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Tuesday, August 13, 2013

Converting a Freshwater Aquarium to Saltwater - Do I Have to Buy a New Aquarium?

Many freshwater hobbyists are excited over the amazing variety and colors of saltwater fish and are making the switch or are adding saltwater tanks to their hobby. So many of you are asking, "Can I convert my freshwater aquarium to saltwater?"

The answer is yes; you can convert your freshwater aquarium to saltwater. Your level of success, though, may depend somewhat on the size of your aquarium. For new hobbyists it is best to start with a larger aquarium of at least 29 gallons. The larger the aquarium the more room for learning curves such as if the fish are overcrowded or overfed. Larger tanks are more forgiving, the temperature fluctuates less and it takes longer for critical levels to change.

If your aquarium has freshwater fish in it most pet stores will take your fish as trade-ins or you may want to give them to a friend. Once your fish are gone, disassemble the entire aquarium and clean all the equipment. Wash the aquarium and equipment with warm water. Never use soap or commercial glass cleaner to clean aquarium or their supplies. Discard the gravel or wash and store it for later use. A basic saltwater aquarium requires just a few more pieces of equipment and supplies than your freshwater aquarium needed. Purchase an aragonite-based gravel, a good marine salt mix and a hydrometer (to measure how much salt is in the water). There is no need to purchase a new filter as long as it is the correct size for your aquarium and performs all three types of filtration: mechanical, chemical and biological.

Finally, make sure your heater is working properly. If you have a hang-on heater you may want to purchase a submersible one, which is easy-to-set and is recommended for saltwater. As long as you choose fish and invertebrates that do not require any special lighting your old light will do just fine. If the light bulb is several years old you may want to consider replacing it as a new bulb will brighten your aquarium.

While these are just basics to get you started you can now just add saltwater decorations and start setting up your saltwater aquarium.

To ensure you are assembling your saltwater aquarium correctly, visit http://saltwateraquarium.aquaticexperts.com for a step-by-step manual. Once your aquarium is setup and running properly wait 24 hours before adding fish.

© 2008 Laurren Schmoyer

Dedicated to your aquatic success,
Laurren Schmoyer
http://saltwateraquarium.aquaticexperts.com

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