HELP......tank swap

[reefboy12]

I now have a 55 and a 20 gallon tank. The 55 is freshwater and the 20 is salt. The 55 houses a Pair of Discus (female snakeskin 5.5", male Red Marlboro 5.0"), the 20 houses 1x Blue Damsel (2.5"), 1x Three Stripe Damsel (2"), and 1x Snowflake Eel (12"). The 55 is a barebottom with 2x 300watt heaters, a hang on the back filter (about to kick the can), 2x 24" florescent light fixtures, a Sponge filter, and a Asian Airstone. The 20 has 1x 24" floescent light fixture, 15 lbs. Florida Crushed Coral substrate, a couple of flowerpots for the eel, 1x 150 watt heater, and 1x peguin 150 bio-wheel filter. I want to be able to switchout the two tanks and make the 55 into a "reef" tank. The Discus will be fine in the 20 as it is just a air not a school, the eel however, I don't know how much longer he can go in the smallish tank. What else do I need to change the 55 into a FOWL tank untill I can get some good light and have to time for coral. I know I deffinentally need a new filter what do you suggest? I know the main parts of saltwater tanks (sumps, refugums, filters, skimmers, lights). Please give me some help as of where I should go from where I am currently. :help:

:thinking:

 

[dmc888]

Welcome to the site.
Well i think switching the 55 fw to 20fw should be no problem. The freshwater just fill it up with the used fw,fw filter, and decor.
Now the upgrade from 20sw to 55sw might have a problem. The safest thing to do is to setup and cycle the 55sw first then add your fish. Even if you swap everything over(filter,substrate,water) you will go thru another cycle. That might kill your fish.
Then you have to worry about filtration. Even a emperor 400 was not enough for my 55g fish only. Then you might want to consider switching to live sand too.
I think your fish will be alot happier in the 55g. Keep a tight covered lid for the snowflake. They are escape artists and could end up on the floor.
If you have no choice but to add the fish thru the cycle i would add some cycle additive,or live sand,or cured lr to help the cycle go a little faster. And keep an eye on the levels. You might have to do some extra water changes.
I would get a couple seio 820 gph for flow. I had a mj1200 in my 55 and put a seio 1100 gph for a while till i upgraded to 90g and my fish loved it swimming a whole lot more. I say the 820 cuz the 1100 pushed the sand alot.

 

[ophiura]

YOu may wish to buy a rubbermaid container - those one's that are like 15 g, and set that up as a temporary system for your SW fish with the filter, heater, etc. Then you will be able to set up and mix the saltwater in the 55g.
I think though you will need to bump up your filtration on the 55 and get some powerheads for sure.

 

[reefboy12]

Thanks for the help, I definentaly planned on getting a new filter what has some good bio filtratin and mechanical? Are canisters and good? I hear they are a pain in the a$# to clean but good? My birthdays the 24 and thats were most of my money is coming from. How much live sand should I get? This swap might not happen for a while as i don't have nearly all the stuff neccisary for a FOWLR tank I want to get some lr before I add the fish so if there is a die off period it won't kill the eel, the damsels I don't care if they die they cost I think $4 but the eel cost $30 so i don't want him to die. Is there normaly a die off period if the pet store has had it astablished for a couple months?

 

[dmc888]

I had a proclear 125g rated wetdry on my 55g then swapped it over to my new 90g. But there are some people that swap out the bioballs with lr, but i have had my wetdry for over 4 years no problems.
You can use the lr to cycle or you can put in in a container and let it cure then you can place it in the tank with the fish.
swf actually has a sand calculator in the live sand sale section. I have a 2.5 inch sandbed.

 

[reefboy12]

how long does it take to cure lr?