You won’t need the CO injector unless
2
you intend to supplement calcium and
alkalinity with a calcium reactor. In that
case, depending on the configuration
of your injector, you might be able to
use the same tank and regulator for the
calcium reactor.
If you plan to keep light-hungry corals
and other invertebrates in the new tank,
your lighting system might need an
upgrade as well, as it currently provides
only about 1. 4 watts per gallon. Though
it’s a very rudimentary guideline, you
should provide somewhere in the range
of 3 to 5 watts per gallon for a reef tank
(the actual light demand varies greatly
depending on the invertebrate species
kept). For a 30-inch-deep tank, metal
halide lamps will probably be your best
bet, as they do a good job of punching
down into deeper water.
You’ll also want to make sure the
spectral characteristics of your lamps
are appropriate for photosynthetic
marine invertebrates. Most reef hobbyists
nowadays choose lamps with a Kelvin
temperature rating between 6500K and
10,000K, or even higher. A very common
lighting configuration for a tank such
as yours consists of two metal halide
daylight lamps supplemented with
actinic (blue) fluorescent tubes.
Your existing heaters should make
the switch from a freshwater system to
a saltwater system with no problem—
though, at 300 watts each, you’ve really
got more wattage than you need. Three
watts of heating capacity per gallon is
generally sufficient.
In addition to the equipment changes/
upgrades, you’ll also need to invest in
some high-quality live rock—somewhere
in the vicinity of 1 to 1½ pounds per
gallon. Live rock is the foundation
of any reef system, as it provides
biological filtration, attachment sites
for invertebrates, and hiding places
and grazing/foraging opportunities for
fish—all while boosting the system’s
overall biological diversity.
As far as the smell of a reef system is
concerned, a well-maintained reef tank
should not impart an offensive odor.
But then, this is somewhat subjective.
A reef system does have a unique,
hard-to-qualify oceanic scent to it
that I don’t find unappealing. Others
might have a different opinion on the
subject, however.
Reference books I would recommend
for someone making the transition from
freshwater to saltwater include the
following: Natural Reef Aquariums
by John H. Tullock (TFH/Microcosm
Professional Series, 1997), The New
Marine Aquarium by Michael S.
Paletta (TFH/Microcosm Professional
Series, 1999), and The Conscientious
Marine Aquarist by Robert M. Fenner
(TFH/Microcosm Professional Series,
1997). Of course, I would be remiss if
I didn’t sneak in a plug for The Simple
Guide to Marine Aquariums (T.F.H.
Publications, 2002) and The Simple
Guide to Mini-Reef Aquariums
(T.F.H. Publications, 2005), both by
yours truly.
D
24 www.tfhmagazine.com
August 2009