Hello all, Brand new here

[andyj1006]

And I'm trying to decide If I should make my 55g freshie Into a salty. I thought all you needed was an undergravel filter and a canister filter? Now
I'm reading sumps, live rock, and drillin holes. Is It really worth It?:neutral:

 

[duke4130]

Welcome!!!

 

[discoreefer]

55's usually aren't a great choice for reef tanks. Their lack of depth from front to back can make aquascaping tougher. Also, good chance it's tempered glass, so won't want to drill that unless you are 100% sure it's not. Setting up a reef tank is a lot of work, but definitely worth it!

 

[CaliforniaCoralCo]

Welcome! To answer your question. It is totally worth it! It's very addicting though so be warned haha.

-Nick

 

[kevantheman35]

There are many ways to skin a cat as they say. Lots of methods work in this hobby and there are never ending arguments on the best way to set up a marine system. There are quite a few people using canister filters although they are not run with the same media as a freshwater set up. If your just wanting a fish only tank with live rock then you may be fine with the kind of stuff you have, but if you are looking into adding coral ect and creating a reef tank then I think it would be worth it to invest in some better equipment before you end up losing livestock or having algal problems and getting frustrated. Lighting is another piece of equipment that you will probably need to upgrade if looking into reefs. I hope this helps somewhat. Don't want to scare you off but definitely do your research before starting. This hobby is worlds different than freshwater, but is it worth it? YES! And the majority of us started with freshwater.

 

[Rhino]

Yes it is worth it......if you research. Sounds like your not quite ready after hearing under gravel filter. Bulkreefsupply.com has a great section of beginner videos that show everything involved. You need to do lots of research on care and requirements for what you want to keep in your tank, as well as figure out the cost involved. Reef tanks can cost significantly more to get started. The first thing you should do is read this article https://www.reef2reef.com/blog/291/ . Advancedaquarist.com and melevsreef.com has some great basic articles as well. You have already made the step in the right direction to an awesome reef tank by joining this forum. Feel free to ask any and all questions.....also, Welcome to the forum!

 

[DFW]

You can use that 55 if you have not used any copper treatments in there. You can likely find someone on this forum that uses an UGF in their reef, I bet. Also, many run natural tanks with no drilling, or sump, or skimmer. You can make your own rock, save money doing it, and eliminate bringing in some nuisance pests that could come with live rock all at once. You can even light the thing with normal output fluorescent bulbs. A 55 is pretty shallow, so high powered lighting is not as critical as it would be in a deeper tank. Take what you hear with a grain of salt, do a lot of studying, go slow, and enjoy yourself! You don't have to have all the latest gadgets to have a reef tank! BUT, when someone tells you to use RO/DI water, they know what they are talking about!:nod:

 

[Reefing Madness]

 

[tupes]

Hey Andy. Yes it is worth every penny. I have a tank without any of the equipment you mentioned. All I use is a hang on back skimmer and hang on back aqua clear 110 filter which I use to put in fiber Floss to catch small particulates and polish the water also every couple of weeks I put a bag of carbon in just to help out. Other than that I do my water changes every 2-3 weeks and it stays on track.

 

[tupes]

If you have any questions. Beko sure to ask especially about equipment, livestock, procedures or anything else. The only thing that happens quick with saltwater is disaster. Patience is key.

 

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[VB68]

Welcome to Reef2Reef
Be sure and start a tank thread (if you haven't already) in the members tanks thread: Member Tanks

 

[kireek]

*Welcome to the forum!* My husband has a 55 gallon brain coral tank running off a good circulation pump and a large protein skimmer.No holes or over flows involved.I agree that salt water aquariums take more time,energy,research and cash.That said,they are worth the extra effort!