tank setup

[SaltyK]

I am switching from a fw water 60g tank to a sw tank. My question is should i empty the tank and clean it or empty half the tank mix the salt water and add it to the tank water that is in there? Thanks for the help much appreciated.

 

[sir_dudeguy]

[welcome]

just empty the whole thing. You're gonna have to empty out all the gravel and stuff anyways, so just empty it (even if you didnt have to get that stuff out...still empty it)

 

[SaltyK]

empty it? the tank has sand in it that i am using for the reef tank i am setting up...so just empty it and refill it with the salt water? how about cleaning?

 

[schoch79]

I wouldn't use the sand for the new salt tank. But if you insist on using the old sand wash, wash, wash that sand. I would clean out the tank, I think people sometimes reccomend vinegar or pure ammonia with no surfactants in it. Someone else will have to verify that though.

 

[sir_dudeguy]

Vinegar works well, and i never heard of the amonia...maybe you're thinking of citric acid? People do use that as well.

And yes, like schoch said, i'd get new sand as well. Or at least rinse the heck out of it.

Did you ever use any ich meds in this tank? If so...you would have copper, at which point you DEFINITELY need new sand.

 

[SaltyK]

never had ich in the tank. I had African Cichlids in the tank. I will clean the tank today then. thanks alot.

 

[schoch79]

I am almost positive on the ammonia one because as long as it is the pure stuff it will just cycle out like any other ammonia in the tank. In fact if you think about it people talk about using it all the time to fishless cycle their tank. I had to get out of the hobby because I was moving to an apartment that didn't allow fish tanks and I even washed my live rock with ammonia and stored it in buckets. It never stunk from any die off either because when I cleaned it all of that came off or the ammonia killed it.