Converting from salt water - Aquarium Advice

tenny · 09-30-2005, 06:46 PM

hey guys,

I am looking at converting a 25 gallon salt water tank into a fresh water tank. I have a fluval 204 filter on it with activated carbon, polly wool, and some other thing in it that looks like coned shaped pieces of wood, i cant rememeber what they are called sorry.

Anyways wondering what I have to do to make the switch? can I just rinse everything out or do I need to buy all new media for the filter?

Meredith · 09-30-2005, 08:37 PM

I am sort of doing the same thing. I am going to get all new media. I also filled up my 30gallon tub with bleach water and ran the filter on that for a few hours. Then I ran fresh water through that. My next step will be to run fresh water with dechlor.

tenny · 09-30-2005, 09:38 PM

what is the point of using the bleach? wouldnt the chemicals harm the fish if there was any at all left over???

Meredith · 09-30-2005, 11:08 PM

yes they would, which is why I am rinsing so much and also rinsing with dechlor. The bleach is just to be sure that any nastiness that may be in the filter is cleaned out. I don't want to take any chances and I know that the bleach will kill and clean out anything harmful.

malkore · 10-03-2005, 10:52 AM

if the [acronym:39732a732c="Saltwater"]SW[/acronym:39732a732c] tank wasn't full of diseases, I'd skip the bleach treatment. Since [acronym:39732a732c="Saltwater"]SW[/acronym:39732a732c] bacteria can't survive in freshwater, there's no benefit to keeping your old filter media. I'd replace it. Poly wool and carbon should be replaced weekly, but honestly I'd skip the carbon in [acronym:39732a732c="Freshwater"]FW[/acronym:39732a732c] completely.

tenny · 10-03-2005, 11:48 AM

I did not know that the carbon had to be replaced that often... the salesman told me it should be fine for 5-6 MONTHS.

it's the bags of activated carbon for the fluval 204.

So your saying with the fluval 204 I should have nothing but pollywool in it? What about the sponges?

TomK2 · 10-03-2005, 12:08 PM

Use new media, go with a basket of wool for extra mechanical, and then the remaining baskets with porous bio-media. Fluval, eheim, and seachem sell them. I son't think carbon helps much, except for being surface area for bacteria. The seachem porous media is the least expensive. Just clean the filter, and install the new media. Use some colonized [acronym:5d6c4b52b2="Freshwater"]FW[/acronym:5d6c4b52b2] media if you can get your hands on some. don't worry about [acronym:5d6c4b52b2="Saltwater"]SW[/acronym:5d6c4b52b2] bugs getting into the system, I would think that any [acronym:5d6c4b52b2="Saltwater"]SW[/acronym:5d6c4b52b2] pathogen would not survive a transfer into [acronym:5d6c4b52b2="Freshwater"]FW[/acronym:5d6c4b52b2].

Scottm · 10-03-2005, 03:39 PM

The osmotic pressure chnge will break the walls of any [acronym:3bd7fc1839="Saltwater"]SW[/acronym:3bd7fc1839] bacteria left. so I wouldn't worry too much.

09-30-2005, 06:46 PM	#1
tenny Aquarium Advice Apprentice Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Kingston, ON Posts: 27	Converting from salt water hey guys, I am looking at converting a 25 gallon salt water tank into a fresh water tank. I have a fluval 204 filter on it with activated carbon, polly wool, and some other thing in it that looks like coned shaped pieces of wood, i cant rememeber what they are called sorry. Anyways wondering what I have to do to make the switch? can I just rinse everything out or do I need to buy all new media for the filter?

10-03-2005, 10:52 AM	#5
malkore Aquarium Advice Addict Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Nebraska, USA Posts: 6,540	if the [acronym:39732a732c="Saltwater"]SW[/acronym:39732a732c] tank wasn't full of diseases, I'd skip the bleach treatment. Since [acronym:39732a732c="Saltwater"]SW[/acronym:39732a732c] bacteria can't survive in freshwater, there's no benefit to keeping your old filter media. I'd replace it. Poly wool and carbon should be replaced weekly, but honestly I'd skip the carbon in [acronym:39732a732c="Freshwater"]FW[/acronym:39732a732c] completely. __________________ Visit my aquarium pages - see specs on my tanks, and photos of how they've evolved My other passion: TheNinja 500R - updated 9/18/05

10-03-2005, 12:08 PM	#7
TomK2 Aquarium Advice Addict Community Mentor Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Glen Ellyn, IL Posts: 1,953 Images: 2	Use new media, go with a basket of wool for extra mechanical, and then the remaining baskets with porous bio-media. Fluval, eheim, and seachem sell them. I son't think carbon helps much, except for being surface area for bacteria. The seachem porous media is the least expensive. Just clean the filter, and install the new media. Use some colonized [acronym:5d6c4b52b2="Freshwater"]FW[/acronym:5d6c4b52b2] media if you can get your hands on some. don't worry about [acronym:5d6c4b52b2="Saltwater"]SW[/acronym:5d6c4b52b2] bugs getting into the system, I would think that any [acronym:5d6c4b52b2="Saltwater"]SW[/acronym:5d6c4b52b2] pathogen would not survive a transfer into [acronym:5d6c4b52b2="Freshwater"]FW[/acronym:5d6c4b52b2]. __________________ Tom's Tank - The web's best (only?) Motorcycling, trap shootin', aquarium site - IS BACK! With a new url. Oceanic 55+,two Fluval 404's,In-line 300W heater,Moderately planted with Polyvinylus Chloridus sp.=the only plants that last in my tank

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09-30-2005, 08:37 PM	#2
Meredith Aquarium Advice Addict Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Washington Posts: 3,184 Images: 17	I am sort of doing the same thing. I am going to get all new media. I also filled up my 30gallon tub with bleach water and ran the filter on that for a few hours. Then I ran fresh water through that. My next step will be to run fresh water with dechlor.

09-30-2005, 09:38 PM	#3
tenny Aquarium Advice Apprentice Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Kingston, ON Posts: 27	what is the point of using the bleach? wouldnt the chemicals harm the fish if there was any at all left over???

09-30-2005, 11:08 PM	#4
Meredith Aquarium Advice Addict Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Washington Posts: 3,184 Images: 17	yes they would, which is why I am rinsing so much and also rinsing with dechlor. The bleach is just to be sure that any nastiness that may be in the filter is cleaned out. I don't want to take any chances and I know that the bleach will kill and clean out anything harmful.

10-03-2005, 11:48 AM	#6
tenny Aquarium Advice Apprentice Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Kingston, ON Posts: 27	I did not know that the carbon had to be replaced that often... the salesman told me it should be fine for 5-6 MONTHS. it's the bags of activated carbon for the fluval 204. So your saying with the fluval 204 I should have nothing but pollywool in it? What about the sponges?

10-03-2005, 03:39 PM	#8
Scottm Aquarium Advice Freak Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: BFE North carolina Posts: 452	The osmotic pressure chnge will break the walls of any [acronym:3bd7fc1839="Saltwater"]SW[/acronym:3bd7fc1839] bacteria left. so I wouldn't worry too much.