Converting To Salty!

[JoshH]

Hey guys, first post on the (expensive ) salty side of the forum!!

I've decided that I'd really like to convert my 125L tank over to SW, the fish will be rehomed in another spare tank I have here! Loads of questions lol Is there any use with my current cycled 205 external filter? Or is it just a case of powerheads aimed at the LR? Not sure that I want to go with corals at the start, not until I'm used to how all things marine work compared to FW. So I guess the standard lighting will be alright for fishys and the LR?

Bad news, had a letter through the post today telling me my credit limits been increased by £750 I'd rather not spend quiiite that much so I want to limit myself a little here lol! Is RO 100% deffo needed? Or can I get away with tap water? Don't have a clue about stocking yet, I'd like some lively fish and CUC ofc, need to research more on that point then I'll post with anything I find that I like (nemo anyone lol?) would 2 clowns be ok in this sized tank?

Any more questions I think of I'll add later, but for now thanks in advance for any help given!

Josh

 

[JoshH]

Oh!! And do I need a skimmer?

 

[ben1987]

Right then, welcome to the nut house

If your going to use powerheads and live rock, which is the best method of filteration. I would empty out the external and use if for phosphate remover and a bit of live rock rubble. No media in it or anything else. Phosphate remover suc as rowa need high flow to be effective so an externals perfect.

Any lighitng is ok for fish and rock, actually the lower powered bulbs are better for fish only as you get less algae. But trust me you will want corals soon enough so budget for some decent lights eventually.

Use RO water, its not 100% needed. But you get phosphates and nitrates in tap water which will cause algae. If you ever want or think you may want corals then you deffinatly need RO. why risk anything? You can buy Ro water in containers from most good fish shops anyway so you dont need to buy your own RO filter.

And yeah, a pair of clowns would be ok in 120L.

Skimmer...buy one, get a TMC v2 400, cheap and pretty good. Look on ebay, they pop up for £30-40 fairly often. You'll be amazed at how much difference a skimmer makes. Plus you WILL want corals at some point. Its also makes maintainance a tad easier.

 

[Truck]

the fluval 205 media is useless, you should cram it with floss and rowaphos. it will need weekly maintenance too. it would help with flow, and powerheads will be needed if your having live rock. standard lighting is fine for fish and live rock.

RO water is only needed if you plan corals at a later stage, and some fish only tanks use it to prevent nuisance algae.

2 perc or occelarris (SP?) clowns wold be fine with another 2 or 3 small fish. and various CUC

 

[JoshH]

Right then, welcome to the nut house

If your going to use powerheads and live rock, which is the best method of filteration. I would empty out the external and use if for phosphate remover and a bit of live rock rubble. No media in it or anything else. Phosphate remover suc as rowa need high flow to be effective so an externals perfect.

Any lighitng is ok for fish and rock, actually the lower powered bulbs are better for fish only as you get less algae. But trust me you will want corals soon enough so budget for some decent lights eventually.

Use RO water, its not 100% needed. But you get phosphates and nitrates in tap water which will cause algae. If you ever want or think you may want corals then you deffinatly need RO. why risk anything? You can buy Ro water in containers from most good fish shops anyway so you dont need to buy your own RO filter.

And yeah, a pair of clowns would be ok in 120L.

Skimmer...buy one, get a TMC v2 400, cheap and pretty good. Look on ebay, they pop up for £30-40 fairly often. You'll be amazed at how much difference a skimmer makes. Plus you WILL want corals at some point. Its also makes maintainance a tad easier.

Hey mate, thanks for replying so quickly!

Live rock rubble and bit of floss at final stage sounds nice and simple, does rowaphos need changing regularly? Algae's a pain so the less the better I guess you basically I AM going to want corals then just not quite at the start!! I'll give maidenhead a ring to check if they do have RO I can buy getting over 33 gallons back in 1 will be fun

Glad I could get in a pair of clowns, when you say 2 or 3 other fish, such as what truck mate?

