Fresh water convert help

[Jl330]

Decided to take the plunge and dive into saltwater and let my fresh water fish go to new homes.

I'm just not sure where you begin.

I have a 55 gallon tank with a fluval canister filter unsure of which one off hand and some kind of LED light.

I was going to clean the tank thoroughly to get rid of any bad stuff that may be on the fresh water stuff.

What steps should I take from here?

I'm open on substrate, rocks, filtration, anything else I'm forgetting. I want this to be a smooth transition if possible.

 

[XNavyDiver]

What flavor of saltwater tank are you wanting to do? Fish Only With Live Rock (FOWLR)? Reef tank with soft corals? SPS dominant reef tank? Knowing what you want to keep will dictate much of where you will need to go...

 

[Jl330]

I eventually want reef with soft corals and some fish. I figured I'd start fowlr to get my feet wet and upgrade as needed.

 

[XNavyDiver]

I eventually want reef with soft corals and some fish. I figured I'd start fowlr to get my feet wet and upgrade as needed.

Well then, I would consider drilling your tank for an overflow system if you leaving yourself room for upgrading in the future (not difficult, just make sure your glass is not tempered glass). This will allow for a sump to put equipment in such as protein skimmers, refugiums, reactors and such. This takes all your filtration equipment and puts it out of sight usually underneath the tank in the cabinet stand. If that is too daunting, then you can go with the Hang On the Back (HOB) style of tank, where much of your filtration literally hangs on the rim of the tank.
There are literally thousands of videos on you tube of folks showing their systems and how they set them up. At a minimum, I would say you'll need to look into a HOB power filter made specifically for saltwater aquaria and probably a protein skimmer. A FOWLR tank won't demand specialized lighting, but if your wanting to have corals, they will...especially Small Polyp Stony (SPS) corals, so you may need to look into upgrading that. Lighting is a jungle (LED, T5, MH), so I'll let you research that.
Here is a link, I don't know if you have read through this, but its chocked full of great info:https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/the-supreme-guide-to-setting-up-a-saltwater-reef-aquarium.138750/

 

[Jl330]

Can i not just use the canister filter I have in conjunction with any added filters?

ETA its a fluval 306

I was going to use it for water turnover but I know it's not enough.

 

[reefs+waves]

Canister filters are not the best filtration for a reef tank, I highly recommend going with a sump. If drilling the tank is not an option, you could do a hang on back overflow to take water to the sump. The reason canister filters aren’t good for a reef is that they are a pain to clean and if left dirty can cause high nitrates and phosphates resulting in nuisance algae. I recommend checking out some of bulk reef supply’s YouTube videos.

 

[Jl330]

I see what you're saying. I'll try to flip that filter and do something different. I'm terrified of drilling the tank though.

 

[reefs+waves]

If you are terrified of drilling a tank you could hire someone to do it or you could just go with a hang on back overflow like I did. http://m.drsfostersmith.com/product...MIt_6k0erP1QIV1EoNCh0j3wAQEAQYAyABEgKoFPD_BwE
Also if you are looking for lighting on a budget I recommend the mars aqua leds. Lots of people use them, just search 165 watt led on YouTube. https://www.ebay.com/i/251495773757...3D711-117182-37290-0%26rvr_id%3D1281304286931
I hope I could help you out, good luck with your tank!

 

[Jl330]

Thanks for the help. Hopefully I can figure out a proper solution. I may be able to get a sump setup but I'll have to build a new stand.

I'm a bit disappointed as I thought the filter I had would get the job done with some upgrades.

 

[Jl330]

Hate to bump this but can someone recommend a hob skimmer?

I looked into drilling the tank but its tempered so that's out of the question.

Also, should I add the skimmer during my cycle or is it necessary yet?

 

[XNavyDiver]

I hear Tunze makes a good hob skimmer and no you don't really need it for the cycle.

 

[CodyRVA]

I'd recommend a Reef Octopus HOB skimmer, done well for me in the past.

And a canister filter is absolutely practical for a reef tank, you do not need a sump refugium. Ran a mixed reef for some time with a simple hydor canister; you just have to know the do's and the don'ts.

 

[Jl330]

I'd recommend a Reef Octopus HOB skimmer, done well for me in the past.

And a canister filter is absolutely practical for a reef tank, you do not need a sump refugium. Ran a mixed reef for some time with a simple hydor canister; you just have to know the do's and the don'ts.

Thanks.

Im running the can right now with no media just for circulation. I'm gonna clean it weekly. Haven't figured out what to throw in it yet.

I looked at the octopus skimmer. Three price scared me a bit but I guess line everything else, but once cry once.

 

[CodyRVA]

 

[Jl330]

that was extremely useful. Back to the store after work!

 

[CodyRVA]

I use this sintered glass media myself, i swear by it.

 

[Jl330]

I use this sintered glass media myself, i swear by it.

I'm using something similar.

Currently have that going with the pads setup like in the video.

I have 40 pounds of bagged live sand I put on top of 30 pounds of dry sand (I like the look of lots of sand) and 40 pounds of dead rock cycling. It's been up for 3 days now and I'm at the impatient waiting stage.

Not sure what to do to speed things up.

 

[CodyRVA]

I'm using something similar.

Currently have that going with the pads setup like in the video.

I have 40 pounds of bagged live sand I put on top of 30 pounds of dry sand (I like the look of lots of sand) and 40 pounds of dead rock cycling. It's been up for 3 days now and I'm at the impatient waiting stage.

Not sure what to do to speed things up.

Nothing, assuming you've added an ammonia source. Perfect time to learn patience, learn it well... you're going to need it as the tank matures.

 

[Jl330]

Haven't added ammonia yet. That was the plan for today.

 

[CodyRVA]

Haven't added ammonia yet. That was the plan for today.

The system can't start cycling until you do. Whether it be the old school shrimp method or finding a source of pure ammonia, which is what I would do, you need to add it now.