Freshwater tropical to saltwater

[jason19]

Hi guys

Fairly new to aquariums in general. I just got my first freshwater tropical tank cycled and added my first fish who are doing great since I added them 3 days ago.

Whilst we were down in the aquatics store, my partner loved the saltwater tank on display that was full of brightly coloured vibrant fish e.g. clowns, angelfish etc.

My question here is that, would it be difficult to transition from a FW tank to a SW tank once my current tropical fish meet the end of the road in years to come? I don't plan to do this any time soon but it would be good to know what is required as I could even purchase a second tank if necessary.

At the moment, my freshwater tank is a 10g so I know it's not massive but was even thinking one or 2 clowns.

Thanks.

[Ulrichsd]

I understand that saltwater fish are beautiful! I saw an orchid dottyback and that is what got me into saltwater.

I would suggest you enjoy your current fish for a while to decide if you are happy with the long term maintenance of owning an aquarium.

Be aware that a 10 g is very small especially for saltwater - salinity fluctuation can kill your fish. I would recommend a minimum of 20 g for a Clown fish. In addition to salt, you'd want at minimum a hob skimmer and an rodi unit (you don't want to use tap water). I also highly recommend an auto top off to keep salinity levels constant. As you can see it can get expensive. I would plan on spending 10x more on a saltwater aquarium vs a similarly sized freshwater aquarium.

[Sniperhank]

Freshwater and saltwater have different beneficial bacteria that keep the tank cycled. Due to how hard saltwater is on things, you can't use the painted gravel or most decoration you see in freshwater as the paint is toxic and the saltwater simply eats away at it.
Basically, all you would have once the tank is empty is the tank itself and would need the sand and rock. Replacing any bubblers out for a powerhead as they don't create salt creep.