So I just got my new 90 gallon tank, and a 20 gallon for sump.
Tank is drilled, looks very good even if I bought it used.
Now what? I am looking at lighting, substrate amongst many things...but I seriously want to recycle what I currently have, such as rocks.
I used lots of lace rock in my tank, and some freshwater algae did grow on some.
Can I, should I reuse these rocks?
Any help will greatly be appreciated.
My assessed timeline to have my tank running is spring, I need to get all the parts and setup correctly. Not to mention that I have a wood stand to build for my new tank.
Lots of work ahead,,,
I initially misunderstood the post. Your going cichlid to salt not the other way around. Oops.
Mike
Hi there. Welcome to the wonderful world of saltwater. You can't really use your lace rock. In saltwater the live rock you buy is the heart of biological filtration in the system. The lace rocks have very little biological filtration capabilities. As for substrate any aragonite sand or crush d coral will work well for you. It's personal preference really. I personally use caribsea fiji pink sand mixed with ocean direct sand. I do a 50-50 mix and looks nice and stays put with lots of flow.
Thanks for this info.
Guess I will need to think about plan B, without these rocks.
See my post to your Miracle Aquarium post.
Use dead rock, dead sand and dose with Dr.Tims One and Only Nitrifying Bacteria.
Saltwater requires patience and monitoring for any new enthusiast, and some veterans should monitor more often than they do ;-). Avoid live rock to avoid unwanted pests that potentially may spoil / frustrate your transition from freshwater. Come up with a plan before purchasing - if you will have a sump size, and will you run a skimmer what will the footprint be, etc...
Good luck and be PATIENT.
If I can help in any way feel free to send me a PM.