from fresh to salt: cycling question

[ajw8071]

I am looking to convert my shelldwelling cichlid 20 gallon long to a saltwater fishonly setup for a pair of false percs, my equipment is suffiecient for sw requirements and I have the proper gravel for buffering purposes, my only question is can I take the cycled fresh water and mix salt to the proper level without cycling again? Or should I mix and completely recycle?

 

[pat8you]

You should re-cycle the tank again. Most of the bacteria is on the surface of things in your tank and not as much in the water. There would not be much benifit and you would be transfering over all the nitrates and phosphates that have built up in the water.

Also, gravel is usually not the best choice for salt water. Most people choose sand because it won't trap food and poop and all the nasty stuff that you then have to remove manually.

 

[ajw8071]

Sorry, I used gravel as a loose term, its actually a fine grade aragonite, and this is in place from the cichlids still, I would be mixing the salt in the tank itself with a powerhead without really having to remove any of the rockwork, with that being said would you still reccomend a complete re cycle? I have done a 90 gallon fish only setup before with my father, just never converted from fresh to salt so I want to make sure its done correctly.

 

[austinsdad]

What's the plan on live rock being added? I would add base and or live rock and cycle again to be sure. Ya got your ammonia and nitrite test kit to see what's going on, right?

Also, you say your equipment if sufficient for SW. Curious about that. Whatcha got?

 

[Smitty]

I always though you had to re-cycle because the bacteria that converts ammonia->nitrite->nitrate is not the same in FW as SW and the SW will kill all the FW bacteria. So you are basically starting over anyway.

Am I wrong?

 

[pat8you]

Smitty i think thats the way it works but i'm not positive on that. I know you can't wash filters in SW because it kills the bacteria so i would think it works they other way around as well.

 

[melosu58]

I always though you had to re-cycle because the bacteria that converts ammonia->nitrite->nitrate is not the same in FW as SW and the SW will kill all the FW bacteria. So you are basically starting over anyway.

Am I wrong?

That is correct. They are not the same.

 

[findad]

Would it speed up the process if you removed all the fresh water, replaced it with sw from water change, add some live rock from established tank??

 

[Smitty]

Adding live rock from an established tank could help, depends on how big of a tank you have and how much live rock you add.