From Freshwater to Marine

[aquamike]

Dear all,

I have a fresh water 4t tank that I am using to keep some lifestock - mainly shrimp.

I want to move into marine. So my question is, should I just add marine salt and live bacteria to existing water OR

should I empty all the water and start from scratch?

thanks!

[dnsfpl]

glass thickness?

[aquamike]

glass thickness?

0.75cm

[tunicate]

I'm afraid you'll have to start from scratch. Also, your glass is not thick enough unless tank's height is 18" or less. Salt water is denser & exerts a greater pressure.

[aquamike]

I'm afraid you'll have to start from scratch. Also, your glass is not thick enough unless tank's height is 18" or less. Salt water is denser & exerts a greater pressure.

ok thanks. so as long as i don't fill the water beyond 18" height, it should be ok?

[dnsfpl]

iirc 10mm is min for 4 footer, best is 12mm

too many tank leak, crack etc incident nowadays

cheers

[vinccc2009]

I think you must have a nice tank for shrimp last time. Seldom see people use a 4 footer for shrimp.

4ft with .75 thickness is not advisable. 12 is preferred.

[tunicate]

It may look weird with water partially filled. If it's not a tank with sump system, I suggest you sell it off at a fresh water aquarium forum. Then get a proper tank for marine use. This might save you headaches down the road.

[desideria]

your glass is too thin.. please note that Salt water is allot heavier than freshwater....and you have to start from scratch. Do change the tank for your own future sanity!

You wouldn't want to suddenly hear a crash in your house and water and LS all over the floor... and in this instance, Vivian Balakrishna can't be called in to save the day...

[DUCADOS]

Get everything and start from scratch.

I can tell u r some1 who can do it else wun have keep shrimp in a 4 footer.

U can custom your tank according to your specs.

So it will be nicer and most importantly something that u really like n will take care for long.

happy reefing n welcome bro!

[aquamike]

Thanks everyone for the great advice! I'll look around for a 12mm thick tank. If anyone of you happens to know of someone selling a 4ft tank, would be greatly appreciated if you could drop me a line. THanks!

[Oprime]

There is always a hot debate on this. Glass thickness etc. 7.5 mm is thicker then my tank which is 6mm and its a 2 footer. The laws of physics in this case clearly state that its not the length of the tank that matters so much but its the height of the tank that determines the thickness of the glass. If the height is 46 cm all you need is 6mm thickness. Yours is 7.5mm so its pretty safe. What is the height of your tank and is it a Juwel tank? Juwel tanks have adequate bracing and reinforcements if you want to convert it into a marine tank.

[iskay]

hope these aids help you decide:

http://www.theaquato...g-your-aquarium

http://www.garf.org/Tank/BuildTank.asp

http://saltaquarium....-Calculator.htm - You can see that 4' (length) x 2' (height) minimum recommendation is 9mm thick glass.

This Excel tool can help you calculate your current tank's safety factor. Useful also when choosing your saltwater tank. http://www.fnzas.org...ThicknessCE.xls

Given your tank is 4' (length) x 2' (height) with 7.5mm thick glass, its safety factor is only 1.48. Way below the mimimum safety factor of 2.

Word of caution: Better be safe than sorry. Buy the thickest that you can afford. Cleaning sticky salt water off flooring is VERY tough work. Ask any bro who had such unfortunate experience and you will think twice.