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Hi, gang. In the process of cycling a new 50-gal tank that I obtained from a friend (they were maintaining it as SW aquarium, but I am going FW; everything has been well rinsed [read: desalinated]).

I currently have had a 20-gal for many years with two lonely clown loaches (12 inches combined), and a pleco (easily 8 inches) and I am looking at this new tank to give them more room to play. They are all about 8 years old. As you can see, these three have near maxed out the 20-gal. Like a kid in a candy shop, I am looking to migrate these three into the 55-gal while also creating a nice FW community. Looking for suggestions on some nice mates for the clown loaches and pleco. Schooling fish (tetras?) would be a nice addition. Other suggestions (angels, live bearers)?

On a side note, I have a bunch of liverock and coral from the same SW friend... any chance using in the FW? Option B is to sell it to a local SW store, but being the packrat I am, I MAY want to start a SW tank myself some day..

Rock on.

The live rock and corals will probably make your PH and hardness sky rocket if you use them in a FW set up. I would not do it if I were you. As for fish, you have a wide list of options to go with your current fish. Is there anything your leaning twards we could build around?

The organisms on the live rock would also die in freshwater, and if that happens in your tank (or if you dry it out first) you'll have a major ammonia spike. And the biological filtering capability of the live rock would be moot.

Unless you're going to start a SW tank right now, you'll need to sell that.

><>

Hi,
Live Rock is, well, "live" in that it is host to huge
amounts of "critters" that live in every nook and cranie.
Some would be killed off by straight freshwater, and others
could survive for a while even in that hostile environment.
Once dead, then they all would decay in the tank and cause
problems.

Live rock is generally chunks of coral or other carbonate
rock, and as Gourami said, would drive your pH into the
8's.

He absolutely right... I'd give it to a person who has
a marine tank or trade it in to some pet store.

Frank


-->>> The Confidence of Amateurs, is the Envy of Professionals <<<--

Hi Sup!

Frank

-->>> The Confidence of Amateurs, is the Envy of Professionals <<<--