Here is a question to get you all talking

[cav]

Reef one have brought out a marine conversion kit for their bi orb.

http://www.charterhouse-aquatics.co.uk/catalog/biorb-marine-conversion-p-1995.html

I have a 60 litre biorb (15 us gallons/13 uk gallons). Which I have set up for a mini tropical community.

What advice would you give if I were to convert it?(Told you it would get you talking).
Bearing in mind there is none of your usual equipment ie protien skimmers, powerheads etc involved. (I would look at using cured live rock instead of there replica though).

[Subliminal]

I'd say that would probably last as long as the 4 salt packets. :)

There's reasons for all those 'crazy chemicals and complex pieces of equipment'.

It's nice that they took the guesswork out of the setup and put the emphasis on the inhabitants, rather than the equipment, as seen in this (well written) quote:


It uses latest technology and techniques to remove the usual guesswork and uncertainty and enables you to focus on the aquariums inhabitants rather than the equipment. Unlike many marine systems which use only purified RO water, this kit has been designed to be adaptive, giving you all the tools needed but allowing you to make the choice of either RO water (useful if your tap water is of poor quality or regular tap water.

[Max]

The problem is with their quidelines "2 percs in a 30 litre tank", I'd never try it. They probably would live quite a while as they are rather hardy fish but, give me a break your Great Dane could stay alive in a closet. There is also the fairly major issue that with all their stuff there is no way that the tank will cycle as there is no bacteria to cycle the tank. I would agree with subliminal that they would live just slightly longer than the chemicals last with their stocking instruction. You might be ok if you stocked the 60 litre with the fish they'd advise for the the 30 litre and cycled the tank normally. Why any one would want fake plastic plants in a marine set up is beyond me .

[cav]

Ok, so say I use live rock in place of their "replica rock" with the reef salt packs and marine cartridge and for stocking go with white striped cleaner shrimp, Catalina Goby, Firefish and maybe a serpent starfish?

[Reefscape]

What really gets me talking is the absolutly rediclous stocking suggestions on that site for the marine tanks..


35 litre/9 gal
2 x Percula Clownfish or 4 x Neon Gobys

Seriously, i would be hesitant on putting 1 clown in a tank that size, never mind 4 goby's..

the 16 gal tank doe not bear comments really..an urchin and starfish? hmmmm

Niko

[chris331]

bi orbs are just a gimicky set-up... we set one up at work and ran it with some guppies and it was barely so-so... to many mods needed to get it to support this, that, or whatever... basically worked off an under gravel filter idea where the bottom rocks were used to filter the tank as an airstone pulled water through them... the manufacturer (CASCO) IS pretty well known and has designed many large fish systems you see everywhere from pet chains to walmart... but having managed one of those large systems and seen their logic, i would pass...

[Grins]

I saw one being used as a marine tank this past weekend. It was horrible looking....try scraping coraline algae off the inside walls of that thing.

[saltydunc]

yeah better off spending your money on a regular tank especially if you want to keep sw fish......they need as much room as possible.