Cleaning a saltwater tank for freshwater

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R

rob1984

Jack Dempsey
MFK Member
May 9, 2012
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ontario canada
So I looking at picking up a tank and sump setup but it was used for saltwater and has calcium build up everywhere

can I just use a cloth or sponge with warm/hot water to wipe it off ? Does it have to be completely cleaned as if it was new ? Or can some be left and eventually come off on it own and eventually make its way back into a filter sock ? Any help for the easiest and quickest way to clean would be great
 
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If you are going to keep fish native to alkaline waters, needing it spotless of calcium would seem to me a bit of overkill (i.e. rift lake or Central American cichlids).
If you are going to keep species native to soft waters (Amazonian species, or west African Dwarfs) then cleaning it off with vinegar might be what is needed to help dissolve the calcium, then rinse it out..
 
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duanes said:
If you are going to keep fish native to alkaline waters, needing it spotless of calcium would seem to me a bit of overkill (i.e. rift lake or Central American cichlids).
If you are going to keep species native to soft waters (Amazonian species, or west African Dwarfs) then cleaning it off with vinegar might be what is needed to help dissolve the calcium, then rinse it out..
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I agree with the above comment. Is the tank glass or acrylic?

If glass use a scraper and blade, with white vinegar. Be careful around the silicone.

If acrylic use an old credit card or hotel card.

If you will be putting African cichlids in there leave it. The calcium will help buffer your water. If going with south Americans and more soft water fish, like discus scrape it off as I stated above.
 
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Well I'll be keeping South American and amazon species

Tank is glass yes, so say I scrap what I can off and Iam happy with it. What happens to the bits that are in say the silicone or tender spots I didn't wanna even think of touching. Will it eventually just peel it self off and run it self out to the filter eventually ? Will it harm anything if so ? Like for instance say behind/inside the overflow box ifni just left most of it as you don't see it. As well as say small peices in the comb part of the over box ....
 
Mine was salt that I converted to fresh. I had salt then moved for work and didn't want to set up salt that large again to have to tear it down A few years later.

A lot of the calcium deposits are little shells basically from worms. Without the worms to maintain the little shells they will break down on their own. All the calcium deposits in my tank were gone after a month or so.
 
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cwindless said:
Mine was salt that I converted to fresh. I had salt then moved for work and didn't want to set up salt that large again to have to tear it down A few years later.

A lot of the calcium deposits are little shells basically from worms. Without the worms to maintain the little shells they will break down on their own. All the calcium deposits in my tank were gone after a month or so.
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So basically whatever I decide to leave and or cannot get at that it will deteriorate eventually, and make there way to a filter at some point, and won't harm nothing until so
 
Not really make it to the filter. It will just dissolve into the water. And with water changes it will eventually be flushed out. Your pH will probably creep up without something to buffer the calcium. From those shells. Scrape as much as you can off so it doesn't affect the parameters as bad.

Add drift wood which it sounds like you will anyway. This will also help to buffer it a lot or neutralize it all together.
 
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cwindless said:
Not really make it to the filter. It will just dissolve into the water. And with water changes it will eventually be flushed out. Your pH will probably creep up without something to buffer the calcium. From those shells. Scrape as much as you can off so it doesn't affect the parameters as bad.

Add drift wood which it sounds like you will anyway. This will also help to buffer it a lot or neutralize it all together.
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Well that's fine if it dissolves away eventually lol as I'll likely scrap and wipe what I can off of the glass everywhere except for the corners with silicone I'll let that dissolve on it own. As well as some spots in behind the overflow, but ya I have a real nice peice of wood to add from a old tank I've always had driftwood in the tanks

Wonder if goldfish would help with eating/picking at it lol might just toss in a few to jumpstart the cycling start up lol
 
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