One of the most frequently asked questions in the news groups is how to convert from freshwater to saltwater. What equipment needs to replaced, what needs to purchased, etc.. Most equipment used in freshwater can be used in a saltwater system, with a few exceptions. You should start by replacing your gravel with some sort of calcerous material. Examples include crushed coral, dolomite and argonite. Using these types of substrate tend to help buffer the water and produce a more stable environment. Next, you need to check all your equipment for anything metal. Saltwater will rust anything except the highest grade stainless steel. There are stainless steels on the market which will rust when exposed to saltwater. Needless to say, you need to replace or get rid of anything made of metal. The filtration system used in your freshwater system will usually be adequate for a saltwater system. However, you can use this opportunity to upgrade or change filtration mechanisms. Also, which ever type of filtration system you are using, you should add some sort of extra water circulation to the tank. Saltwater has a lower dissolved oxygen content than freshwater, so you need to keep the water in the tank moving. Actually, it needs to do more than move. You need to disrupt the surface of the water to maximize oxygen transfer with the atmosphere. The lighting you used for you freshwater system should also work for a fish-only saltwater tank. However, if you want to keep invertebrates, you will need to upgrade (more that just your lighting). One part of a freshwater system that needs to be replaced is the food. Marine fish need varied diets. You need to supply your fish with a combination of fresh, frozen and live food. Flake food, although adequate, should not be the major portion of your fish's diet. Finally, when you are ready to make the switch to saltwater, you really should replace all the water in your system. It is best to start with nitrate free water to minimize the potential for algae problems. Also, many people think that adding salt to a cycled freshwater tank will yield a cycled saltwater tank. Experience have shown this is not true. Saltwater nitrifying bacteria are different than freshwater nitrifying bacteria, so they must be cultured from scratch. As a note, nitrifying bacteria seem to be pH and temperature sensitive. So moving some gravel from a warm saltwater tank (~85F/24C) to a temperate saltwater tank (72F/21C) will shock the bacteria enough to nullify any advantage from using the gravel (e.g., to shorten the cycle time).

Hello; A true saltwater tank is very easy to make. Some thought and planning should be used to make life easier in the long run. Consider what kind of saltwater tank you want ( just fish or other animals ) and also what you want your tank to look like. Some fish and invertebrates like to dig in the substrate ( sand ) etc, and you should provide this. Other species like to gulp the substrate and filter it for food. Aragonite sand is great for this and lasts forever. The tank should have a lot of stuff in it that buffers the water ( helps to keep the PH constant ) like crushed coral, etc. If you do not provide this material your high priced lovely coral will buffer the water and slowly disolve if the pH goes below 7.8. Take your time and invest in a good protein skimmer ( Corallife or any other good brand will do ) it removes DOC's ( disolved organic compounds ) and other waste. A protein skimmer works by injecting the water in the skimmer with turbulent air and the air bubbles trap and carry the waste to a collection chamber. This large amount of water that is exposed to air keeps your water full of oxygen so not much other surface aggitation is necessary. I use undergrvel filters on all my tanks and would recommend them to all ( unless you want to add an external filter as large as your tank ) with a lower layer of rock or crushed coral. Reef tanks generally do not use undergravel filters --- UGF's work so efficient that the Nitrates are harder to control --- also, the current trend in reef keeping is to not use any biological filters at all. This is accomplished by the use of live rock to filter the water --- deep sand beds to break down Nitrates --- and algae in the sumps to consume Nitrates and other wastes. I also always use an external filter ( freshwater types ) to filter out larger particles, add my carbon and as a backup. Carbon is necessary in all aquariums and cannot be stressed enough by me. It makes your water crystal clear, removes odors, chemicals, and toxins, --- it also has a large surface area for aerobic bacteria to further help clean your water. Change your carbon once a month or when you notice any odor! Intense lighting is only needed by some algae, live coral, and some things growing on live rocks etc. Good bulbs in the daylight and higher spectrum are needed and I would say 4-watts per gallon. Some bulbs are rated as high as 20K and emit a blue light to simulate deep water (our sun is a yellow sun and emits at 5500K) --- some bulbs emit a lot of UV radiation --- you must choose your own based on research and your particular setup. Keep most water at 74 - to - 78 degrees and specific gravity between 1.021 and 1.023 for fish -- most fish can tolerate a large fluctuation. What I mean by this is do not panic when you look at your hydrometer --- add salt and or fresh water slowly. The animals need time to adjust to the change. Temp can vary during the day and my tanks change 10 - degrees on really hot days -- don't panic -- as fish in the wild swim lower the water is cold and as they swim higher it is warmer --- ( summer ) they don't die --- they may be a little uncomfortable but, they will survive. If your local water is really bad stuff -- ( you don't drink it ) then get an R.O. ( reverse osmosis ) unit on ebay for a hundred dollars and mix this pure water with tap water -- good to drink also. Relax and Enjoy! Old_Fish_Man

I just built a three in one saltwater converter for my fresh water 55 tank. It is a protien skimmer algea farm and a current pump all in one. It only uses air to run and has no moving parts. It is virtually maintenance free, all you ever have to do is change the air stone and clean the foam trap. It usully can run with most of your current equipment but remember that to have a reef tank you will need the proper ballast and lighting which can be pricey. But for a fish only tank my patent pending pump is all you need and in comparison price wise to other systems which need to be maintained often this is definatly the pump for someone who does not want to spend 1000 dollars rebuilding your tank. Depending on the size of your tank I couldnt tell you how much for the pump but for a 55 gallon tank it would be about 75 dollars not including air pump and stone. You can reach me at m_l_keys@yahoo.com if you are interested in discussing this further with me, Good Luck and patience is key.

Add salt.