change of mind

Question
hi,  i got a 55gallon tank (kit) for my birthday. it came with a filter, heater, and florecent light setup. everything has been up and running for about 2 weeks with out fish and i want to know if it is not to late to convert it to saltwater. if not what should i do? anddd what else should be in the tank.
  thank you sooo much ( i love this email program ur runnin)

ps: whats ur input on live rock? and if i put one live rock in my tank will will the lava rocks that are already in there become "live"?
thanks please reply ASAP


Answer
Malco,
It's never too late to convert a tank to marine, but I would like to get some more details from you regarding what type of filter you were provided with, etc.

Beyond that you will want to switch out the gravel with a coral gravel or aragonite.  Any decent local fish store will have a selection of these that you can chose from.  I recommend around one pound per gallon.  So if you get 50 pounds you're pretty much good to go.

In addition to the existing filter you will want to add a protein skimmer.  For a 55 gallon I like the CPR BakPak2.  It's super easy to work with and provides enough biological filtration for up to 60 gallons of water.  This item is sold via our online catalog so if you would like further details or to purchase one... check out www.aquariumcrazyfish.com

You will also need to purchase sea salt mix and a hydrometer to test the salinity of the water.  I recommend having a salinity between 1.018 and 1.023.  This will make more sense when you get the hydrometer.

As for live rock... I will always recommend live rock as it helps speed up the cycling period of the aquarium, provides natural hiding places for the livestock as well as natural food sources.  Can't go wrong with it if it's maintained properly.  It will seed the other non-live rock over time.  For additional information on this topic check out of tips section of our site.  We have an article written by Julian Sprung posted on this exact topic.

That's gonna get you up and running.  But there are other things to consider to be successful with this tank.  I suggest picking up a good reference book for yourself.  One of the bester one's on the market right now is the Conscientious Marine Aquarist by Robert Fenner.  It'll take you from set up to fish selection.  A good book is an invaluable resource for the marine hobbiest.

Best of luck and please feel free to contact me with any other questions or needs.

Regards,
Scott Johnson
Aquarium Crazy Fish
www.aquariumcrazyfish.com