newbie advice!

[felixxx]

125l to 500l, straight forward?

hi all, first post so please be kind! (and feel free to tell me to search!) anyway...
currently got a 120l tank containing 4 small clown loach and an african lungfish. the lungfish was given to me by someone who could no longer keep it and the loach were bought as (suprisingly elusive) feeder fish.
anyway im about to purchase a 120gallon (540l) tank, which is currently being used as a marine set up. So anyway
1. is it just a case of a quick clean and water change to convert to FW?
2. did anyone here with a similar size tank require any floor reinforcements? ( ground level suspended wood floor)
3. am i being silly in thinking it wont be any more work?

Thanks in advance!
Felix

 

[BigJim]

1. Clean the tank with vinegar. It should remove the salt scum.

2. Figure 10lb per US gallon of aquarium. There's some safety factor built in. Your tank should weigh roughly 1200lbs. Check your local building codes to see what your floor should support. I'd probably add some reinforcement just for peace of mind.

3. Yes and no. It might be more work, but less often with the water changes.

 

[felixxx]

i figured if i kept it relatively low stocked i should have a bit of leeway

 

[BigJim]

It really depends on how good your setup is. I'm a strong believer in overfiltering a tank. I can get away with doing PWCs once every month or two, but I still do ~50% on my 29g and 20L and 80% on my wife's 5g every week. Things I don't test for can build up. If I don't have to trim plants, scrape algae, or move fish, I can do my aquarium maintenance in about thirty minutes. My python really speeds up the process.