Go to home depot and buy some 4'x8' panel insulation. It comes in a variety of widths. I used the 1/2 in to go under my 240 gallon.
Getting a 550 gallon tank next week...
- Thread starter ChiPerf
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I switched a salt water to fresh water before, and I bleached and cleaned and let it sit in the sun for a day or two. The tank had a ton of barnacles feather dusters etc in the overflow and near where the heater was. I had to use an ice scraper to get all of them off, which was a PITA. Other then that it wasn't that hard, just make sure that the water doesn't stink when you add the new fish, saltwater tanks with live rocks have tons of random critters and those critters decay and thus make the water toxic, so make sure you get everything.
Cool thanks. That's tomorrow's job, and figuring out how this sump works.
Can I use the media bags that came with it too? Should I rinse them thoroughly or keep them filled with the bacteria? Half are still soaked and half are dry.
you may be able to use the media(depends on what kind and what shape they are in) to start a colony of bacteria, but saltwater bactera and freshwater bactera are different.
The first is a protein skimmer, the second a chiller I think, and the third is a ranco temperature controller.
Should I use any of it for freshwater? Is the temp controller a decent one, or should I upgrade? What's it all worth?
I'd use the temperature controller. It's the one a lot of people use to control their heaters. It's way more accurate than the built in thermostat on aquarium heaters. You'll have to look up directions to program it. I'm not sure on value. The pump attached to the protein skimmer might be useful for something as well.
So I should check into keeping the temp controller and how to use it, keep the pump, and unload the skimmer and chiller? What is this stuff worth ya think? Thanks for all the help guys, I am way over my head here, but with some serious help I should have a sweet setup eventually and some healthy fish. Next batch of questions will be for the sump. I've never used or even seen one. 
I'd definitely keep the temperature controller. There are some people really good with sumps on here, so hopefully we can help you get it all figured out. There are also some people that try to make it more complicated than it has to be, so you have to watch out for them. lol
