Member

Posts: 33
From:Floral park, NY, United Sates
Registered: Dec 2002

posted 03-23-2003 08:58 PM            

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hey.....i just got a 55 gallon tank and i want to make it a salt water tank. What will i need to buy in order to do this, and how will i need to set it up?
info much appreciated
thanx

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Member

Posts: 96
From:El Paso, Texas
Registered: Oct 2002

posted 03-25-2003 03:06 AM         

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First you will need to decide if you want fish only or live reef only or fish and live reef together. The lighting has to be brighter if you want live reef. Next you will have to throw away the light on your 55 gallon which was designed for freshwater and buy a new light specifically for the needs of your new fish and or reef.
Fish only light = four 65 watt JBJ lights about 300.00 dollars... more wattage needed for reef addition! You will need to buy a big tub of salt mix called instant ocean. You will need a hydrometer, an instrument that will tell you how much salt is in the water...$10.00. You will need a protein skimmer to take all the crap off the surface of the water...$100.00. You will need about three bags of live crushed coral from an island off of figi or some other exotic locale...bout $36.00 a bag. You will have to mix your instant ocean with only bottled water and will need to perform perfectly mixed water changes with instant ocean, at least 20% once a month, if not more. If you live in a warm locale in the summer, you must use a chiller to keep the water from going to high in temperature. But most important, don't take my word for it, find a reputable dealer in your area who can tell you more as prices vary all over the country. Finally, all saltwater fish are caught in the wild ocean reefs of the world, some illegally. Freshwater fish are mainly bred in farms around Florida, Arizona and California, so are not commonly taken out of the wild. The saltwater industry has not succesfully been able to produce fry in captivity at fish farms. You be the judge!
Good luck.

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