switchin from SW back to FW? 75gal...

[jandree22]

Hey all, I’m thinking of converting my 75 gal FOWLR into a FW community tank (w/o Cichlids). Reason being, I don’t have the money to convert it into a full blown reef in the next decade, I already am ashamed of how poorly I tend to my SW tank, and on top of it, my first little tyke is on the way in May! I get kind of nostalgic when I think back to my days of keeping a FW tank… right now I have about 5-6 fish but man, sometimes a tank loaded with tetras, gouramis, platys, etc. really looks so much more active and, well, happy! Plus they’re cheap as hell to maintain. We’re moving in March, so that would be a perfect opportunity to make the change if I decide to go forward with it. I just had a few questions though.

First of all, I never had a live planted tank before, just the fake plastic ones. I’m intimidated by the maintenance of a live planted tank, should I be? I assume there’s a symbiotic relationship between the plants and fish with the gas exchange that makes the trouble worth it? Would I need to invest in a CO2 system (something I know nothing about), or if I keep it heavily stocked with fish, does that do the job sufficiently?

Also, I’m not familiar with how hardness and pH are buffered in a FW tank. Supposing I continue to use RO/DI water, will that result in 7.0 pH and really soft water? I’m guessing that in general, non-Cichlids prefer acidic water anyway?

Filtration. Does a nice sized whisper filter and ChemiPure do the job with mechanical/chemical filtration? The big question is biological filtration… I don’t want to mess with a wet/dry filter and bio balls. I already have an UG filter for the tank, but I’ve heard that for some reason this is bad, is it really? Any options left?

FINALLY, just a general question. Have any of you owned SW tanks, then gone back to FW and regretted the move? Right now I’m itchin for FW for some reason, but I’m afraid I’ll regret giving up some of my loyal SW fish that I’ve had for years! Ugh…

Anyways, thanks!

 

[Anonymous]

With regard to whether the fish prefer acidic water or not, it depends which species. Some will accept a larger range of pH than others, same for hardness, some like them on the higher end, some on the lower end. I'd either check out my tap water and then pick fish species that would work with it, or pick out the fish I liked and run the water through an RO/DI and adding whatever minerals, if any, those species prefer.

Filters also depend on what you are planning on keeping, your stocking density, feeding regimen, substrate choice, plant use, etc. I like canister filters, and will be trying an emergent plant filter here in the near future. Don't really like UG filters at all, but part of that is that I prefer a smaller grained substrate. With a 75 of typical stocking density, I'd go with a canister filter with appropriate media, something like foam pads and carbon.

I switched and didn't really regret it. If you have a lot of other demands that prevent you from doing the job you'd like to do with your SW tank, but they wouldn't prevent you from doing a great job with a FW tank or two, it makes sense to go FW. Much cheaper if you want, or just as expensive as SW. So many habitat options if you want to do a biotope setup, so many worthwhile challenges...I have way more ideas than tanks to work with.

Having individual pet fish, FW or SW, that you've cared for over many years does make it hard to switch from SW to FW or vice versa, even within SW from FO to reef, or in FW from large cichlids or catfish to tetras or rasboras. It's easier to make a choice if you have a definite plan for the new setup, so you can compare before making any changes.

 

[Anonymous]

I recommend and have used the Fw leiden concept since the late 70's. Basically the only filtration is the live plants. With no co2, no fertilization, no water changes, no circualtion, no filter (other then the plants). What I do is first stock the tank very heavily with a mix of fast growing plants and slower growing plants. Then a week later add a single male platty. Wait a week with no added food. Then add a female and start feeding 1 flake per day.

6 years later you have a tank that has had a stable population of 20-30 fish that only requires cleaning once or twice per year.

Oh yea that's for a 10g

Just my .02