I have a 55 gal freshwater setup with PFS as my substrate...canister filter and 2 powerheads T5 lights....my question is...can i remove the fish and start my saltwater that way or do i need to tear it down and clean everything and start all over? Thanks.....I want this to be a FOWLR tank
Turning fresh into salt
- Thread starter Raven20
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Tear it down, clean it, and start over. Why start a tank with wastes already in it? It will just make it harder. What is PFS? Sorry not familiar with the acronym, but if you were using it for fresh, it probably isn't suitable for a saltwater tank.
Welcome to the Bright side(literally)!
Pool filter sand.
I wouldn't recommend starting a salt aquarium with used freshwater, either. Too much waste and such in it already. It won't hurt to drain it, clean it, and put some fresh water in there.
Rinse it, and rinse it well, then rinse it again. Many people will probably tell you otherwise, but you should be ok with reusing it if you rinse it out very, very, very well. I can't stress that enough. Otherwise, it's not a bad investment to go out and get some live sand or aragonite. You can get enough for a 55 gallon tank for probably around $40, or you can get new PFS for likely much cheaper.
Keep in mind that saltwater fish to require a bit more care than freshwater fish, and starting fresh would likely be your best choice. New water, sand, etc. will do wonders for your fish.