Saltwater Conversion

[SPACEMAKER]

The reason I have waited so long to get my tank up and running is because I was told that it would take several thousand dollars. I just recently found out that the person was basically trying to gouge me on a SW set up with the most expensive stuff on the market. I was very upset that I let my tank sit empty so long when I could have gotten it running for very little money.

Cost is a factor for me thus I have decided that I am going to have a FW aquarium.

 

[sumthin fishy]

Run the filters in the tank for an hour or two. Then drain it and refill it. This will get all the salt out(or at least enough the fish wont know) as well as get out a lot of the other junk that may be in there too.

 

[SPACEMAKER]

Run for 2 hours then drain. Clean then refill. That sounds like the way to go.

 

[SmallFishi]

Sounds neat have you had any thoughts as to what fishies you will be putting in there? Where is the tank? And pictures would be nice when your done, even before and after pictures..

 

[Kyohti]

Sounds neat have you had any thoughts as to what fishies you will be putting in there? Where is the tank? And pictures would be nice when your done, even before and after pictures..

I agree!! ^___^

 

[dinosaur]

Probably not salt

As a previous marine tank keeper I think what your seeing is calcium build up. Salt build up melts away quickly when washed. If you have a hard white build up that is hard to remove it is probably calcium. Calcium is an important mineral in marine tanks and is typically added on a regular basis and does begin to build up on equipment. It can be scraped off (if accessible) and soaking in white vinager may help. If not it may slowly dissolve over time and won't harm anything in that small an amount.

 

[Daudzegier]

just flush with water for about two weeks before you get started. After your flushing period, drain the tank, and refill to start your cycle.

 

[mooman]

just flush with water for about two weeks before you get started

Two weeks might be overkill IMO. Remember folks "dillution is the pollution solution" In 135 gallons of water, the ammount of salt built up in tubing and on glass would be a fraction of what you would add to treat a case of ich. (ie negligable) I would fill, let run for an hour and drain. To be honest, you probably don't even need to do that, but it will give you a chance to make sure all the equipment is running and check for leaks.

 

[SPACEMAKER]

Sounds neat have you had any thoughts as to what fishies you will be putting in there? Where is the tank? And pictures would be nice when your done, even before and after pictures..

My wife wants Angel Fish and Neon Tetras to start with. I wanted Oscars but the idea of some schooling fish and several Angel Fish is fine with me.

With light off:

The tank is built into the wall between the living room and master bathroom. In those pics, the blind (on the bedroom side with the access doors) is all the way up.

I left one of the lower access doors open to show the drain with the valve that is connected directly to the bathroom drain.

The tank is scratched on the inside. The person who I bought the house from had a girlfriend who thought it would be a good idea to scrub the inside of the tank with a scouring pad. Obviously that was a bad move but I have some ideas on how to touch of the scratches. Water in the tank will help as well.

I am still working on some of the sump filter details before filling and cycling. The sump filter will be in the basement and I have to route some hoses. I am very eager to get started!

I will post more pics as I make progress.

 

[garbon2535]

There will be a price difference in the livestock and there will be a price associated with salt but salt is cheap and once you buy your livestock you have it. Initial costs for SW will be higher but it is well worth it.

Maintaining a SW environment is not any more difficult than maintaining a FW environment. As mentioned, the PH has to be in a narrow range, the temperature has to be constant, ammonia and nitrite have to be zero and nitrates have to be low but you should run your FW tank the same way. Most FW fish can survive larger variances in water parameters but it isn't good for them. FW fish can survive longer with poor water quality but it isn't good for them. I would do some serious SW research before you settle on FW fish.

Also, I saw that you are interested in O's. I have a pair, they are great but very dirty! I spend twice as much time maintaning the water in my Oscar tank than in my SW tank.