[LittleRhys]

I'm coming up with buying options, and I'm considering going with craigslist for the tank/stand part. I'm interested in a sump, though I'm not sure if I'm quite up to making one myself. Saltwater tanks are the only kind that I'm used to seeing coming with sumps (at least the kind people sell).

How hard is it to clean out a saltwater tank? Would it be likely that a 75g setup would fit my needs?

 

[JoelRHale]

Converted my 75 gallon reef to a mbuna biotope. Just take the protien skimmer put of your equipment and you have all you need.

For me, cleaning it up was easy because I am pretty anal about keeping things that I own in pristine condition. So my tank and equipment only required a simple rinse. Now I imagine this could be quite different from someone who didnt care and emptied it, left **** in it, and threw it into a shed for a few years!

If you're not sold on a sump, canisters do a great job, are less hassle, and much cheaper on CL. I have a sump on my 75 and a Rena XP3 on my 55, they do a comparable job.

As per your needs, a tank like that could easily house 20-30 mbuna (pending species).

 

[jeffmo78]

I've never purchased a saltwater tank and cleaned it. But my educated guess would be that Yes you can use a ex-saltwater aquarium as a fresh water aquarium. The key would be as you've already guessed, is to clean it well. 75gal is a good start for any hobbyist. My personal opinion? The bigger the better :wink:

You can use vinegar to help break up the calcium deposits and other salty residue built up that you can expect from a well traveled salt aquarium. Bleach/water mix will disinfect properly but be sure to rinse, rinse, rinse. If you have several options to choose from on craigslist check out more then one aquarium. Some hobbyists keep their stuff cleaner then others. If possible I'd buy from someone whos tank has not been emptied yet and can be visually inspected for any troubles such as leaks and heavy scratches in the glass. Good luck and others will chime in too!

Jeff

 

[londonloco]

How hard is it to clean out a saltwater tank? Would it be likely that a 75g setup would fit my needs?

It's fairly easy. I had 120g (fatboy) with two black overflow chambers covered with pink coraline, took one day using CLR and a painters utility tool to clean those plastic chambers.

I usually use canisters for anything less than 100g's, but IMO, sumps are much easier on maintenance.

 

[shellies215]

Definitely pickup a bottle of CLR

 

[Piper]

I just cleaned up my 55G salt tank and turned it into a Mbuna tank. I am also in the process of setting up a 125G tank that was a salt system and making a freshwater Tropheus tank. A razor scraper and a jug of vinegar are about all you will need. Trick is to tear everything down to it's smallest components and clean all the scale and salt off. I am even reusing the substrate. Rinsing and letting sit in freshwater then drying and repeat several times will work wonders. 0000 steel wool might also be a good idea. Soak stubborn scale in vinegar water to loosen it up.

 

[LittleRhys]

Thanks guys. I'll keep this in mind when I start looking... it's nice to know about your options.

 

[JoelRHale]

Just stay viligant on CL, actually picked up a 55, two whisper 60's, some other foam high gph filter, a 200 watt heater, and air pump for $20 today.