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Ok so I have had a freshwater tank for a little over 5 years now. I think I’m ready for salt and want to start of with coral. Ill probably add an inexpensive fish or 2 but I mainly want live rock. I have a 55 gal tank that currently has a freshwater setup in it. A buddy of mine wants the fish and plants I currently have. I have an Eheim 2229 filter and I was wondering if that was enough to filter the system. Also what else do I need? Any websites to help me get started?

55gal Tank:130 watt coral lights,Eheim Wet/Dry 2227 Canister Filter,Powerhead, Co2 Injection and a heater.

First question. Is your Eheim marine rated?

Make sure it is before you embark upon this project, otherwise you're looking at extra capital expense in setting the system up.

Next question. Are you sure you want to start with corals? Corals can be tricky creatures to cultivate even for experienced marine aquarists depending upon the species, and invertebrate culture of any kind in a marine aquarium automatically places several important restrictions upon what you can do if you also have fishes present - the BIG one being NO copper based medications in the main aquarium. Basically, you will NEED a hospital tank ready to roll at a moment's notice should any diseases strike any fishes in that setup - another source of expense for saltwater fishkeepers if they wish to increase their chances of being successful.

You might be better off beginning with a FOWLR setup whose fishes are carefully chosen right from the start to be safe with corals and other invertebrates that you might wish to cultivate, and having gained experience in running that system, gradually introduce corals and other potentially tricky creatures later in the game.

Remember that water quality management is considerably more critical in a marine aquarium even if you only intend to keep fishes. If you intend to keep invertebrates as well, certain water management issues can become more critical still. Then, you have lighting management to consider, which is again considerably more critical in a marine aquarium, ESPECIALLY one likely to house corals at some future date. Remember that many polyps (and not just those that form reef building stony corals) have zooxanthellae (symbiotic algae) living within their tissues, which in some cases have VERY stringent lighting demands. If the zooxanthellae die, so do the polyps. Some polyps are more forgiving in this respect than others, but be advised that the moment you consider coral cultivation, you are looking at a fair amount of expense - not only for such things as T5 or metal halide lighting systems (a double hit to the wallet through initial high capital cost AND high running costs) but for items of technology such as Kalkwasser stirrers and calcium reactors for stony corals. The difference between running a freshwater aquarium and running a marine aquarium is rather like the difference between the hospital outpatients department and the surgical intensive care ward - one is relatively low maintenance, while the other involves a LOT of hands on activity, intricate calculation and a battery of expensive technology that requires skill to use properly.

One source I CAN recommend if you want to delve into the "dark side" is this one which is populated by some heavyweight experts. Another source I can recommend is any of the several excellent books on the subject by Mike Paletta. Also, if you're planning on coral cultivation, try and find books by Anthony Calfo, someone who has been there, done that, seen the film, read the book, worn the T-shirt and eaten the pie (that's a Watership Down joke by the way).

Above all, GO INTO SALTWATER WITH YOUR EYES OPEN. Something I CANNOT overstress here is this basic principle: every hour spent in prior planning and research before a penny is spent on hardware or livestock is worth several tens of dollars saved because wise choices have been made beforehand. Unwise choices in this game are heartbreakingly expensive hammer blows to the wallet if things go pear shaped. Time spent planning, researching and preparing for mishaps right at the start (and one BIG priority should be getting yourself a hospital/quarantine tank BEFORE the main system is set up, because believe me, you will NEED it) contributes to enhanced long term success and fewer large artillery shell holes in your wallet.

Oh, and good luck. Fingers crossed that when you do make thebig leap into the unknown, it all goes well. Because a successful saltwater keeper is a very happy person indeed.


Panda Catfish fan and keeper/breeder since Christmas 2002

That eheim will work fine on a saltwater tank but it's mostly only biofiltration. It won't provide much mechanical, no chemical, and you need more water movement. The exact flow you need depends on exactly what corals your keeping but generally you at least want to get closer to 10times the tanks volume per hour so on a 55 you want 500-600gph. That filter only runs 227gph. Plus the more individual equipment you have moving water the better. You want random currents and water flow not a one directional flow. For example 2 small powerheads pointed at each other across the back of the tank is better than 1 large powerhead pushing the water only 1 direction across the back. I'd run the eheim but possibly add something for mechanical filtration. Either another small cannister(even an eheim ecco would work) or hob. Then definitely a powerhead or 2 and a skimmer if your doing corals.

Aside from that you also need lights(depends on what corals your keeping), heater, refractometer or hydrometer for testing salt, container with extra heater and powerhead/water pump for mixing the salt, the salt itself, and a source of RO water. Tapwater will almost always result in a continous headache as you face one problem after another. You need pure water such as RO. You can setup your own unit for about $100-$200 depending how fancy of unit you get. Most people's favorite is Aqua-safe off ebayhttp://myworld.ebay.com/aquasafesystems/. You can get RO refills from some grocery stores and fish stores for $.25/gallon but water weighs around 8lbs per gallon and you gotta haul all that back to your tank after you fill them. For testing salinity I highly suggest you go with a refractometer. More expensive but much more accurate and easier to use than a hydrometer. You can get a mini refractometer for ~$50 from either www.drfostersmith.com or www.premiumaquatics.com. I'd have to say it's my most useful and important piece of equipment I've bought. Things were so much harder and testing took alot more time and some guesswork(is it really on that line or not?) when I was using a cheap hydrometer.

Planning to stock with corals in the future is fine but don't dive into it when you first setup your tank. Add any fish or other livestock you want first. Once the tank is well established and you've figured out your maintenance routine then start stocking corals. It can take awhile for a marine tank to be truly established and stable enough for the more sensitive stock like corals.

There's lots of reading on here:
http://saltaquarium.about.com/od/startinganaquarium/How_to_Start_a_Saltwater_Aquarium.htm

A good article on sandbeds:http://www.wetwebmedia.com/deepsandbeds.htm

Reef central has a good article on the basics:
http://reefcentral.com/modules.php?s=dd62b472cb139a9de58769c191299d07&name=Content&pa=showpage&pid=1&page=1