Switching Teams: Fresh to Salt Conversion

[kdxracer]

I recently bought a 75G tank and stand with plans of trying out the saltwater world. The tank I bought came with several large freshwater fish so i thought it might be a good idea to rehone my old skills of fishkeeping and maintaining water quality while purchasing the necessary equipment i will need over time to help spread out the start up costs.
I am probably going to start with hang on tank filtration so i bought a Seachem Tidal 75. When i convert will the bacteria established in this filter help speed up my new saltwater cycle?
What other equipment could i put into use now that would ride along for the conversion?

 

[SlugSnorter]

I recently bought a 75G tank and stand with plans of trying out the saltwater world. The tank I bought came with several large freshwater fish so i thought it might be a good idea to rehone my old skills of fishkeeping and maintaining water quality while purchasing the necessary equipment i will need over time to help spread out the start up costs.
I am probably going to start with hang on tank filtration so i bought a Seachem Tidal 75. When i convert will the bacteria established in this filter help speed up my new saltwater cycle?
What other equipment could i put into use now that would ride along for the conversion?

You're going to have to deep clean everything before using it in saltwater, sorry to say. Most of the FW organisms will die in SW, and the impurities in FW and the stuff in it (substrate, driftwood, plants, etc) will cause issues with health and algae/bacteria blooms.

SW tanks also need to be mixed with/topped off with RODI (Water put through a reverse osmosis deionization filter), or at least distilled water (distilled, like the kind you would iron clothes with, not mineral distilled).

 

[kdxracer]

I was not going to keep any if the gravel, plants, or decorations. The things i was going to keep were the heaters (running 2 150w heaters to put less stress on them and at the same time having redundancy) and the Seachem Tidal 75 power filter. Will that have to be scrubbed hard or just let the saltwater kill off and replace the bacteria with what it needs?
I do not have an RODI filter and with a septic system im afraid of over filling the system with the amount of waste water produced for a brute can of filtered water. I guess i will have to find a reliable source for the water.
Speaking of which, i am located near Columbus, GA. Is there a club or group nearby that i might source different supplies or equipment?

 

[Snowxcross]

Hey Kdx - ya i would start with focusing on what your plan for water is going to be as slug mentioned. You could also run the drain line from the RODI system out to the lawn or another bucket and use it for watering plants outside... just saying. In any event, you want a solid stable water source. You can always go to your LFS and get water every week, but that will get old.

As for your filter that's coming from the FW tank, you can pick up some citric acid from a hardware store and run it overnight. That will allow you to really clean it up with a toothbrush or anything afterwards. I wouldnt bring it over "live" from the FW tank unless you eliminate all the bacteria first. What's your goal later, a sump? Because you may want to think that route now versus later.

 

[exnisstech]

do not have an RODI filter and with a septic system im afraid of over filling the system with the amount of waste water produced

This isn't a problem. Only the solids stay in the tank the liquid goes out to your leach bed or in my case sand filtration system. I make about 60 gallons a week and use RO for drinking. All of my waste water from water changes goes through the septic system as well and has never been an issue in the 8 years I've been reefing.

 

[SlugSnorter]

I was not going to keep any if the gravel, plants, or decorations. The things i was going to keep were the heaters (running 2 150w heaters to put less stress on them and at the same time having redundancy) and the Seachem Tidal 75 power filter. Will that have to be scrubbed hard or just let the saltwater kill off and replace the bacteria with what it needs?
I do not have an RODI filter and with a septic system im afraid of over filling the system with the amount of waste water produced for a brute can of filtered water. I guess i will have to find a reliable source for the water.
Speaking of which, i am located near Columbus, GA. Is there a club or group nearby that i might source different supplies or equipment?

scrubbed with distilled or RODI water, the issue is more the trace elements than the bacteria imo. As for plumbing concerns, others have posted some suggestions.

 

[SlugSnorter]

Hey Kdx - ya i would start with focusing on what your plan for water is going to be as slug mentioned. You could also run the drain line from the RODI system out to the lawn or another bucket and use it for watering plants outside... just saying. In any event, you want a solid stable water source. You can always go to your LFS and get water every week, but that will get old.

As for your filter that's coming from the FW tank, you can pick up some citric acid from a hardware store and run it overnight. That will allow you to really clean it up with a toothbrush or anything afterwards. I wouldnt bring it over "live" from the FW tank unless you eliminate all the bacteria first. What's your goal later, a sump? Because you may want to think that route now versus later.

exactly this, the tank itself and whatever plumbing is brought over will also need a good cleaning. Both for bacterial and nutrient concerns

 

[afrokobe]

when I converted my freshwater tank to saltwater, I filled the whole thing with tap and citric acid. Put in all the equipment I was going to reuse and let a powerhead run for 24 hours. Then I rinsed everything with tap and a final rinse with rodi