How much would it cost to convert and maintain a freshwater 75 gallon tank to a salt water.?

Question

i have two tanks, a 75 gallon and a 20 gallon tank, and i am looking to convert one to a salt water tank. yes i know that the 20 gallon tank would be the cheapest, but i just wanted to know what i had to do to convert the 75 gallon or the 20 gallon. (i really want to convert the 75 gallon) help!!!

Answer 1

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)

Answer 2

abc easyy as 123

Answer 3

It depends on the type of equipment you are currently using. The larger one will be much better for SW and will give you many more options. Remember you can't stock a SW like you can a FW, the fish will need more space. Use RO water for the tank, so you will have to buy some type of water filter or an RO system. You will need to have a filter for some type of mechanical filtration. For a 75 you will want a protein skimmer, you need to think about lighting, not all creatures will need the same amount....so do your research. You will need something for biological filtration, and live rock works great for this (about 1 pound for every gallon). A hydrometer or refractometer for testing salinity levels. Some buckets for mixing the salt water in. Marine salts. You will also want to think about substrate. Sand is the best, you can get aragonite (live sand) or crushed coral. 2 or more powerheads, for current in the tank. So to convert the tank, most likely will cost you around $300-$600 depending on where you buy your equipment and where you live. Usually you don't have to clean SW as often, so you will be saving money in that way. Salts and food will be about the only things you really need to buy monthly. So it may cost $50 a month if even that sometimes.

Edit: Just a word of advice, look on ebay for your refractometer/hydrometer, as well as the protein skimmer. You can find great deals on equipment there. Also when buying live rock, buy about half of it dead, and half of it already cured, you will save money on the dead rock, and the live rock will spread and cure the dead rock. Check out RO/DI units on ebay, I bought mine for only $150 and saved at least $50 from buying it at a store.

Answer 4

LOts and lots of money. Are you making a aquarium?  But they are very nice to put in homes. Except you need a mansion!

--Sharky300