Should I?

[Cal727]

Should I convert my 20 long from fw to sw? I would have to get rid of all my fish tho.

[The Punisher]

That's something you have to decide for yourself. I would guess most on this forum would but this is a SW forum. Do a lot of reading and make sure you'll have the time and patience to do it correctly and I say go for it.

[loyalty]

if you've ever treated your 20 with copper, you might want another tank

[phenom5]

i'd say go for it, but as the punisher pointed out, this is a saltwater forum.

make sure you find a suitable home for your tanks current fish...no, the tiolet is not a suitable home. :D

here's what i would do to make the conversion.

remove the current fish, drain the tank and clean it properly...i've never done the FW to SW switch so i couldn't tell you how to clean the tank properly...

once thats done, buy a book or 2...conscientous marine aquarist by Fenner is good, although its getting a little dated...natural reef aquariums by Tullock is another good book to start out with...actually, you might buy the book first, see what your getting into before you get rid of your current fish.

then read, read, read, read, read, read, read...then read some more.:D

figure out what type of setup you want, and start planning...

most importantly, go SLOW, research BEFORE you buy...

HTH

[loyalty]

you might be able to trade your FW fish in for store credit at your lfs too

[Cal727]

I would definly trade in my fish. In terms of fw fish they are expensive. Does any one have both sw and fw? No I havent treated my tank with copper, atleast I think so.

[bkztrini465]

I just had both SW and FW tanks. My freshwater was a 55 gallon and my 15 gallon was my nano. I've since gotten rid of the Freshwater fish LFS gave me $200 credit. My reef is now in my 55g, and its pretty much fully packed after a frag swap. The conversion of the 15 to the 55 took me a while about 6 hours to remix water for the tank and gave it a few days then added the live stock. Didn't lose anything in the process. Maybe some water from my 15g but that was about it.

If you want to convert I say do it, cause reefing is addictive. You'll probably like it after you convert. But then again its up to you. Make sure you read A LOT.

Make sure you know what type of corals you want to keep so that you can buy your lighting and equipment accordingly.

Kris

[skipm]

I have both FW and SW, there is alot of difference in caring for each of them too. I have a 75 and 92 gallon corner reef, a JBJ 12 DX nanoreef and a 10 hex FW.
I second Fenners book, it is one of the best starting out books I have ever read and I have read alot of SW books.
The final decision is yours to make, if you have any specific questions ask them here or do a search and you may find the answers you seek. Good luck, Skip

[Cal727]

I have been do a lot of research, which makes me want to get a sw tank more. Which do you like better fw or sw? This would be easy but I love my clown loaches. If I can get aother tan this would be easier.

[The Punisher]

If you have the money go for another tank, small ones are pretty cheap and can be set up with minimal equipment cost. I would however go with the biggest tank you can afford and before you set it up do some more research and think maybe think about drilling it so you can easily add a sump/fuge.

[bkztrini465]

I personally like my saltwater tanks better. With my freshwater fish they grow to quickly and I get bored of them. Guess thats what happens when I cant make up my mind. I would say go for the SW. You'll enjoy it, but make sure that you have the time to keep up with the tank. It's gonna cost you a bunch of money intially but as time goes by the cost will go down.

[sellout007]

In my eyes a freshwater tank pales in comparison to a saltwater tank. Depending on what you want to do though, it could cost you a small fortune. Since you only have a 20gal tank, it will be less, but it will also be less forgiving in mistakes you make.

The are several big differences in SW then FW. The water quality is harder to maintain/upkeep. There is alot more equipment to buy. LR and Lighting is really expensive.

But the payoff is so much better. There is so much mroe live stock to put into a SW tank, prettier fish, cooler inverts, AWESOME corals. If you do decide to go SW I suggest doing a reef tank, out of all the animals I have nothing is cooler then when I sit and watch my tank just squirm with life. Its really quite interesting and extremely colorful.

Just to give you an idea on how expensive it is, I have a custom 25g tank I made myself. I have invested over $1000 already and I have no skimmer or refugium. Granted about $450 of that was spent on livestock, but you get the point. o)

I dont mention the cost to deter you from the hobby, but just so you dont take the plunge and realize you just cant cut it. Expect to spend at least $500 just to get yoru equipment.

[phenom5]

Just to give you an idea on how expensive it is, I have a custom 25g tank I made myself. I have invested over $1000 already and I have no skimmer or refugium. Granted about $450 of that was spent on livestock, but you get the point. o)

I dont mention the cost to deter you from the hobby, but just so you dont take the plunge and realize you just cant cut it. Expect to spend at least $500 just to get yoru equipment.


i think thats a good point to bring up sellout. everybody says go for it, but fails to talk about that side of things...at least beyond saying it expensive. i knew it was going to be expensive when i started out, but my idea of expensive has changed as i've progressed...

FWIW, i've probably drop ~$800 into my 10g...of course, some of that could have been avoided if i would have planned things a little better.

[The Punisher]

I agree that it's an expensive hobby but if you do it right and take it slow the costs are/can be spread out over a long period of time. Initial set up will be the most expensive but with a small tank it won't be that bad ($300-500). Reasearching before you buy and having a good plan from the start will definitely help save some money.

[Cal727]

Money isnt a problem for me. Ill save up and work more if I have to. The problem is I cant get another tank, there is a small chance but not a sure one. Tho it is a lot of money I will plan out what I do. Ive made my decision tho, my 20 gallon will go sw, but I have to get the money and try to convince my parent into another tank, otherwise Ill have to find a good home for my cichlids and give my loaches to a friend.