55 gallon tank, turning it into saltwater

M

MissFishLeigh

Small Fish
#1
Feb 13, 2011
26
0
0
Sonoma County, California
#1
So my boyfriends dad had a freshwater setup with an Oscar and a place but he really just got sick of it and gave up and the fish died, so my boyfriend got the tank and the heater and the top, not a hood..like two glass pieces.

We want to turn it into a saltwater tank, I'm going to take all the gravel out and poop and hose it out. I want to give it a good deep cleaning, if I use bleach and water and let it dry for a month, will this be safe or should I stick to a mild dish soap or just water? Either ways, it's going to be empty for a few months.
Now from what I have read live rock will be my filter?
A protein skimmer and power head /wave maker.

I will also get test kits and a hydrometer and an automatic feeder.

Is this all the equipment I need?
What kind of light should I get for corals, anemones and fish?

As far as adding water goes, do I fill it up and add the de-chlorinating drops then add salt ? Do I just add the salt like I'm feeding fish food? Or is there a special mixing process?

How long is the average cycling process for a 55 gallon saltwater tank.

I want to start off with corals/anemones before I add fish, or should I add fish first....? Also I want it to be bare bottom (no sand or crushed coral) opinions about this please.

I'll post more if I come up with any other questions, thanks !
 

TRe

TRe

Elite Fish
#3
Feb 20, 2005
3,645
1
0
ft. lauderdale
#3
To clean it out I would just use plain water, If water isnt getting it clean a little vinegar will help... For the water if you use tap water youll have problem with algae sooner than later. Instead you want to use r/o water (reverse osmosis). You can get a unit to make your own water but itll cost $75-100 or you can buy some 5 gallon jugs (like the one used for gas or even 5g buckets with lid) most LFS will sell r/o water or you can get it from the machines in front of the grocery store.... As far as mixing it... ypou can mix it directly in the fish tank the first time but after that you have to mix it in a seperate container preferable over night with a pump
Cycling shouldnt take more than about a month or so
 

M

mlipst

Small Fish
#5
Jul 22, 2008
49
0
0
#5
Please read all the stickies at the top of the thread page. Get a good book on starting a saltwater aquarium. A lot of research at the beginning will pay off later.
 

Lotus

Lotus

Ultimate Fish
Moderator
#7
Aug 26, 2003
15,115
13
38
Southern California
home.earthlink.net
#7
Never use soap in an aquarium. Water will be fine. Bleach or vinegar are OK as long as you rinse the tank well.

For water, you'll need to get an RO unit if you want corals. Using tapwater is a recipe for disaster.

To mix saltwater, you need to do it outside the tank, in a bucket, using a powerhead. You should never add salt directly to a tank with anything alive in it (including live rock), as it's caustic and will kill everything. Get a refractometer rather than a hydrometer -- you may as well get the most accurate from the start.

Lighting will depend on what types of corals you want to keep. Corals and anemones don't usually work well together -- choose one or the other. The anemone will sting corals. You're probably looking at around $400 for a decent light fixture for corals.

Cycling will depend on whether you get cured or uncured rock. Cured can take a week or two; uncured maybe six to eight weeks.
 

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