A Few Questions

Hi everyone. My names drew. I am compleatly new to the saltwater world. i have a 55gallon tank that is currently a freshwater tank (and has been for about a year). i want to start a saltwater tank and had a few questions.
1)I know that the book i bought and various sites say that the live rock will be the primary filtration but, do i still need another form of it? Should i keep one of the over-hang filters and speak with the lfs on how to make it saltwater friendly?
2) How exactly do you start the process of the tank? As we all know, everyone has there our spin on everything. Some sources say to run the tank with all the proper equipment for a week or so then put in all the live rock; Another says to do this same thing but only put in a piece or two of liverock to start.
3) i know this is FAR down the road but what are my options fish wise for a 55gallon? i know i want a pair of clowns, other than that its fair game.

I greatly appreciate any and all advice.

Peace, Love, and Water
Drewwzy

 

The rock will be the primary "filter" however a sump under the tank is a must IMHO (is your tank drilled??). The sump can house your skimmer and other filter media such as socks on the returns to filter out larger particals. A protien skimmer is also another piece of needed equipment(again in my opinion). A good clean up crew is also essential. Hermits , snails, an emerald crab or 2 and one of the best adds for a tank a skunk cleaner shrimp (there goes my opinion again). They are so much fun to watch.

When I set up my first tank i used dry rock (no unwanted critters) seeded with a few small rocks from a friends tank and live sand. I put them in all at once with a piece of small shrimp and let the tank cycle for a few weeks. This gives the rocks a chance to grow the living organisms needed to be able to handle the bio load caused by fish. Regular water testing to make sure all the water params balanced out before adding any fish. An idea for you here is to by some static cling pics of fish and stick them on the glass. Looking at rock and sand for weeks gets old. However it must be done. Once the water params balance out you can add a fish.

As far as fish go........green chromis are neat little fish, a wrasse (6 lines are nice) coral beauty are very pretty fish. There are also blennies that will work as well. The best thing to do here is read read and then read some more.

i am still a beginner in this hobby and many others will help you out. Good luck

Do you plan on keeping corals?? have you thought about lighting yet? So much to think about. Welcome to the reef.

 

Welcome to 3reef.

 

I did exactly what you're doing 9 months ago and I couldn't be happier....EXCEPT the initial investment can be up there. minimum 1100 bucks. LR (live rock) is a must I forget the weight to gallon ratio but you'll def need it! I did everything HOB (hang on) and used the fresh water canister filter. You can get away with it if you're adding hardy fish like clowns and easy to care corals. Lighting is also a big investment. I purchased LED's and they need to be reef capable. Eventually you'll need to get a sump because filtration will become an issue trying to control your phosphates. PM me if you have other questions. It can be done you just to be ready for the intial investment. Live rock, live sand, filtration (sump,skimmer,fuge) lights, are the basics then you'll start to learn about adding elements (iron, calcium ect)

 

I recently ordered a skimmer bigger than what i probably need(got a killer deal on it), i dont really have room for a sump since my tank iis sitting on top of a sturdy desk. i bought and have been reading the book "the new marine aquarium" that my lfs suggested. i really trust them with things but there a buisness just like any other and sometimes they suggest things and ways that seem a bit too much. Once the equipment i ordered gets here i'm gunna start the transformation. i am getting more and more excited. Thanks everyone for the tips and advice.
Another few questions though, what kind of substrate should i get? i really like the look of crushed coral. Also, i had an idea for a cave for my tank, taking a clay pot for planting and putting it in the tank and kinda hiding it with the live rock. would everything still be fine? i plan on doing coral as well as the fish(eventually). So my last question, right now my light is a one bulb fixture, what kind of bulb would i need to house coral with?

 

You need a new fixture. Probably T5 or LED is most cost effective. You can try craigslist for a used one

 

For substrate, you should use sand. You can go with crushed coral, but it requires extra maintenance and you won't be able to keep anything that burrows. With sand, you can house sand-sifting fish and critters to keep it clean.

If you want a cave, I'd recommend a section of PVC pipe over a clay flower pot, as the pot can leach impurities into the water.

+1

With the fixture you have, you could use a 20000Kelvin T8 bulb, but you would be restricted to low-light corals, mainly only a few mushrooms and polyps. You can get a decent 4-bulb T5 fairly cheap that will greatly expand your choices.