Is this tank safe for saltwater fish?

[tomek77pl]

hi i have a 20 gallon and im planing to have 2 clowns in it and maybe a shrimp im supposed to get live rock today just ten pounds for now i will get more later but when i was looking threw my stuff i noticed i used copper wire to hold my plants down for my freshwater tank there wasn't much copper but is it safe and whats the best way to clean my tank so it will be ready for saltwater?

[Chiefsurfer]

clean it with diluted muriatic acid. If you used copper wire, there is copper in the tank. If you are only going for FOWLR, it should be safe as is without the intro of inverts. Some are more succeptable than others.

Maybe others can try and explain cleaning better.

[lordofthereef]

I wouldn't necessarily be worried too much, but as cheap as it is to replace a 20g (assuming it is a standard 20g glass tank that can be had at Wal-Mart for around $25) I would just replace it, if for nothing me, the peace of mind.

[tomek77pl]

well i just got back and i got 10 pounds of live rock i will keep it in a bucket for couple of days but do you think i can just put my LR in it and have fish and when it takes times for inverts i would then but a new 20 gallon because im broke now .

[tomek77pl]

i have a question can i use a pump to circulate the water in the bucket? i have a pump that was from my pump is that safe to use i tried to clean it as best as i can

[star27624]

I would wait until you can get the new tank. Keep the LR in a bucket with a heater and a powerhead until you can.

[tomek77pl]

k but would you think i can use my water pump from my pond that i cleaned but there is some algae left still ,for my bucket of LR ?

[Chiefsurfer]

did you use copper in the pond? If not, then yes. The turnover will be insane, but it will keep good flow. If you used copper, I would be skeptical depending on how you used copper. If you used copper to hold it in place, it should be fine. If you dosed a copper medicine, I would be skeptical.

[lordofthereef]

My other worry about the pond pump is that even if you didn't dose anything, who knows what got in it. I assume it was an outdoor pond? At the very least I would give it a vinegar soaking. Again, my recommendation still is to just replace all of those components, expecially since the cost to replace is so low. I am sure you spent way more on rock than it would cost to just grab a new pump and tank. In the end you can and will do what you want. If you stick with what you have there is a good chance you will have ZERO issues. I think we are simply saying that there really is no way for us to give you a 100% assurance that you will run into no problems. I am certain that the vast majority of our paranoia in this hobby is exactly that, paranoia. The issue comes with things being undiagnosable (or hard to diagnose) in the future if corners are cut in the manner you wish to do so.

[bertoni]

If you wipe the tank down well with vinegar, that'll remove the copper. I'd get the live rock into a tank with a heater and a powerhead as soon as possible. Vinegar is fine to clean other equipment for the tank, too.

[tomek77pl]

or should i remove the silicone and put new silicone on because i someone told me copper goes into the silicon

[bertoni]

Copper does not go into the silicone, although that gets posted a lot. I'd just clean it with vinegar.

[tomek77pl]

i cleaned it with vinegar so i should be fine with inverts ?

[bertoni]

The tank will be fine. I'd clean any other equipment the same way.

[bertoni]

I should have added that you need to remove any calcium carbonate deposits on the tank, since they might hold a fair amount of copper. I don't think fresh water systems accumulate much calcium carbonate, though.

[tomek77pl]

well i didnt clean my pump from my freshwater with vinegar but i cleaned it with water its filtering my live rock. do you think its okay i dont have any filters in it just so i can move the water and i have a heater i will add water to the tank tomorrow. will i need to put any food in the bucket so the microorganisms can eat or do they make their own food ?

[tomek77pl]

how can i remove the calcium carbonate deposits?

[bertoni]

A vinegar soak usually will remove them. If the tank is glass, they can be scraped off, too. As a last resort, muriatic acid can be used, although it's dangerous to handle.

[tomek77pl]

calcium carbonate deposits looks white im guessing and if i scrape it off my glass tank i should be good for saltwater fish and inverts?

[bertoni]

Yes. Sorry I forgot about the issue with the deposits.

[tomek77pl]

np i will try to scrape all of the tanks sides that i see but what if i miss the ones that are tiny and you cant see?

[bertoni]

Anything that small is unlikely to be a problem.

[tomek77pl]

okey i just cleaned it with vinegar again and scrubbed all the calcium stuff i saw im going to put the water in and mix it is it fine if i use my old foam for my canister filter and i have carbon bags should i put it in my canister filer because i heard that the ceramic stuff are bad for saltwater

[bertoni]

The foam will work, but that type of filter can cause a higher nitrate level in the tank. If your system is going to have enough live rock, the foam is not needed. You could use it just for mechanical filtration if you're willing to clean it regularly.

Carbon is good to run. :)

[tomek77pl]

thanks well i have ten pounds of live rock that i will put in when the water is mixed well and i will be buying the other 10 pounds later and i want to buy sand to like ten pounds for now how much can you buy live sand for i saw it in the bags but i don't think its live then. Why does my filter make high nitrate levels? and when i put my LR in do i have to cycle the tank or could i just buy a demsel fish for now so i can get used to it and in like one month buy 2 clows and a shrimp and maybe a hermit crab