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I am looking at buying a used tank that is currently a saltwater tank. It has a wet/dry sump with a built in protein skimmer driven by rio 800 venturi and a 20 gallon refugium (pre drilled). I would want to make it a freshwater set up because I have never had a saltwater tank and do not want to get into it right now. Would it be hard to convert this tank to a freshwater set up? Any information would be great because as I have no idea. Would the items mentioned work for a freshwater tank?

Hi,
You did not really say much about the tank but concentrated
on what came with the tank. The wet/dry sump tells me that
it could be a very large tank.

The wet/dry sump style filter will work with fresh
water aquariums.

You mention the refugium, it too can be used with freshwater
and either a part of a large filtration system as an algae
scrubber, or if filled with floating plants could nearly
eliminate the nitrates from the system.

The Protein skimmer is completely useless in a freshwater
system. The only work in salt water systems. The idea is
that it skims organic chemicals (the results of fish waste,
excess food, and others) from the water helping to purify
it.

If you choose to purchase the system, you will need to
scrub everything with a weak solution of water & bleach
such as unscented chlorox and scrape away any salt or hard
water deposits. Vinegar will remove that along with a
plastic scruby.

Frank


Last edited by FRANK at 04-Aug-2005 01:43

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Thanks. The tank is a 125 gallons; I decided not to buy it because it still had 2 fish and a lot of live rock. I did not know what to do with them. I will have to keep looking for a big tank.