[finding-nemo]

I am new to marine/saltwater tanks I have one set up which has been going for over a month now and is looking great my query is I have 2 freshwater tanks but will be making one redundent in a couple of weeks is it possible to make it into a saltwater tank and if so what do i need to do? the tank is a juwel 70 tank
please help

[SalTee]

Switching over to a Marine from a freshwater is simple enough- first thing is to stop and imagine what it is you want- this will decide what equipment you have/need to make the switch. Depending on if it'll be a reef, FOWLR, or FO, the lights may or may not make the cut- if it's FO(Fish Only) the lights only purpose is to see the fish and anything will go- Halides would probably not be preferable as they are expensive, Incandescent lights tend to promote algea growth and excessive heat, LEDs are also expensive, but are VERY worth it and immensly flexible, so i'd probably recommend a simple Flourescent strip. If you're going with a FOWLER(Fish-Only-With-Live-Rock), you may want to get some thing a little beastlier- some power compacts or VHO tubes- just in case you get the urge to try some hardy corals. And if your doing a Reef, you can't cut corners- you need. at the very least, MANY VHO tubes, metal halides, or an LED settup. As for bulbs- generally look for something along the lines of 8000k-10,000k.

Next Inspect the tank itself- make sure it holds water, has strong seems, and make sure it has NEVER been used to treat sick fish- fish medications can adsorb to the glass and later release, potentially causing problems to any inverts you might keep. If it has been tainted with copper in the past, there are various chemical treatments you can apply to the tank to get rid of medications, but these are often dangerous operations. I've never done one myself, however, so my lack of experience here should be noted.

Next look at the filtration equipment- again, depending on what you plan on doing, it may or may not make the cut. Things like hang-on-tank filters and canister filters are fine for just about any aquarium type you wish to keep; undergravel, sponge, and box filters are used by breeders and seahorse keepers- I've got a buddy with a Seahorse tank run exclusively on sponge filters. Sumps, if you have it make the switch; if you happen to have used a Protein skimmer on a Freshwater(slim chance but there are people that do) that is almost essential. Water changes are the truley best, unequaled form of filtration and are absolutely, positively required.

The heater also makes the switch- just make sure its rated for saltwater. If your not sure, buy one that is just for safety's sake.

The decor is the only thing that changes- rather than using the traditional gravel, driftwood, rocks, and plants- all geared towards keeping the water soft and acidic(typically)- you'll be using sand and rocks that are calcium based and porous- geared towards keeping the water hard and alkaline. Plants do exist but there are very few species. Plants are usually limited to various types of micro/macro algeas.

Test kits change too. Simple enough.

Thats all I can think of at the moment. Always glad to help a Marine lover in need. Peace.