Currently have a saltwater tank and because I live in Hawaii, I cant have all the live rock and coral that are required by saltwater tanks and I am thinking of switching over to a freshwater tank. My question is what should I be considering for mainting to get this tank started. I already have a Emperor 400, but is there anything else that I should be using. I also will be using RO/DI water to fill the tank. But what else do I need to consider. Please help!!!
Switching from salt to fresh.....
- Thread starter mrebolton
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patoloco
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First. wash everything very well to eliminate any resiadual salt. You can use vinegar and/or bleach to clena everything: glass, decors, filtrers. etc...
Apart from that, all the equipment used for saltwater are safe in a fresh water tank.
About the RO/DI water, it lacks mineral and nutrients used both by fish and plants, so don't use it alone. Most people find their tap water fine for fish, unless it's very hard or alkaline, there should be no reason to use RO water. You can always mix RO with tap water to match a cartain water condition, but that's requires some more chemistry.
EDIT: In fact, you can use RO water for your tank, but you'll nedd to add trace elements to it before filling the tank. It would be very much like adding salt to RO water to prepare marine water.
Apart from that, all the equipment used for saltwater are safe in a fresh water tank.
About the RO/DI water, it lacks mineral and nutrients used both by fish and plants, so don't use it alone. Most people find their tap water fine for fish, unless it's very hard or alkaline, there should be no reason to use RO water. You can always mix RO with tap water to match a cartain water condition, but that's requires some more chemistry.
EDIT: In fact, you can use RO water for your tank, but you'll nedd to add trace elements to it before filling the tank. It would be very much like adding salt to RO water to prepare marine water.
if your going to use RO/DI water on freshwater, you will need to supplement it with a supplement. It's actually too pure and needs some vitamins and minerals put back in.
something like this http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Product/Prod_Display.cfm?pcatid=4128&N=2004+113777 but i can't vouch for it, i just use about 50% Ro/DI and 50% tap
something like this http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Product/Prod_Display.cfm?pcatid=4128&N=2004+113777 but i can't vouch for it, i just use about 50% Ro/DI and 50% tap
I actually posted the same water question a week or so ago. I have since decided not to use the RO/DI water as my tap is pretty good. I decided this after I already filled my 55gal tank with the RO water. I used SeaChem Equilibrium to adjust the GH and add back many of the important minerals. I also used the SeaChem Alkaline Buffer to control the KH and raise the pH. Please make sure you use a good buffer as the pH of RO/DI water is very low (around 5 - 5.5). I chose SeaChem because I have had good experiences with their products in the past and their buffers are not phosphate based so they actually work and will not throw off your test kit. It also appears that using both the Alkaline and Acid buffers will enable you to buffer your pH very well at a set pH. This makes the system more stable then only using one of the buffers.
Hope this helps.
Hope this helps.
CoverMe said:
Hawaii has laws because the coral reef here is endangered. So you can not ship it here to Hawaii because of fear that someone may put it in the ocean and throw the balance out of wack. You cant take it from the ocean. Its a stupid law, Hawaii is just like that. Its a ten thousand dollar fine and up to a year in prison. But if anyone knows of anyway around it, I'd like to hear some opinions.
I would feel bad that you can't experience the joys of a reef tank, but then I remember you live in Hawaii. We've all got out crosses to bear huh? :joke:
mrebolton said:
this is a quote from Dale W. right here on AC
Quote "OK, so the skinny on collection and housing of "items" from Hawaii. It is kind of a complicated thing here. By law, we are not allowed to take anything from the ocean that has any growth on it, nor can we import anything such as corals or rock as well as a lot of fish that actually reside in our waters. It was a lame list that was put together in a rush many years ago which I am working on a draft to change this. I know one of the people that was involved in making this list and he will admitt that the few people involved didnt know a whole lot about the fish that they were adding to the list.
Now, the legality of taking items from the ocean is a sketchy one at best. If you read the actual law, we are not allowed to break any rock or coral off the reefs for personal or comercial use without a permit. I can aquire a permit for this for educational purpose. What most people dont know is that we are allowed to take coral rubble up to one gallon per day. You can find this washed up on the beach after high surf with plenty of good stuff on it. That is the actual law and anyone wanting to do so needs to read up on it carefully. I have grown plenty of SPS corals that were frags from high surf. We also have calurpas here. Where the conflict lye's with this is: Prove it!
If these guys want to collect frags, they better have a camera with them to prove where they got it from." end quote