Originally Posted by
itsmesiva
http:///forum/post/3245323
Hello everyone i am trying to switch a 90G tank that was a fresh water set up with fluval canister filter to saltwate. My question is will the established microbes in the filter help with my saltwater too or is that a different microbes for saltwater in getting the tank cycled. I do have about 15 lbs of live rock that i am going to add to the tank and may be a couple of damsels. Would appreciate your help. Thank you in advance for your inputs
Just adding to my drivel above. Like Killer Whale said, avoid damsels at all costs. Many lfs push them as "cycle starters--which is totally unnecessary and cruel. IMO, you really need to do some serious reading before you start so the advice you get makes sense. There is no reason your canister can't get you started in SW; but your tank will have to be fish-only without more LR. The canister will also need more frequent cleaning than it did in FW. I assume your filter uses some kind of ceramic material to harbor bacteria colonies. This will partially work for SW--just keep the media rinsed, not scrubbed. This media will handle ammonia and nitrite well, but not nitrate. There are other ways to handle nitrate; IMO, LR is the best. Nitrates are not a big deal in FW, but are deadly (above a certain level) to corals and other inverts. A good water changing routine should keep your nitrates at an acceptable level for SW fish--they handle nitrates much better than SW inverts. The bacteria in a FW system will die in SW, so you need to start over in that area. Then, as this addiction takes hold, be prepared to sell, re-finance, or pawn everything you own....and go slowly, I am the world's most impatient person and this hobby has taught me plenty.
