hi guys i'm new

[pez]

i was just wondering also...i have an external canister filter for my freshwater with a uv sterilizer in it....would it be a good idea to take it off my FW and put it onto my SW???

[artoledo]

If you want all the bad stuff out of your tank and your water crystal clear than it would be a good idea. if you can remove the sterilizer from your filter that would be better.

[pez]

sounds like a good then...the uv runs off its own switch so i can just choose to not turn it on....would that be the way to go???....also do i have to clean my external before fitting it to my saltwater???...as it came from a FW tank....and one last thing...should i take out the carbon/bio-balls/noodles and replace with something more beneficial for my marine tank?...cheers

[Lance M.]

I would clean out the filter before using it and remove everything from it. Carbon lasts for about a week then needs to be replaced so it is probably already used up and the bioballs/ noodles? (i dont know what you mean by noodles) will cause nitrate build up. I would run the filter only with chemi-pure since it is much better than carbon. And the uv sterilizer is not needed.

[roka64]

I agree, take out the media, you can clean the filter with vinegar and water, just rinse it out well. You can replace the media with LR rubble. I use purigen, which I believe, is about the same thing as chemi-pure. It is great stuff. You can run the UV if you like. When are you planning on setting up your next tank?

[pez]

ok will do i'll let you know how it goes i'll prob being doing iot in the next week...the external that is...as for my new SW tank not for about 4-5 months...gotta get rid of my cichlids first...then slowly set it up

[LuxorCaw]

So...I have to ask the question, have you or are you going to return some of those fish? In my years of coming to this site, looking for answers, I have grown to take the advice of these people as gospel. So if they think you are overstocking this tank, you probably are.

Since you are new to the hobby, here is my one main tip I have. Find a mentor. What I mean by that is find a person or persons at a LFS that you trust, and only take their advice. There are a lot of ppl at lfs that dont have a clue about SW or think they do and give terrible advice.

How do you find a mentor you ask? Get some basic questions about SW tanks. Look for them on this site, then see how the majority of members on this site have answered them. Now go to the lfs and ask the salespersons these same questions and see what type of answers you get. If you get answers that are totally contradicting to what youve read on here, find another person to ask. Once you find a person that answers your questions correctly, tell them about your tank, your exp and then start picking their brain for advice. Then every time you go in that store, seek that person out and use their advice over and over. Its important to use the same person, because you will find out people in this hobby will give contradicting advice, but if you use the same resource over and over, and it works, dont change. Usually this type of person is more interested in the hobby and welfare of your fish, and not in selling you stuff you dont need.

Once you get more experience it will be easy to pick out the people that dont have a clue, the people that have some experience, and the people that really know what they are talking about. But for now, if I were you, Id find a mentor.

Anywho, hope this helps and welcome to a world of constant frustration and love.

[roka64]

That is an excellent point Luxor. I bounce a few things off of the folks at my LFS and then come here for the real answer! LOL!