# In Process of Converting from Salt to Fresh - Advice



## sulty (Aug 13, 2009)

Well I am not new to keeping an aquarium as I have had a saltwater aquarium for the past 3 years. I know that I can use some of my setup I have now and some won't really do much good.

I know I can keep my lights, 75G reef tank, 25G sump, uv, external pump. I can use the skimmer, but reading different posts it won't really do much good.

I can't or shouldn't try to use my current sand and live rock because it may cause issues with die off and force my tank into constant cycles until everything dies off.

My goal is to have a planted tank with schooling fish and a few other fish. I have been looking at the Eheim, Rena and Fluval for canister filters. Since I will be using an external pump I am not worried about flow from the canister filter since I will have plenty. I do plan on running CO2 later, but not at the start.

I plan on using some stone, driftwood, and a bed, but I am not sure at this point what type of bed i.e. sand, rock, etc.

Canister filter I keep going back and forth on. I know Eheim is suppose to be the best, but cost more. The Fluval has media bypass and can be a pain to setup. The Rena has high flow and is a good filter and the lesser for the 3 cost wise. I know there are ton of pros and cons for each filter and those that have one will most likely recommended it. The only thing that worries me about the Fluval is there is a used Fluval 404 near me for sale and the tank is pictured below. Not sure why the water is so yellow.









As far as my current sump it is a CPR that has an open area in the middle for a cleaning crew and plants. What should I do with this area? Continue to grow plants here or should I look at filling it with bio balls? There is a chamber where the water from the tank comes in and a channel between that and the main chamber that I could fill with bio balls as well. The image below is pretty much my exact sump. The only difference is that the skimmer on the left was removed since I have a stand alone skimmer. This area also could have bio balls.









I am not worried about an airstone or airpumps if I put plants in my sump. I have my lights on timers so when the main tank lights are off the sump lights are on and this would allow the plants in the sump to release oxygen at night.

Has anyone done this before and can provide some help/insight/suggestions as to the best means for doing this to avoid pitfalls or issues down the road?


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

I think you can get a decent filter using your existing pump and sump or you can sell/trade it along with the live rock & sand for a decent canister or hang on back filter or two. The first chamber of sump is usually mechanical foam or floss, bio-balls do work in fresh, but less well under water than in wet/dry. Any canister filter media will usually work. Plants in a sump with the lights opposite the main tank sounds like a fine idea. 

I haven't done this. But I understand salt-water lights with new bulbs make for great plant-lights, but you may only wish to run one light at a time until you set up CO2. 

The hardest thing about using a sump is plumbing it correctly and it sounds like that is already done. You just need to get it clean and set it up for freshwater.


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## Toshogu (Apr 24, 2009)

Keep your sump, clean it out good, fill with either bioballs or javamoss, and stick all your other filter doodads and gizmos in there too. As for canister filters personally I'm prolly going to go out and get me a marinland one in the next month. maybe even next week. I keep changing my mind whether it will be eheim or marineland. I've seen both being used. They both seem to work just as well. The biggest difference I noticed was even with the cabinet open you couldn't hear the eheim. Marineland, you could hear a little.


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