big freshwater-saltwater conversion. need expert advice from the best

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Madmike10000

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i have a 140 gallon freshwater tank. i was having some ideas about turning it into saltwater reef tank . can it be done ?i run a aqua top cf500 canister for 175gallons will i be able to use this? if not what would i need for filtration and how much live rock would i need. i have a powerhead and a heater i know i can use. and what are the best lights needed for a reef. money is not really a big problem. what i don't want to spend more than 500$ the tank i want to convert is in my profile picture
 
It can be done, but not for $500. Not by a long shot.

You are looking at 140lb of rock alone and if you go cheap and buy dry at $3 per lb rather than the $6 - $10 per lb of cured live rock that's still going to set you back $420.

If you went with cheap Ebay LED light fixtures you would need 3 of them for a tank that size and they run $120 each.

Also, it is highly recommended to run a refugium with a skimmer on a tank that size. The sump alone will set you back around $150.

Ro/Di system - $150
Rock - $420
Lights - $360
Skimmer - $250
Refugium - $100 ish
Quality test kit - $60
Refractometer - $20
Substrate - $100

They are all rough prices for low end equipment. The prices skyrocket if you want the top of the line equipment.
 
You want to aid for 1 lbs per gallon for both sand and rock. You will want to look into lights, as it is the most expensive part of a reef tank.
The taotronics LEDs are the best for your money and will cover 2ft of tank length.
The canister filters can work in saltwater, but we normally will aim towards a sump for extra equipment as unkept canisters lead to nitrate traps and reefs aim for pristine water.
 
Can you recommend a sump and protien skimmer in particular that would be good. I meant 500 on the filter system i didnt want to spend more than. My total budget is around 1200.

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Maybe a few hundred more or so depend on my income returns

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Would i rather save that much money making a sump than buying one. And i seen pivtires of them. The only thing i see in the sumo is the protien skimmer. I didnt see any filtration media or anything. Is this normal. Im still tryin To wrap my mind around how this thing works

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Would i rather save that much money making a sump than buying one. And i seen pivtires of them. The only thing i see in the sumo is the protien skimmer. I didnt see any filtration media or anything. Is this normal. Im still tryin To wrap my mind around how this thing works

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The filter media in a tank is the live rock. The live rock will serve as area for beneficial bacteria to colonize for the nitrification process. It is also super porous which creates anaerobic areas inside the rock to serve as a place for nitrate removing bacteria to reside.

A refugium is there to keep your skimmer, heater, macro algae, dosing equipment, and pretty much everything else. The best thing about a refugium is that it can grow macro algae which is another means of nutrient export in a tank. As for buying / making it, I don't think one you buy will make enough of a difference to waste the money. They cost an absurd amount of money and do the exact same thing.
 
Is there any good overflow boxes for my size tank that would work good to pump the water into the sump.

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And would i need 2 submersible pumps ? One for the overflow box and one for the return inside the pump. Thank you for helping me through this

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A sump is another body of water under the tank to store your equipment. It can also be used for such things as a refugium, a safe place for algae to grow.
You will need one pump to do this. You'll want to get one rated at higher gph than your overflow box.
I like CPR overflow boxes. It has a nipple for an aqua lifter to attach to it. This is a dosing pump, but it will suck any air that gets into the overflow's 'U' that can lead to a loss of siphon and an overflow.


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You should drill the tank while it's empty. Relying on gravity to deliver water to the sump is much safer than relying on a siphon. It's super easy to do.
Here is everything you need plus step by step videos-
Overflow Box 1500 GPH
 
-Says the sellers of overflow boxes.
There are variables to consider. If for any reason the return pump puts out less than the correct gph, the siphon can fail. It has nothing to do with cheap overflow boxes. It could be obstructions. What happens if some macro algae or a snail gets caught in the return pump?
 
I'm with doing the overflow box- if you are not



prefilter box, siphon box, overflow box, siphon overflow, Eurobrace, Euro-brace, Euro-tank

Check craigslist, sometimes you run into some of these items for cheap-also look at:


For protein skimmer take a look at
Protein Skimmer
Lol that's absurd. Their "tubed" design is no different from any other tubed design and they are riddled with problems. I used one that was build basically the same for a long time and it was a nightmare.
 
There are variables to consider. If for any reason the return pump puts out less than the correct gph

If for any reason....and the what if...lol


What happens if some macro algae or a snail gets caught in the return pump?

How likely is that to happen? Plenty of what "if" or any "reason" of things in the world.


Lol that's absurd. Their "tubed" design is no different from any other tubed design and they are riddled with problems. I used one that was build basically the same for a long time and it was a nightmare.

Just cause it's "build basically the same " does that mean its the same?
If you had one of his system i will say, there goes his 26 yrs out the window. 2 of mine friend have been running his for the past 3-4 yrs. One has 180g
that didnt want to drill his aquarium & the other same with a 100g. They are using his system. I have yet to see any problems from his on anyone from here to reef central.

I have read on other forum that he walks with you and talks to you about everything....that is something you really dont see too much today. First class if you ask me for 26 yrs...
 
If for any reason....and the what if...lol




How likely is that to happen? Plenty of what "if" or any "reason" of things in the world.




Just cause it's "build basically the same " does that mean its the same?
If you had one of his system i will say, there goes his 26 yrs out the window. 2 of mine friend have been running his for the past 3-4 yrs. One has 180g
that didnt want to drill his aquarium & the other same with a 100g. They are using his system. I have yet to see any problems from his on anyone from here to reef central.

I have read on other forum that he walks with you and talks to you about everything....that is something you really dont see too much today. First class if you ask me for 26 yrs...

The only difference between mine and the one you linked is the connector that goes down to the tank and the rear box is a little deeper. The meat and potatoes of the design, the U tube are the same. Bubbles can still accumulate in those tubes very easily.

Furthermore, their wall of text is full of conflicting information. It's a gimmick move on the companies part that's trying to make their products seem better than their competition; when really they are just the same.
 
Im not really wanting to drill a hole into the aquarium. It costed way to much cash.

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If for any reason....and the what if...lol




How likely is that to happen? Plenty of what "if" or any "reason" of things in the world.
Very likely if you have snails in your sump, or a refugium before your return pump.

Im not really wanting to drill a hole into the aquarium. It costed way to much cash.

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It's very easy to do so, and done on a regular basis. As a matter of fact, someone drilled multiple holes in every reef ready aquarium on the planet.
 
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