I'll take a look for that skimmer on ebay then

 

[Truck]

rowaphos need changing when exhasted, on a new set up often, but as it gets older it tails off, so you dont need to replace as much.

maidenhead have RO at every marine branch and some freshwater branches.


other fish:
gobies
firefish
cardinal fish
baslets
small dottybacks
dragonets
small reef safe wrasse
hawkfish with caution.

 

[JoshH]

rowaphos need changing when exhasted, on a new set up often, but as it gets older it tails off, so you dont need to replace as much.

maidenhead have RO at every marine branch and some freshwater branches.


other fish:
gobies
firefish
cardinal fish
baslets
small dottybacks
dragonets
small reef safe wrasse
hawkfish with caution.

Thanks for the reply Truck is there a decent online retailer for marine things etc? AE doesn't seem to sell marine sand, I want live sand right? Wont be able to take a trip to MA until next week sokme time when I persuade the missus to drive me there ( i ride a motorbike and don't fancy carrying sand, water rock and bits on the back lmao)

I can only find that skimmer you recommended new for £80 at the moment Mark, I'm totally clueless as to good brands, so any other suggestions? Is it the same as filtration where overfiltering/skimming is better? Because there seems a lot of large skimmers for 40-150g on ebay!

 

[Anguilla82]

[/quote] AE doesn't seem to sell marine sand, I want live sand right? [/quote]


wouldn't bother with 'live' sand as its more expensive and so i beleive not much is 'live' in it anyway! just go for normal

 

[Truck]

you can get live sand, from a LFS if its already in a tank and kept wet. try charter house aquatics.

 

[JoshH]

Hey guys just got back from MA Cardiff, wow thats seriously big place!! Come home wiht 10kg's of LR I can see me going back in the week for more lol, some salt, RO (was given it & container for free) rowaphos and a hydrometer (no refracts there) Oly trouble is I have to go work like now...so no time to mix up salt water and put the LR into it...i assume its fully cured as it all came out of a tank! it's bagged with some water inside and it all looks wet, is it ok for 6 hours like that?? also is there a formula for adding salt or is it just add little by little til the readings right?

Do i need to dechlor RO?

Ta

 

[Truck]

Hey guys just got back from MA Cardiff, wow thats seriously big place!! Come home wiht 10kg's of LR I can see me going back in the week for more lol, some salt, RO (was given it & container for free) rowaphos and a hydrometer (no refracts there) Oly trouble is I have to go work like now...so no time to mix up salt water and put the LR into it...i assume its fully cured as it all came out of a tank! it's bagged with some water inside and it all looks wet, is it ok for 6 hours like that?? also is there a formula for adding salt or is it just add little by little til the readings right?

Do i need to dechlor RO?

Ta

the live rock will die if left in bags for 6 hours.

buy a refractometer from ebay, or charter house aquatics.

add what it says on the packet but i normally do 4/5's of the recommended and then add little by little. you need to heat it first though

no dechlor needed

 

[JoshH]

Well I had to leave the rock in the bag in the end, came home and the upper couple are dryed out a little but the bottom ones are still wet...when you say the live rock will die...it can come back to life..right? Just means I'll need to let the cycle take place?

Gunna get my ass on ebay tonight for some more spending, they had no powerheads in today and figured I could probably pick them up online, how much of what powerhead would you recomend?

Cheers for the help
Josh

 

[Truck]

Well I had to leave the rock in the bag in the end, came home and the upper couple are dryed out a little but the bottom ones are still wet...when you say the live rock will die...it can come back to life..right? Just means I'll need to let the cycle take place?

Gunna get my ass on ebay tonight for some more spending, they had no powerheads in today and figured I could probably pick them up online, how much of what powerhead would you recomend?

Cheers for the help
Josh

i would suggest a koralia 2 and a koralia 1 (my config)

the live rock may well be dead, so get it in the tank and buy another 5 kilos. and let it cycle.

 

[JoshH]

By dead you mean useless forever??

 

[Truck]

By dead you mean useless forever??

no, it can be re seeded