See how screwed up asking and getting correct rep[lies in the USENET
really is........ya would have had a ton of replies by competent
follks in a web based forum by now, sand I have yet to see your post
on usenets only sal****er forum come up.........

On Mon, 01 May 2006 20:22:39 GMT, Gav ""gavbriggs\"@[cut the
spam]blueyonder.co.uk" wrote:
Roy wrote:
It would help if you stated what you had......Other than the tank,
which is pretty well a given, its hard to say what is and what is not
suitable for marine use and what type of marine tank your looking to
setup.........FOWLR or FO or Reef or ??????????????????????





On Mon, 01 May 2006 17:17:53 GMT, Gav ""gavbriggs\"@[cut the
spam]blueyonder.co.uk" wrote:
can i convert my tropical tank to marine?

if so, what do i need for the conversion and will my existing cannister
filter be ok for marine(with new media installed)

Thanks

Koi-Lo....
Frugal ponding since 1982.
Aquariums since 1956.
Some assholes Pond & Aquarium Pages:
http://tinyurl.com/9do58
*Note: There are several *Koi-Lo's* on rec.ponds.
But, I am the one and only original Koi-Lo.
~~~ }((((o ~~~ }{{{{o ~~~ }(((((o

4x2x2 feet tank, currently used to house a variety of plec and one
lonely gourami. i have aqua one cannister filter, air pump and stone,
heater dunno what wattage but it keeps the tank at a stable temp gravel
and water(lol)there is also a jewel filter in the tank but it is not
going to stay in there as it requires constant attention


Just clean tank well, no further need for gravel in a sal****er setup.
Marine tanks need to be kept in the area of 75 to 80, although some
folks run them as high as 82 or so degrees.....the key is keeping the
tank stabil in regards to temperature swings....Roughly 3 to 5 watts
per gal is the norm for a heater. Best to run two heaters whose total
wattage equals the needed wattage incase one sticks you do not cook
the tank like one larger heater can do.
i have absoloutly no idea what different types of marine tank setup
are but i do want to have a box fish(dunno what breed etc) as i fell in
love with one i saw.

A box fish is a breed of fish......in the same species IIRC with
puffers and cow fish. YOu can get by with the lights you already have
if yu do not elect to keep any corals, but you could still have some
liverock which is highly recomended. Live rock and live sand is the
heart and soul of a marine setup, and if you use 1.5# or so live rock
per gal you can just about eliminate the need for any filtration and
get by with a simple hob type Aqua clear filter for some current flow
and mechanical filtration and a few powerheads. I owuld not use
crushed coral for the tank substrate as it adds little in the way of
nbeneficial anaything to a marine tank.Use arogonite (calcium based)
sand. It allows better use of bethic critters ability to utilize it.
You need a clean up crew (hermit crabs, snails etc) and personally I
would go with a shallow sand bed and not have the worry of getting gas
buildup in a deep sand bed., At one time deep sand beds were the
things, and they still sre in some cases, but best, easiest way with
less problems overall is a shallow 1" or so depth of sand. You can use
regular silica based sand as well but nothing beats real aragonite
sand for a sal****er tank.

Depending on what wattage your lights are, perhaps you can swap out a
bulb for a suitable marine type setup and then keep a few soft type
corals around such as zoos and mushrooms, as they add character to any
sal****er setup. Cleaner or other type shrimp can be added.......but
you have to decide what exactly you want in the way of fish as nmot
all fish are compatable with a reef setup, some fish rely on a reef
setup and others could get along without anyhting but a glass box with
water and salt in it just fine.....

You need an ammonia, nitrite and nitrate and PH test kit. Freshwater
test kits will not usually work as marine tanks are nmormally kept at
a higher ph than freshwater is (8.1 to 8.5 or so) Your gonna need a
refractometer (preferred) or a hydrometer to keep check of your
specific gravity (salt content). With fish only you can go with a
1.021 to 1.023 SG add corals or any tyope and your better off with a
1.023 to 1.025 or even higher SG.

As for your present filter, marine tanks are counter to what a fresh
water tank is. In freshwater folks use the filter to grow and house
bacteria, in a marine tank enclosed filters etc normally do not, as
they turn into a nitrate factory, which is undesireable for the most
part in a marine setup........

A skimmer is nice to have but not necessary in a fish only (FO) tsank.
LIve rock and live sand is pricey, but there is workarounds and
methods to get around these problems, that work, but takes time...Here
in the USA premium cured LR routinely sells for $7.00 or so a pound,
but even a 5# chuck is beneficial to any tank than no live rock at
all. A tank with sufficieint LR needs not real filtration as the
liverock is the actual filter except for mechanical removal of larger
debri, and its virtually unheard of a LR equipped tank ever getting a
ammonia or niitite or nitrate problem like a fresh water tank can
have......

Check out reefcentral.com
creativereefing.com
sal****erfish.com
and wetweb media for lots of info on marine setups.

i currently have four tropical tanks so i spend a lot of time with them,
dedication is not a problem!

i want to make sure the water and environment will be sustainable over
time and that the fish will be happy to live in the tank.

most of the shop0s in my area just want to sell you stuff not help you
expand your hobby!

many thanks in advice

Koi-Lo....
Frugal ponding since 1982.
Aquariums since 1956.
Some assholes Pond & Aquarium Pages:
http://tinyurl.com/9do58
*Note: There are several *Koi-Lo's* on rec.ponds.
But, I am the one and only original Koi-Lo.
~~~ }((((o ~~~ }{{{{o ~~~ }(((((o