# Switching over to the dark side?



## Coolfish (Apr 30, 2012)

So I been thinking of setting up a SW tank in my 29g. I can't get the fw fish I want that's why I'm thinking of doing this. I been reading about sw a little. I believe that I have most of the equipment except for a protein skimmer and a thing to check the salt levels. Where do you get your water from? How much salt & what kind will I need? What live sand will be best? Can I cycle the tank with live rock? What else should I know? Can I have one without a sump?


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## PuterChickFL (Feb 23, 2010)

cycling with live rock is best. if you can get it cured, even better. you can get a hydrometer which is cheap, but a refractometer is much more accurate and is worth every penny. Instant Ocean is the salt I use and can be found in about any pet store, if you can find a fish store they may even sell you the salt water already premixed.

One thing about the water, getting the ro/di water is the best, if you can get the system at home that would be golden. I dont have that yet but will graduate to it someday. right now i'm either getting drinking and/or distilled water from the store, or getting it from my fish store when time/money allows.

i'm still kinda new at saltwater so i'm still learning, and this is some of the stuff I've learned from the guys here or on my own. Got two SW tanks so far. when I re-seal my 36 gallon, it may become my third!


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## Coolfish (Apr 30, 2012)

I don't think sw is as hard as a bunch of people say. The hard part is cycling the tank.


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## Cory1990 (Jun 14, 2012)

Haha don't let anyone tell you saltwater is easy!

You can get by without the skimmer I used a cheap old hob filter that works for fish only tanks. I just cut the intake tube super short because saltwater fish waste floats to the top. Hence the reason of the skimmers. You can do it and it's not easy. My beat advise is when the water starts to evap mix the new water in a bucket matching the salt levels of the tank. The bigger the tank the easier it is. Water evaps salt stays so its a pain in the ass to upkeep


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## Cory1990 (Jun 14, 2012)

It also gets very expensive fast because you need blowers and live rock filters the water by itself that's why they say 1 lbs of live rock per gallon so your 29g will need 29lbs so some places sell live rock for 8.99 a pound some places iv seen it at 6$ 

I got all mine on Craigslist for 4$ a pound.


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## Coolfish (Apr 30, 2012)

I'm not really sure on this yet. I might just wait and got with another fw tank. Maybe by next year i will be ready to get a sw tank.


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## PuterChickFL (Feb 23, 2010)

Coolfish said:


> I don't think sw is as hard as a bunch of people say. The hard part is cycling the tank.


I can agree with ya there!


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## Redhead305 (May 30, 2012)

i can get live rock for about 2$ a lb lol


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## kay-bee (Dec 6, 2006)

Coolfish said:


> Can I have one without a sump?


Yes. My 65gal reef (which has been running for 6 years now) is sumpless.


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## Coolfish (Apr 30, 2012)

Thanks everybody. I decided to wait to go with SW and start a planted tank.


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