Farenheit. The AC keeps my room at about 76 degrees. If I leave the tank light off (powercompact flourescent), it still climbs up to 81-82 degrees. It is not in the way of sunlight. I felt the motor housing, and it was warm to the touch. I've had a problem with this motor before (water was too low and it burned out) but it turned out that the motor still worked, so I'm using it. Does anyone else have an Eclipse 3 with this same problem? I'm assuming the 12g will get this warm, or close to it (hopefully the motor won't heat up 12g as fast as the 3). If you have any solutions or advice, please let me know before I have to spend around $200 for an Ice Probe mini chiller and a decent controller from Aqualogic.

Gah! What a way to start -- doomed from the beginning if I can't figure out this temperature problem.

rmhuntley · 07-11-2005, 01:00 PM

buy some small 12v pc fans and mount them on the back of your hood, I did this w/ my eclipse 6 and it worked great

salty65gal · 07-11-2005, 01:22 PM

Welcome! 78-84 degrees is what you want to keep your marine tank at. Good luck!

VWD · 07-11-2005, 10:27 PM

Welcome and have fun

petshopboy78 · 07-12-2005, 02:51 AM

All Marineland pumps run a little warm. Is there any way to rig a fan into the hood housing?

mdq · 07-12-2005, 01:13 PM

Just keep reading and reading and reading.......

My first aquarium was a reef -- in retrospect I wish I started young and with a freshwater like you

But dont get intimidated, I have friends w/ allot of interest when they see my setup but they get scared and back off before the give themselves a chance

O keep in mind reading and persistence will get you far - no matter what the endeavor!