Hello, Fellow Aquatopians

I was wondering if I can change my 10 gallon freshwater tank into a 10 gallon Saltwater tank?

Questions:

Would it be to small?

What Filter Systems & equipment would I need if not?

If it was once a freshwater do I need to Clean the Decorations?

Thanks for any or all replays....


-Stealtherr-

[FONT=Courier][SIZE=1] :Beer:

Welcome to the SW hobby.

A 10 gallon SW tank is kinda small. But if you just want one for show then it is ok. Smaller tank means less money.

For a ten gallon a protein skimmer is optional. If you have good filteration and not much bioload then it is ok. But if your going wth a skimmer then get whichever one you could. For light if you are just keeping fish only with live rock then your normal flourscent light will be ok But if you are going to keep corals you would need PC to metal halide. Althought metal halide is too high for a 10 gallon. So go with a PC fixture. If your planning on coral try tp have medium light.
1-3 watts per gallon is normal. Good for mushrrom and star poolyps and zoo. But if you want much more pretty coral it would be better to go with medium.
4-6 is medium. M=Good for almost anything.
6-10 is bright lighting. This is kinda high, but anemones and high light corals like these.

It would be good to go with 1 lbs of LR for each gallon. And 2 lbs of live sand for 1 gallon.
Anytyhing else just ask.

Yes a 10 gallon can make a great little saltwater tank but if this would be your first saltwater tank a larger tank would be preferred. With a larger tank it is much easier to maintain stable water quality versus a smaller tank where things can go wrong quicker.

As in what? In terms of housing fish, corals, etc then yes you would be very limited as to what you can comfortably house in a 10 gallon. Personally it would be too small to start with as your first saltwater tank but can be done.

First read my article on items that are needed for a saltwater tank. It will provide you with a basic understanding of what is needed.

http://aquatopiaforum.com/index.php?showtopic=772

As for filtration I would use live rock as the main filtration for your tank and I honestly can't see running a saltwater tank without it. I would get 1lb of live rock per gallon so 10 pounds of live rock would be adequate. Live Rock is great for reducing NitrAte, many beneficial organisms come from the rock, provides algae, pods, etc which many species of fish eat, and finally it just makes the tank look very natural.

A sandbed which will eventually be home to many beneficial organisms will help with water quality by consuming detritus.

Now running a filter on saltwater tanks is optional but I try and use one for every saltwater tank I own. I usually run carbon which helps out with water clarity, odors, and any toxins that may be released by the coral. Phosphate removing media may also be used but that depends on your phosphate readings. Sponges, floss, and other similar media shouldn't be used as they can trap detritus which can contribute to high NitrAtes. No matter what media you use it should be rinsed out as well as the actual filter itself to remove any detritus. This should be done at least every week while every couple days is best.

Decorations that are commonly used in freshwater aquariums are not very natural to a saltwater environment. A sufficient amount of live rock will be all the decoration that you will need. It looks great and provides ample hiding places for your inhabitants.

I hope this answers your questions and if you have any more questions just ask. :)

lol you pretty much summed it guys lmao :)