RBA

I have a 10 gallon freshwater tank and i want to know what i need to switch to saltwater tank? Can i use the same tank and filter or do need to buy a new everything? Is it much more expensive than freshwater? Can i use the same cycled water from freshwater tank or do have to do the cycle again with saltwater?

Kevin

well, i dont know much about SW, but it is a lot more expensive, and you can't use the same water, b/c you have to start all over and add all the salt and marine chemicals

sgould

Here is a pretty good list of what you need for a sw tank: http://www.fishlore.com/SaltwaterAquariumSetup.htm

You can use the same tank and filter, though you will need to clean both thoroughly first. You will need to cycle from scratch. The water itself does not house the bacteria that you grow during a cycle, so sharing water will not help. Probably would not be a good idea to put "used" freshwater into a saltwater tank anyway. As to cost, the short answer is yes...sw setups are generally going to be more expensive than freshwater. Frequently A LOT more expensive. Look at that list of needs from the link above. The 2 items from that list that will really cost you are the protein skimmer and the live rock. The fish themselves will also tend to be more expensive than freshwater.

cress10

Not only more expensive, but more time consuming in maintenance, especially in a smaller tank like yours.

COBettaCouple

saltwater tanks are very cool.. but like the other posts say - much more time & money.. and really it's best to have at least 30g or more, although you can do any size tank as SW.. depends on how much you want in the tank.