180 g back to fresh water

[sherman]

Need a change, I've been away from the home alot and I think I'm going to switch back to fresh water.

I'd like to keep the same tank with the overflow and sump. In another few years with more time on my hands, I want to come back to salt.

But for now, has anyone had any experience with keeping a sump with a freshwater tank? Does it work well? I understand the protein skimmer is not needed with fresh water, but the bio balls and ceramic balls, they all work also with fresh water?

 

[natan]

Yuor understanding is correct. this is how commertial fw fish breeders work, with sumps, to simplify mantanence. If u want something a little special and low mantanence, u can do epiphite + shrimp tank. given the tank size, u will hardly need to even feed it.

 

[limitdown]

A sumped FW tank works very well. Maintenance is much easier than using a canister filter.
Bioballs and cermic rings work well
A regular saltware protein skimmer will not work and you'll just get big bubbles and zero skimmate.

There are freshwater protein skimmers specifically made for ponds and Schuran also makes a freshwater skimmer.
http://www.schuran.com/english/eiweissfresh.html

Btw, I use a Schuran saltwater skimmer (JetSkim 200) in my 200g SW FO and I can confirm that it does not work in freshwater.

 

[sherman]

epiphite + shrimp tank?

epiphite + shrimp tank?

Natan,

what exactly did you mean epiphite + shrimp tank?