Converting From Freshwater To Saltwater

[woody111]

Hi
I have been keeping tropical fish forr the past 18 months and am now hoping to convert to saltwater. I currently have an external filter which contains sponges and ceramic rings. Will this filter be ok to use as it is and does it need to be maintained in the same way it currently is. (e.g rinse sponges out in tank water etc..).
Also can anyone suggest any good websites where i can get more info from.
Thanks

 

[xxBarneyxx]

You don't really need any external filters on a SW tank. Liverock and good water flow replace the filter. You can still use the external filter but its best to either remove everything and use it for chemical filtration (phosphate/nitrate removers) or to make a "cryptic fuge" and fill it with liverock rubble.

The best place for getting information abotu getting started is right here Have a read through all of the stickies first which contains a lot of the information you will need. Also have a read through all the journals which will give you a good idea how other people have set their tanks up.

 

[woody111]

So all i need is live rock and no other form of filter?
what about protein skimmer etc

 

[andywg]

Protein skimmers are a money saver on large tanks. They remove protein based waste before it cn break down into ammonia. They do cost a lot for decent ones, and cheaper ones are not as good. As a result it becomes a cost/benefit exercise between increased water changes and buying a skimmer. On smaller tanks you can generally get by without the skimmer ok. On larger tanks large frequent water changes cost a lot of money in salt.