How to convert FW to SW FOWLR?

I would say your biggest expense is going to be live rock and maybe a skimmer. Since there's no corals you don't have to worry about lighting, and you're already running a sump. Shouldn't be too tough I wouldn't think. You could buy base rock and seed from your other SW tanks. Good luck.

 

Open lid, insert $$$.

 

Sand, Rock, and skimmer is about all you would need for FOWLR. Tank would look awesome SW!!

 

LR and sand for sure unless you are going bare bottom. Will need a big batch of saltwater mixed up. Not sure how big your current SW tank is but to save on money you could take and plumb the tanks together and use 1 sump and skimmer/ATS for filtration. Like other have said lighting would be minimal since you dont have and coral in the tank. Could add mangroves for an added look to the tank with there roots for the fish to hide in. So a small set of T5s would work or even some power compacts. Those arent the must cost saving way to go on the electric bill though. Could get some LEDs from aquastyleonline.com and mount them to U Channel from a local hardware store, that was Big D's idea and I am planning to do that on my 210 Reef tank here in a couple months.

To reduce cost, build the ATS as skimmers are expensive unless you want to build your own beckett foam jet style skimmer.

 

I'm assuming you used tap water for the tank? if so you will have to drain it and add new rodi water unless you want to battle algae haha. It looks like you have a decent amount of rock and could pry use that just rinse it off and let it sit out in the sun for a few days then add more live rock to seed it, that will help with costs. If i could do my tank over i would skip the sand and do a bare bottom cuz unless its a deep SB it tends to just hold crap(ditrus etc) in it.

Im currenty setting up a fowlr 60g and im going to go BB but add chunks of green star polyps and let them spread accross the bottom to make it look like i have grass growing. I transfered my chiclids from my current 56g cube and turned it into a reef and had to drain all the water rinse the sand(i used white fine carribsea anyway) and then just added a little bit of live sand from my nano to seed it. The thing i like about my cichlid tank is i filled it up with a garden hose added prime and transfered all the rock from the previous tank with all the bactieria. I haven't done a WC on it since just top offs and they are just as colorful, happy and healthy as they were when i did weekly water changes and its been a year. good luck with the transfer man!

 

 yes... so true....

 

Rinse it really good with RO and let it sit in the sun for a day or two then throw in and some LR back in the tank and you should be good to go. Get the mag and calc levels up a little high for a couple weeks to assist with the coralline algae growth and you'll never know the rocks were in a FW tank.

 

Hey I am about to get a 210 setup. How do you have those overflows built? Cant see them really good in your pic. Could you shoot a straight on shot of one of them and text it to (319) 361 - 8306 so I can start getting a base idea going. Thanks!

 

Lace rock works good it is really porous. just do what raven said and all will be well plus it will save you money on rock. I did the same thing on my reef after converting from FW last year.