Converting Salt to Fresh

[Aquarose]

We are in the process of converting our 29 biocube from Salt to Fresh.
(Alas, I am not a reefer!)
Anyway, what harm, if any, will all those little barnacles pose to my fresh water set up?

[fishboyt]

I think if barnacles are in fresh water or are taken out of water, (I know this for sure) will die. They are animals too, and it would be like putting salt on a snail, but the salt is fresh water.

[eklikewhoa]

I would give everything a really good cleaning and probably let the tank soak in fresh water for a few days and re-rinse before setting it up as FW.

All the micro livestock could die off and add to a waste problem in the FW tank if set up soon after the change.

[RMD55]

Some of the barnicles can live in fresh water for an extended period of time, months. They can not stand an entended time out of water but this would take several days. If you want to kill them a heavy dose of copper will do it quickly, this is what they use on boats to keep them off. Just be sure to rinse the tank well as copper will kill freshwater inverts as well as plants.

[rage]

Before you use copper, you'd better go read up on it. It can kill your fish, inverts as well as the parasites you intend to kill.

[Hanson77]

I would never dose anything with copper like that. I have converted a saltwater tank over to fresh and it's really no big deal. Just rinse everything heavily with freshwater and start over. Leave it full of freshwater for a few days and rinse it again like EK said and you should be fine.

[RMD55]

Many meds have copper and formadhide in them especially for Ick. Yes the copper is toxic that is why you want to rinse the tank well after dosing. The level that is needed is well below any level harmful to fish but if not removed could be harmful to plants and inverts. Freshwater alone may take months to kill the barnicales. The other way to remove them is to scrape the off the tank. They come off easier before thay have died than after.

[Zulaab]

I am cleaning right now a 180 RR tank which was a salt water tank.
I am using a soft brush to brush down the sides of the tank for all the stuff that is on the sides, and then a squigy and clean all the surfaces, as it removes large amounts of the salt crud that sticks to the glass.

[miaboy2]

if its a RR tank, make sure you clean the overflow box and disconnect the hose that leads to the sump and either clean it very well or replace it as it collects lots of marine bacteria. its also a good time to make sure your seal around the gasket is still good. if you have coraline algea or barnacles, you could use a vinegar soution to clean the tank with, just make sure you rinse well.

[Zulaab]

The tank with the exception of one piece of glass (sidewall, because its standing on its end right now) is sparkling clean. The overflow box is nearly perfectly clean.. inside is clean the only thing left are the teeth that needs to be razorbladed down. Each bulk head hole is nice and clean, and the tank itself is nearly perfect...

[danielp]

I have the same tank and also converted from salt to fresh. I just did a major cleaning with soap flushed it several times and let it sit for awhile.

How are you going to set it up?

I struggled for awhile and it now houses 5 lionhead goldfish. Never thought I'd keep goldfish but it actually looks good.

[eklikewhoa]

Wow!

5 Lionheads in a 29?

[danielp]

Their young. Will probably be three in the end.

[Zulaab]

My 180 will hold Tropheus sp Red "Kiku" and Tropheus Moorii "Chilambo"

[Aquarose]

Thanks everyone for your help. We rinsed everything real well and have just been letting it run! So far so good.