start over with a 6 gl eclipse??

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snoce

Large Fish
#1
Nov 14, 2003
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i have a 6 gl with neons that have been doing great for well over 1 year now and b4 them i had diff kinds of tetras so the tank is well established...i want to consider trying a small s.w tank to see how diff or easy it is....i have just the basic lighthood and filter for the tank...biowheel...to start off with what kinda filter,lights,gravel and anything else i need to start cycling a sw tank...some suggestions would be great *DRUMMER*
 

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snoce

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#2
Nov 14, 2003
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i really need some suggestions on what to buy....how do water changes get done....do i have to use ro/di water or tap water is ok...if i need to use ro/di do i have to use that all the time for w.c or only the first time i set up the tank....i have many questions to ask
 

S.Reef

S.Reef

Superstar Fish
#3
Dec 1, 2003
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Saltwater can be quite a challenge, with that being said the proper amount of research can make it fairly easy. You will hear this from everyone that smaller tanks are harder to maintain then bigger tanks. With a tank your size I would stick with only 1-2 very small fish.

You should do a water change weekly with a tank this size...probably about a gallon or two. I would definalty use RO water.
 

1979camaro

1979camaro

Ultimate Fish
#4
Oct 22, 2002
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i would say one goby and thats about it...the fact that your tank is established as a FW is kind of irrelevant because with SW you will want to clean it out and start over again

your most important purchase will be live rock

as sam mentioned, research is the key. look on here at previous posts, in the stickies, and get a couple good books
 

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snoce

Large Fish
#5
Nov 14, 2003
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but what mechanical devices do i need such as filters,heaters,powerhead...can i use the existing bio wheel filter as my powerhead and just take out the media...also why do i have to use ro water...do i constantly need to buy ro water or can i use tap water and just conditon it...also do i put salt in everytime i do a water change....where can i find these answers
 

S.Reef

S.Reef

Superstar Fish
#7
Dec 1, 2003
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#7
If your tap water contains high amounts of iron nitrates and phosphates and other undesirable stuff then its unsuitable for a marine tank. If your going with a 6 gallon tank all you have to do is buy some purified water at the grocery store...not too much of a hassle.
 

1979camaro

1979camaro

Ultimate Fish
#9
Oct 22, 2002
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#9
the bacteria will die off...you are better off not using the biowheel anyway, just use the filter for water circulation and use LR as your biological filtration

SW and FW tend to be aproached from different conceptual perspectives so a lot of the ways you think about doing thigns in FW don't really apply
 

S.Reef

S.Reef

Superstar Fish
#10
Dec 1, 2003
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#10
You can use the same bio wheel, however the cycling process will start over because saltwater bacteria will be colonizing the wheel, not freshwater. Just buy a bacteria culture and over a few weeks bacteria willbegin to grow on it.
 

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snoce

Large Fish
#12
Nov 14, 2003
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after visiting my lfs on thurs to get some info on switching over to a nano sw tank i left with a few diff options...it seems in a 6gl there are only a few sw fish i can get...there are a few really nice and colorful ones but only can have bout 2 fish in the tank along with live rock and coral...the other option they gave me was a invertbrate tank...they should me shrimp,crabs,starfish and snails along with corals and live rock...it seemed kinda interesting to go this route...it seems i can have a real nice mix of diff species instead of just 2 sw fish...especially the star fish...does anyone have experience with this type of tank it seems kind cool...are they difficult to take care of do i have to be concerned with them trying to jump out of the tank, how often does the water need changing is it less then having fish...any thoughts would be great
 

S

something

Large Fish
#13
Nov 8, 2004
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#13
An invert tank is generally easier, but that rule doesnt always apply. If im not mistaken, some sea stars are rather hard to take care of, and can get quite large. Some options are the orange sea star, a few species of brittle star, and maybe a marble sea star (though im not really sure about that). If it were me, id avoid the sea stars for a while until you really get used to the SW scene. You're restricted to only a few animals in a 6gal, invert or not, so look over what you want most. I would imagine a few peppermint shrimp, maybe a few sexy shrimp and/or a blood shrimp or something would be fine, but i really dont command any authority in the SW scene. Most crabs and lobsters are territorial (unless you get mithrax or something) and wouldnt be a great choice for such a small tank. As far as corals, unless you make a custom top with a lot of lighting, you're also gonna be restricted to a few speices; namely polyps and mushrooms. In such a small tank corals are hard to take care of becuase a.) water quality is difficult to regulate, b.) intense lighting will always cause the temperature to fluctuate, and c.) its hard to fit enough lighting onto a tank that small.

I think if you got a perc and a few types of shrimp you'd be sitting pretty. Do a weekly water change of about 20%, possibly make a new light fixture (you wont really need the eclipse filter system anyways) so you can fit a few PC lights on top, and after a few months you can try your luck at some polyps or mushrooms.

Best of luck, and always remember: patience is a virtue *thumbsups
 

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