Advice Wanted

[JamesHolt]

Hello, I am about to get into the saltwater hobby.
I currently have one 55gal freshwater setup with two oscars in it a 6" and a 7".....(they need a bigger tank)
The first part of next week I go to pick up a 180 gal complete saltwater setup(tank,lights,sump,protein skimmer,everything) it is up and running with a trigger and a clown in it(dont know what type they are). The guy I am getting it from is getting out of the hobby and is giving it to me free..
My problem is should I move the oscars to the 180(change it to freshwater) and start small with the 55 as my first saltwater tank..
Also when I pick up the 180 do I need to keep the live sand and rock or get new..
Besides the equipment for checking the water and a RODI will I need anything else to start the salt tank (whichever one I wind up using)

Thanks for reading,,James

[Xavibear]

If the oscars need a larger tank, you should put them in one.

[Odysi]

Hmm I would keep the 180 as salt if you can. Reason being in the smaller tanks you limit yourself to certain live stock and trust me in a few months you will want an upgrade. Ditch the sand and buy new dry sand. Keep the live rock in SW with heat and water movement until you are ready to setup the tank.Plus a 55 is narrow and hard to aqua scape from what I have seen ppl say. You can always find a tank on CL for the oscars.

[fishhuman]

While it is true the oscars need a larger tank, the triggerfish Likely will to and in this scenario I would keep the triggerfish in the 180 for 3 main reasons
1) it will be ALOT of work to transfer the fish from one tank to another and would involve someone keeping the fish for you for a month while you re cycle the tank
2) triggerfish are one of the most intellegent fish in the sea, it would be cruel to put the triggerfish in a 55 gallon tank that is certainly to small for him. Although in my experience with freshwater fish including, cichlids that even though cichlids are probobly the smartest freshwater fish in my opinion and experience tiger oscars are just brutes and not very intellegent for cichlids
3) if you decide to move the oscars to the 180 and the saltwater to the 55 you will not be able to have many more fish in either of them. The 180 would make a great saltwater tank because it is large enough to keep many of the more space needing saltwater fish like tangs, triggerfish, pufferfish, angelfish, butterflyfish and others.
If you put the saltwater in the 55 you will not be able to keep any other fish, even if you give the trigger away you can only have 6 small fish no tangs, triggers, angelfish, pufferfish, butterfly's, or groupers.
4) cost this kind off goes with number 1 but, the 180 is already an established saltwater tank to start with if you switched you may have to buy some new saltwater lights to put over the 55 which will run you anywhere from 150$-1000$

I am not encouraging you to neglect your oscars though they to will eventually if not immediately need a larger tank, but that is what comes with buying to big of a fish for to small of a tank.

[JamesHolt]

While it is true the oscars need a larger tank, the triggerfish Likely will to and in this scenario I would keep the triggerfish in the 180 for 3 main reasons
1) it will be ALOT of work to transfer the fish from one tank to another and would involve someone keeping the fish for you for a month while you re cycle the tank
2) triggerfish are one of the most intellegent fish in the sea, it would be cruel to put the triggerfish in a 55 gallon tank that is certainly to small for him. Although in my experience with freshwater fish including, cichlids that even though cichlids are probobly the smartest freshwater fish in my opinion and experience tiger oscars are just brutes and not very intellegent for cichlids
3) if you decide to move the oscars to the 180 and the saltwater to the 55 you will not be able to have many more fish in either of them. The 180 would make a great saltwater tank because it is large enough to keep many of the more space needing saltwater fish like tangs, triggerfish, pufferfish, angelfish, butterflyfish and others.
If you put the saltwater in the 55 you will not be able to keep any other fish, even if you give the trigger away you can only have 6 small fish no tangs, triggers, angelfish, pufferfish, butterfly's, or groupers.
4) cost this kind off goes with number 1 but, the 180 is already an established saltwater tank to start with if you switched you may have to buy some new saltwater lights to put over the 55 which will run you anywhere from 150$-1000$

I am not encouraging you to neglect your oscars though they to will eventually if not immediately need a larger tank, but that is what comes with buying to big of a fish for to small of a tank.

Hmm I would keep the 180 as salt if you can. Reason being in the smaller tanks you limit yourself to certain live stock and trust me in a few months you will want an upgrade. Ditch the sand and buy new dry sand. Keep the live rock in SW with heat and water movement until you are ready to setup the tank.Plus a 55 is narrow and hard to aqua scape from what I have seen ppl say. You can always find a tank on CL for the oscars.

Makes sense, didnt know how much room the trigger and clown would need.

When I move the SW fish do they go back in the 180 or will I need to put them in a quarantine tank until the 180 finishes cycling. I had planned on setting the 180 back up as soon as I get it here, so can the live rock go in it while it is cycling or do I need to keep it quarantined as well??..... looks like this is gonna be a learning experience

[Odysi]

I would keep them in a QT just to make sure you don't have a cycle. If the LR is in the tank now and you keep it in water you should not see a cycle. You may see some die off from the rocks but if you are setting it up right away with new sand you should be fine. Just have your water mixed and to temp so you can fill the tank up.

[JamesHolt]

Thanks to all for the advice

[saltyair]

Keep the 180 saltwater keep the live rock buy new sand - keep some of the old sand in a nylon to seed the new sand.