Converting to salt

[puffernuke]

I need to covert my 55gal to salt for my Occelatus and GPS. Should I just raise the s.g. gradually until it reaches marine, then add the live sand, live rock etc?

[Jayhawk]

Raise it slowly - up by .002 SG each week so you don't kill off the bacteria in your filter and it can slowly adjust to BW.

Eric

[puffernuke]

Do i need to get the hardware(lights,etc.) now or when i add the sand and rock? I am currently using a Pengiun Biowheel 350 overhead filter, Do i need to do anything with it?

[YBeNormal]

Raise the SG no more than .002 per week. Slower is better and there really is no rush, so take your time raising the salinity and all should be fine.

You will not need special lighting unless you are planning on converting this to a reef tank--not a good idea with GSPs. You will want to add a skimmer once the SG is above 1.018 and a sump would be highly recommended IME and IMHO.

Biowheels and saltwater are not good combinations due to salt spray issues. Again, this is JMHO but I'm pretty sure that others on the board will agree. I'd remove the Penguin, or at least the bio-wheel, once you have the skimmer set up and working.

[puffernuke]

I do not have any experence with sw. What exactly does a skimmer do?

Thanks

[YBeNormal]

Here is a link to a site that includes a pretty decent explanation about skimmers: http://www.reefs.org/library/aquarium_n ... 197_7.html. (See the second question and response.)

[YBeNormal]

OK, the link does not seem to work for some reason so I will post the text here with credit to Bruce Davidson at http://www.reefs.org.

Bruce,

I was wondering if you could explain briefly how a skimmer operates or direct me to an article here that would shed some light on the subject. I know it is supposed to remove wastes from the water, however, I'm curious as to the actual method used to do so.

Thanks for the help!
Louis Wagner

Louis,

Protein foam skimming or foam fractionation is one of the best tools we have for managing marine aquariums. Organic molecules have one end that loves water (hydrophilic)and one end that hates water (hydrophobic). In other words organic waste likes the air water interface. A bubble is the ideal place to collect these organics. The organics will form a "skin" around a bubble. The skin keeps the bubbles from popping and forms a foam that is pretty stable. The protein skimmer is a controlled environment that collects the organic rich bubbles/foam and removes them from the system. The smaller the bubbles the more surface area you have. The more surface area you have the more organics you can collect.

If you use an efficient foam skimmer on your aquarium you will rely less on biological filtration because the majority of the waste will be removed from the system. This means that you will not build up nitrate as quickly. Once the bacteria in your filter grab hold of the organics they are processed into ammonia then nitrite and finally nitrate, the foam skimmer cannot remove these substances. As a matter of fact the biological filter should only receive water that has passed through the foam skimmer first. This will give your foam skimmer first crack at the organics. This is not an absolute must but it is the best configuration.

According to Martin Moe some of the things found in the foam a skimmer produces are water soluble proteins, amino acids, organic dyes, fatty acids, fats, carbohydrates, enzymes, detergents, inorganic compounds, metal ions like copper and zinc, iodine, phosphorus, algae cells, protozoa, bacteria, and particles of buoyant organic detritus.

ttys Bruce Davidson

[puffernuke]

My biowheel fiter has a cover on it. I know that i will need to replace the wheel, but my friend who has been doing sw aquariums for decades only uses biowheels. will it work until i get a skimmer.$$$

[YBeNormal]

Yes, it will work fine and replacing it with a skimmer is not an absolute requirement at all, just a recommendation.

I certainly understand the $$$ issues. I'm almost to the point of having my paycheck direct-deposited to the LFS bank account. :29:

[puffernuke]

I know that feeling. Luckly my friend owns his own LFS so i can get most my stuff for a great deal. I just need to move my angels now and im set. Me, Capone (T.Occelatus) and John (GSP) thank you much for your advice and recommendations.

I was also wondering if i could put a dogface in the tank if (god forbid) my Occelatus dies. If not, what about a Dwarf Fuzzy Lionfish?

[puffernuke]

Also about how much salt do i need to add to raise 55g s.g. .002?

[Pufferpunk]

Do i need to get the hardware(lights,etc.) now or when i add the sand and rock?

In a fish only tank, special lighting, live rock & sand isn't absolutely necessary. The skimmer would be 1st on my list. You should be prepared for the early demise of your ocellarus puffer, as even the best pufferexperts around, haven't been able to keep them for more than a few months.

I do not suggest keeping the ocellarus w/a GSP, or mixing a GSP w/a dogface or lion. Nor do I suggest keeping a young GSP in SW.

[puffernuke]

I've had my GSP for quite a while now. he is about 2" long. how long does he need to get?

[YBeNormal]

I agree that a skimmer would be #1 in my book, tied with a decent refractometer. Not an absolute requirement, but I wouldn't be without one.

I should have asked about the GSP's size earlier. I agree with PP that it is too early to take this one to full SW.

How long is "quite a while"?

[Pufferpunk]

All the info you need on GSPs is in my article in our Library.