Freshwater To Saltwater Switch

[Tirfi]

I am looking to switch my 125 long tank to a saltwater predator tank (Fish Only). I have 2x FX5's running on the tank and im trying to keep it that way. I went to a LFS today and talked to someone and the conclusion we came to was that as long as i was doing a fish only system with the 2 filters that i should be fine. I have no idea if that is true or not so i wanted to get some information from others.

The idea i have is to switch the tank over to salt so i can house some combination of the following fish. These fish will be listed in the order of what i would like the most. This list was from the information given at the LFS so i dont know if this is even an option so input here would be greatly appreciated.

1. Harlequin tuskfish
2. Humu Picasso Triggerfish (I was told Clown Triggerfish are to aggressive)
3. Clown Tang (Was told Blue/Regal Tangs couldnt defend them self)
4. LionFish
5. Blueface Angelfish
6. Green Bird Wrasse
7. Blue Line Grouper
8. 2-3 of one of the following Foxface, Sweetlips, Squirrelfish (was told i would need some "filler" fish and these where suggested)

The store also has a Rhinopias they wanted to sell but a price tag of $399 was a lot of money for a first time saltwater guy imo..

I dont know what kinda stock i could do in the 125 and which of these would work. The LFS said that i could do all of these and i have no idea if that is true. They are trying to sell me things so its hard to know what is fact and what is a pitch.

What i am told all i need to do is get 125lbs of live sand set up the water and cycle the tank and add fish ... they said i would need to add them in steps so that the more dominate fish dont run the tank and im not sure how all that works.

I have really no idea how it all works as the common idea as a FW guy is that SW is much "harder" than FW ... i have a feeling that is not true but i would like some input on how to move forward. The other option is to switch the tank to a Discus tank so i want to look at both options.

Thanks to anyone who takes the time to give me advice, guidance, or knowledge.

 

[bat21]

If you're doing a fowlr, then essentially the only difference between fresh and salt is the salt. Meaning, salinity. When water evaporates from a saltwater tank, it leaves the salt behind, which means the salinity goes up. Therefore you need to manually pour some freshwater back into the tank every day, or buy an auto top-off system that does it automatically.

I only have experience with small fish, so I can't speak to which of these will work together. Some of those are huge. But you want to add the most aggressive species last. This is because when an aggressive fish establishes his territory, he will then be aggressive towards fish who intrude on that. When they are added to a tank with already established territories, they are less likely to claim another fish's as their own. It doesn't mean they won't eventually be an a-hole. But doing it this way helps a lot.

 

[bat21]

Oh, and the best advice I can give you, which you seem to already be doing, which is good, is to NEVER buy anything a LFS suggests without researching it on this site first.

 

[Tirfi]

So its true that the 2 FX5's will be good enough to filter the tank? I was thinking daily top off's and weekly 15% WC's unless more is needed. That is the standard with my FW setup so just making sure it is still the normal with fish only salt.

(i had to google FOWLR... thats a new one for me)

 

[Tirfi]

Oh, and the best advice I can give you, which you seem to already be doing, which is good, is to NEVER buy anything a LFS suggests without researching it on this site first.

I try to not listen to anyone selling me stuff. You know.... because people are kinda crappy in general.

 

[MMacro]

The triggerfish, tang, grouper, and angelfish all require a larger tank. 'Filler fish' are not necessary at all. <--- Probably a pitch to get you to buy more. I would reccomend sticking with some smaller, slower moving predators for a tank of that size.

 

[bat21]

So its true that the 2 FX5's will be good enough to filter the tank? I was thinking daily top off's and weekly 15% WC's unless more is needed. That is the standard with my FW setup so just making sure it is still the normal with fish only salt.

(i had to google FOWLR... thats a new one for me)

FOWLR essentially just means no corals. I just don't care about corals, but most people around here probably think I'm nuts. (they REALLY love coral around here )

But for your filters and water change schedule, it all depends on your bioload. The more fish you have, the more waste they create, the more filtration you need. I'm sure whatever you have is fine to start. You can monitor your water parameters as you go, and as you add fish, and adjust accordingly. You can always change your equipment, or make larger water changes.

The biggest aspect of filtration in saltwater is the LR of FOWLR. Live Rock. Buy lots of it. The more you have, the more surface area there is for nitrifying bacteria to grow and process waste. A lot of people don't even use mechanical filters. Just live rock and a protein skimmer.

 

[Tirfi]

The triggerfish, tang, grouper, and angelfish all require a larger tank. 'Filler fish' are not necessary at all. <--- Probably a pitch to get you to buy more. I would reccomend sticking with some smaller, slower moving predators for a tank of that size.

The idea for the future is a large tank when I move into a house (240 gal) and getting the fish small and letting them grow out. From what i have seen around the net is I should have some good time for these fish to outgrow the 125. Is this not the case?

 

[MMacro]

The idea for the future is a large tank when I move into a house (240 gal) and getting the fish small and letting them grow out. From what i have seen around the net is I should have some good time for these fish to outgrow the 125. Is this not the case?

IMO tank size recommendations stay the same no matter the size/age of the fish. They still require the same amount of swimming room as well as space to grow. I would personally stick with some smaller predators such as eels, lionfish, scorpionfish, some puffers, and anglerfish.

 

[Tirfi]

IMO tank size recommendations stay the same no matter the size/age of the fish. They still require the same amount of swimming room as well as space to grow. I would personally stick with some smaller predators such as eels, lionfish, scorpionfish, some puffers, and anglerfish.

Not into puffers ... arnt scorpion fish and angler fish pricey?

 

[Tirfi]

I went to another LFS and was told that 2 FX5's would be basically worthless for filtration for saltwater ... does submerged media not work at all in SW applications or just not as well?

 

[scooter31707]

They will work as long as you have the liverock to help with filtration, but IMO, I don't like canister filters because they can become nirate factories and cause problems. If you use them, I suggest cleaning every 2-3 days.

 

[Tirfi]

I have been looking into "OCTO Classic Protein Skimmers HOB" as a solution until i get a tank that is drilled for overflows. Would it be better to run the HOB skimmer alone with a few powerheads or with the Fx5's?

 

[RocketEngineer]

I think you need to put on the breaks. Do some more research and if you want a drilled tank either drill the one you have or buy one already drilled. If you are going with a sump "later" then buying equipment, especially a skimmer, should be done for the setup you plan on having, not piecemeal to deal with what you have now. Do it right from the very beginning so you aren't spending money twice. Trust me .

Canister filters are problematic because they do not remove the detritus from the water, but instead collect it in the filter pad. This means the gunk can decompose and release all the nutrients back into the water. A skimmer removes the gunk from the water column so even if it decomposes, it does so in the collection cup and not in the water of the system.

 

[Tirfi]

Currently looking at buying a drilled 210gal (72x24x29) tank and move away from the FX5's all together .. The point of this post was to gather information to make a correct move before i started anything.

 

[RocketEngineer]

Currently looking at buying a drilled 210gal (72x24x29) tank and move away from the FX5's all together .. The point of this post was to gather information to make a correct move before i started anything.

I would caution you on the height of the 210g. My arms wouldn't be long enough to reach the bottom with a tank that tall which is a problem you might also have. I would rather the tank had a larger footprint over being taller. It is easier to work in plus gives you more space for rock work and swimming. Just something to consider.