my 55g

[classyash]

Hi at the moment im using my 55gal tank as a marine tank but i cant afford to keep that going the way i would like to. So today i am going to tear that apart and start with fresh water again.

what i need to know is can i use my metal halides there two 150 watt units with the bulbs they came with (dunno what they are).
And ive also got a phosphate reactor can i use this or not?

havent decided what to keep yet.

cheerz Ash

 

[OCCFan023]

the lights will work, and the calcium reactor is not needed on the fresh, I would suggest selling it and use the money for the fresh.

 

[Pure]

Fresh water aquariums get high levels of phosphate in them too. It's one of the causes of algae, just like SW aquariums. There is no harm in keeping it running. I would dump the media tho, and add fresh in it.

 

[Balloon Fish]

i wouldn't use the phosphate reactor but instead grow some plants. You can grow some serious plants with MH lights . I wouldn't worry about too much phosphate because the main reason you would have too much phosphate in a freshwater aquarium would be because you feed too much.

 

[classyash]

thanx for the quick replies.

I what sort of substrate should i use (best for plant growth) also was thinking of having 2 lima shovelnose's in there are they ok with plants.

can i use ro/di water as ive got the unit.

cheerz *BOUNCINGS

 

[Pure]

I love Eco-Complete.

I'm not familiar with that particular species of shovel nose, but I'm pretty sure all of them grow to be tank busting monsters. Not an animal well suited for life in a 55 gal. The last one I saw was pushing 2 feet.

Yes you can use the RO/DI just make sure to add RO right or mix it with tap water to replace the trace minerals that it removed.

 

[Balloon Fish]

flourite, eco-complete like what pure said, onyx sand, and if you're on a budget Schultz Aquatic Soil. I would just use normal tap water unless you have high levels of certain things (nitrates, phosphates, etc). If you are going to use RO water then you can use Seachem Equilibrium to replace the trace minerals.

 

[fiugzel]

would just use normal tap water unless you have high levels of certain things (nitrates, phosphates, etc).

What would you consider high nitrates for a tap water supply? (mine are 15-20ppm?)

[/hijack]

classyash - Good luck with the transition. Is your tank currently set up with an overflow and sump? If so, are you going to keep using a sump on the FW setup? Just curious.

 

[Balloon Fish]

fiugzel, it depends on what kind of fish/inhabitants. 15-20ppm for shrimp is a really big risk but if you have plants then no need for fertilizing extra nitrates. Sensitive fish you might want to find a way to remove the nitrates by having plants, or RO water. Hardy/average fish like danios, angel fish, etc will do alright till about 30ppm or 40ppm but you want to try to keep the tank understocked or just at the right level. But overall 15-20ppm is pretty dang high if you ask me.

 

[Lotus]

You're going to have to choose your plants carefully, as the lima shovelnoses can dig. You may end up doing a lot of planted driftwood in there. I would read up to see if the fish need a soft substrate (some catfish do) to stop their bellies or whiskers from getting damaged.

40ppm nitrates is the US limit on nitrates in tapwater.

 

[classyash]

What can i use to clean my fish tank as its got dryed on green algae on the glass tryed using tooth brush but doesnt move it.

Can i use vinegar as there's no fish just little bit of water in there.

thanx