freshwater to saltwater

Question
QUESTION: hi there! i was just wondering if i bought a fully setup freshwater aquarium thats cycled and healthy, then would i be able to add salt and would it automatically be cycled for a saltwater aquarium?? i have just been wondering this because to buy a preownde fully setup freshwater aquarium is way cheaper than a saltwater reef. thanks!! marcus

ANSWER: Hi Marcus,

Technically yes, you could take a freshwater aquarium with no life forms in it other than the freshwater and bacteria in it, and then add the necessary synthetic sea salt to convert it to a saltwater aquarium. You would need to add enough salt to match the salinity of natural seawater which is around 1.025 measured in parts per millionth (ppm's). Assuming the main filtration you have on the aquarium would be sufficient, you would not need to upgrade it.

You would then still have to let the aquarium cycle and mature for the saltwater conversion, including the growing of the saltwater species of bacteria for the biological cycle. Once your water parameters are safe, you could then proceed with adding other life forms. The generally accepted pH level in a basic saltwater system is between 7.6 and 8.4, but reef tanks are more sensitive, and therefore need to be kept at the higher end of the pH scale, 8.0 to 8.4. Your nitrite and ammonia levels should be 0 and your Nitrate - Nitrogen (NO3) for reef aquariums should be 1.0 ppm or less when measuring with a standard home aquarium nitrate kit.

In conclusion you don't need a (store bought) saltwater reef-ready aquarium to start a saltwater aquarium. However these types of aquariums can make keeping a saltwater reef aquarium a little easier by including specific apparatus geared towards keeping reef life forms.

Keep in mind that this apparatus if you should decide you need it, can be added and retrofit on a (need to basis). Apparatus that I am referring to would include: protein skimmers, refugiums, overflow's, sump filters, directional water nozzles, calcium reactors, phosphate reactors, metal halide lighting and so on. The down side could be that these items purchased separately can cost more than a reef-ready starter aquarium.

My last bit of advice would be to research the types of life forms you are interested in keeping, so you'll know how to care for them before making that first purchase.

Good luck with your saltwater aquarium if this is going to be your very first endeavor in the world of saltwater.

P.S. Sorry for the delay in this reply-back, I actually did not get the question unit now, due to a system overload of questions in the allexperts.com main system.


Best Regards,
Dave

All Experts - Editor

OCReef.com - Director




---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: i already have a 125 gallon show tank reef that is awesome. but a friend was gonna give me his freshwater tank and i like saltwater more so i was just going to add the salt mix.

Answer
Hi Marcus,

I would definitely get the aquarium from your friend. It's a good idea to have another saltwater aquarium. You can always use this extra aquarium as a quarantine or hospital/sick tank.

If you do get it and add the saltwater, keep me informed with how long it took to fully mature and convert to a full blown saltwater aquarium. May I recommend for you to keep track of the water parameters daily in a written log as you go, so you'll have them for future reference.

Thanks for writing in, that was actually a great question that no one has ever asked before.

Take Care.

Regards,
Dave

All Experts - Editor

OCReef.com - Director