Convince Me To Change

[ZoddyZod]

Hello to all you barnacle ridden salt lovers!

I'm currently getting itchy feet with my 125L fresh water community. I'm considering upgrading to a larger tank so that I can house some larger cichlids. HOWEVER, it has crossed my mind that maybe converting the current tank to a marine one may also be an option to consider. So, what would I need and roughly how much would I be looking at paying?

Current tank is a 125L Fluval with 2x40w T8 lights & Fluval 305 external.

EQUIPMENT
If I wanted a FOWLR (look at me with all the salt water acronyms!) I assume I would need a protein skimmer (how much £££?) and live rock (how many kg?) and that would be all? Maybe a powerhead (£££?)?

LIGHTING
For a reef, I assume the lights would need to be changed to T5s and I'd require a new ballast to house them. How much is a T5 ballast/rig going to cost me? Would I need a custom made one or are there adjustable overhead sets that would fit on my tank?

INVERTS
I assume a FOWLR does not have a CUC? Or is the 'fish only' part not quite accurate?
I'd like some crabs & shrimp of some sort...

FISH
No idea really! I'd love a shrimp/goby simbiotic pair though and I'm more interested in interesting behaviour than I am in colour or appearance....although I'm sure the wife would like a clown. Breeding something would be a nice bonus.

Teach me oh knowledgeable ones!

 

[sorgan]

breeding isnt really an option as its very very hard to do with most species. clowns and bangai cardinals are bred on a pretty regular basis but it is by no means an easy task. look at -nemo- 's breeding diary for more info.

lighting is not my forte but if you wanted to know about reefs that dont require lighting i can set you on the path (to the dark side mwahahahaha)

skimmers can range in price from £20 to £200 for your tank size, all depends on how good it is

lr i would say 15kg would be plenty.

scrap the filter there is alot of white mans magic about reef keeping but let me tell you this - a glass box full off slaty water with a power head is all you needto get going. the rest just makes life easy

 

[ZoddyZod]

breeding isnt really an option as its very very hard to do with most species.
fair enough

lighting is not my forte but if you wanted to know about reefs that dont require lighting i can set you on the path (to the dark side mwahahahaha)
interesting, I thought all reefs would need intense lighting to do well. What are some of my options?

skimmers can range in price from £20 to £200 for your tank size, all depends on how good it is

what are the recommended brands?

lr i would say 15kg would be plenty.
so about £150 according to my LFS prices

scrap the filter there is alot of white mans magic about reef keeping but let me tell you this - a glass box full off slaty water with a power head is all you needto get going. the rest just makes life easy - if it makes it easier (and increases flow) then might as well keep it?

 

[seffieuk]

Looky here - Zoddyzod might be jumping over to the salty side

As long as your tank as not had copper in then you could go full steam ahead. The two t8s would be fine for a fowlr and yes, you are right, you would need a cuc, so fowlr doesn't really cut it does it

Your external could be used to house things like phosphate remover

However I warn you, before long you will be wanting corals, with the t8s you can keep many softies

Oh and I love the way you write so look forward to seeing a journel from you

 

[ZoddyZod]

another question - I've seen skimmers hung on the side of tanks. Is this a must or can they be placed below in the tank stand?

Two reasons why I dont want to hang it on the side -
1 - aesthetic
2 - inquisitive 2yr old

 

[seffieuk]

Hydorslim is a popular skimmer at the moment and there is of course the good old deltec. If you want to put it under the tank you will need a sump - might actaully be safer on the side than in the cupboard

Dont buy live rock from a lfs - get it from a reefer at around £5/6 a kilo

 

[ZoddyZod]

Looky here - Zoddyzod might be jumping over to the salty side

Your external could be used to house things like phosphate remover

However I warn you, before long you will be wanting corals, with the t8s you can keep many softies

Oh and I love the way you write so look forward to seeing a journel from you

what a lovely welcome, but steady on with the idea of me writing a journal just yet.....I'm merely dipping my toes in the sea (pun intended) to get a feeling for it and to weight up the options. It really does appeal though as I am fascinated by the variety of life a marine tank can support.

oh, just thought, refractometer....need one of those. £100 roughly?

Hydorslim is a popular skimmer at the moment and there is of course the good old deltec. If you want to put it under the tank you will need a sump - might actaully be safer on the side than in the cupboard

Dont buy live rock from a lfs - get it from a reefer at around £5/6 a kilo

ok. Current stand probably wont tank a sump (it's about half the width of the tank and divided into two sections). What's the reason they have to be on the side? Do they need to be inline with the surface of the tank water? (I have no idea what these things do or how they work.....enlighten away!)

Good to know the rock could be 50% cheaper.

 

[sorgan]

my refractometer cost about £15 mate from ebay the hydor slimskim is my choice of skimmer

 

[seffieuk]

what a lovely welcome

oh, just thought, refractometer....need one of those. £100 roughly?

You are welcome, we are a warm but mad lot over here

Now funny enough, I have a second hand refractometer sitting right here, yours for £50 or you could buy

http/www.ebay.co.uk/itm/D-D-NEW-VERSION-SALINITY-REFRACTOMETER-/170642459734?pt=UK_Pet_Supplies_Fish&hash=item27bb154c56#payId

Dark Lord, you just lost me a sale

 

[ZoddyZod]

However I warn you, before long you will be wanting corals, with the t8s you can keep many softies

in terms of coral, I'd prefer something that pulses or has obvious movement if that is possible under T8s?

 

[sorgan]

xenia! that would fill the bill

sorry seffie, i havnt finished my evil classes yet.

 

[seffieuk]

However I warn you, before long you will be wanting corals, with the t8s you can keep many softies

in terms of coral, I'd prefer something that pulses or has obvious movement if that is possible under T8s?

Ah, so now we are moving into a reef, no more fowlr

Yep, perfectly possible

 

[ZoddyZod]

Now funny enough, I have a second hand refractometer sitting right here, yours for £50 or you could buy

Dark Lord, you just lost me a sale

10mins on this side of the forum and I'm already being swizzed!

Ah, so now we are moving into a reef, no more fowlr

Yep, perfectly possible

anything is open for suggestion!

I can see myself setting up a FOWLR and then progressing to a reef.....possibly....maybe.

 

[seffieuk]

I can see myself setting up a FOWLR and then progressing to a reef.....possibly....maybe.

Cool, I like a decisive man

So when might you begin?

 

[ZoddyZod]

Cool, I like a decisive man

So when might you begin?

For the last few weeks I have been scouring the internet in search of a 240L-ish sized tank to upgrade to. During that time I've been toying with the idea of converting the 125L instead. I want to think about each of the options in more detail before I make the jump. Obviously the marine idea will take considerably more thinking than the upgrade as I'm not familar with the maintenance or equipment requirements at all.

The main hurdles for me are that I'm quite attached to several of my FW fish (I've never been one to trade in fish, will just gradually change with the upgrade) and we recently had a daughter (two weeks ago), so my freetime is lacking for the increased attention of a new SW tank would need. However, if I convince myself that SW is the way to go then I will happily wait to convert when time is more abundant.

SOFT CORALS
so.....musrooms and zoas then? Anything else I can look at for a 'low-light' (is there a saltie term for such a set-up?) tank?