converting to sw from fw

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DarthPookie

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Jun 20, 2006
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I have a fw tank that I am interested in using to try out saltwater. I would like to have a small reef and a few basic, smaller fish. I plan on starting out with just the tank, substrate, and base rock, then seed the tank with some rubble from live rock so I can learn to maintain the water, grow critters in the LR as well as grow corraline algae.

My understanding is that even trace amounts of copper are bad for a reef, and that it is possible that freshwater tanks that have been medicated may leach copper from the silicone seals and kill the coral. I have never used copper based meds in my fw tank, but I do not have knowledge of what has been used in the tank before me. The silicone is not disclored (i.e. no green or blue tint typically caused by copper based medications).

My question is this: If I am able to grow coralline algae, does that mean that the tank/water will be a safe reef environment? Would the coralline algae grow if copper was leaching from the silicone seals?
 
You're going to be fine. Copper will mostly leach from existing sand and pourous rocks. I seriously doubt there would be enough in the silicone to crash your reef tank.

If you are worried about it , you can wait for Coraline like you said, and you can also buy hermit crabs and snails. Invertebrates are all sensitive to copper, so if the snails and crabs live that's a good sign you're probably ok.

If you're STILL worried about it, put just one Coral in and see how it reacts over a few months. Then, after you purchase all your Corals, you can keep CupriSorb in your filter, which is a media that will remove any trace amounts of copper that enter. But that's only necessary if you are a super-paranoid person.
 
Ok, thanks! As a followup question then, I have two large pieces of lava rock from this same fw tank. I have been the only owner of the rock. Will it be ok to use that in the sw tank? It is porous rock with lots of divots and crevices, so I'm sure lots of critters would be able to use it as a home if it were otherwise safe to use.
 
I wouldn't use rock out of the FW tank in a SW tank. The bacteria that is on the rock now from being in FW will certainly die off as soon as you put it into SW. I guess in theory that could be used to start a cycle, but I would feel much better just buying a few new pieces of live rock for the SW tank if it were mine.
 
Welcome to the journey. I bet that you will find, if you go slowly, that SW is in some ways easier than than FW. Much more expensive, but in my experience I have had less issues than I did with my FW tank.
 
jayghmi said:
Welcome to the journey. I bet that you will find, if you go slowly, that SW is in some ways easier than than FW. Much more expensive, but in my experience I have had less issues than I did with my FW tank.
Click to expand...

I think what makes it a bit more easy is we are not using Tap water. Thats gamble with todays local water supply only meeting drinking standards.

Heck having a reef tank now and learning as much as I have..I would have used Ro/DI in fresh to save me all the problems from Tap. =)

Phosphate = algae problem even with a slew of plecos...they got fat and lazy to.

My suggestion to the OP:
Do take a moment and pick up a Marine Water Chemistry Book from a LFS. It'll help you out a lot. The SW world requires you to cover more areas of water parameters and its good idea to just read that while you set up and wait on the cycle.
 
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