# Converting Saltwater to Rift Lake/Cichlid Tank



## WackyFiasco (Oct 28, 2010)

Hi,

While most marine aquarists will probably consider this tantamount to heresy, I am going to convert my 48 gal 8 year-old corner reef tank into a hardwater cichlid tank. Since returning to school as a management student (soon to graduate) and having a child - and the fact that this sort of thing is way beyond anything my husband would agree to take over - I cannot spare the time and resources to properly care for a marine tank anymore.

It has degraded to the point where I think now is a good time to do this: The liverock isn't very live-looking anymore (my mushrooms disappeared a long time ago), there are only 2 damsels in the tank, my pink urchin died 3 months ago and my bubble tip bristle star finally disappeared 2 weeks ago after coming out a lot and showing harassment injuries (don't know from what). The Purple-Up isn't making anything purple with all the bad dark cyanobacteria on the rock, even after a filter and water change, and haven't invested in any alagaecidal attempts pending my decisions here. I don't feel like feeding just the 2 damsels and resident bristle worms, so I'm looking for advice for converting the tank to freshwater.

To keep the liverock or not to keep it? There is about 80 lbs of it so I thought about CheapCycling it, but I don't think anyone will want to deal with the cyano issue. Maybe keep it and re-season it to keep the water hard for the cichlids, throw in some mollies during the big die-off? Should I rinse and keep the crushed coral substrate, or replace it? Do a hard start, or gradually drop salinity over many water changes (is there anything on that rock/substrate that could convert through a gradual change and benefit the new system)? 

Who wants two old fart damsels?


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## WhiteGloveAquatics (Sep 3, 2009)

most people will downtalk you on the cycling you are talking about, I prefer to use danios for it but others prefer the artifical cycling method.


your live rock, you could sell it cheap with a cyno issue. if not toss it in the garden for decor.
I have a 210g tank that was a former mega reef tank and its housing discus now with soft acidic water.
What water source are you using? if its tap test it and see where you stand before getting into the Ph buffering.


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## WackyFiasco (Oct 28, 2010)

The tap water here in Orlando is pretty hard, and high in pH (bad for cleaning but great for marine tank). I run the tap water through and ion exchange resin chamber, which I store for use when needed in four 5-gallon drinking water jugs. There's no trace of copper in it from tests done. 

Seems we have a lot of water filtration salesmen in the area, so even when I don't test it myself they knock on the door, come in and make a pitch and test it for me LOL.


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## WhiteGloveAquatics (Sep 3, 2009)

Well if you are going for rift, hard and alkaline water is what you want.

just use dechlor and your africans should be fine.

africans love that high ph.


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