convert a freshwater tank to saltwater?

[pr0teus]

hi all

i've got a friend who is thinking about getting into keeping saltwater fish. my friend used to keep freshwater fish in a 20 gallon tank. he gave all his freshwater fish away and now wants to use the same 20 gallon tank for saltwater.

is it ok to let the tank dry out for a few days and then rinse the tank out real well before starting up a saltwater tank?

OR

is it even safe to reuse the same tank for keeping saltwater fish?

thanks in advance

 

[Anonymous]

It's fine.

 

[Johnsteph10]

Like SM said -- it's all good. Like any tank, old or new, just wash it out well and change whatever filter media you had on the freshwater tank if you intend to keep using it.

 

[ChrisRD]

As mentioned above - it's fine to use. I'd just rinse it out well with clean water and setup the SW tank. Personally, I avoid any cleaners or soaps because I worry about the possible toxicity of a residue that may not wash off completely. JMO...

 

[Anonymous]

Has the tank ever been medicated with copper?

If you're not sure, one way to tell is to look at the silicone sealing the glass. Often times the silicone is stained green from the medicine.

 

[pr0teus]

sorry for responding late...

i dunno if my friend had previously medicated the tank with copper. i checked out the silicone and it appears to be blue-green color....

 

[Johnsteph10]

probably from malachite green used to treat ich. . . .

 

[Anonymous]

I agree with that, copper treatments don't get as much use in f/w systems as salt. Use bleach if you're worried about disinfection, NEVER use soap or other cleansers (other than baking soda or salt).

 

[hillbilly]

It's always a good idea to sterilze anything that has been used before. Bleach works as said above, white vinegar also works. Rinse well after cleaning of course.