| How I converted My Salt Water Aquarium | | | | freshwater. I knew that the parasites that grow in |
| For 3 years I was the proud owner of a reef | | | | the live rock and sand bed would decay and end up |
| aquarium. I housed corals and fish in my 120 gallon | | | | killing any living thing that I would put in with them. |
| aquarium. This eco-system was the focal point upon | | | | With that in mind I filled the aquarium with municipal |
| entering my living room. My family and any guest | | | | water straight from the hose with no doctoring. I |
| could sit and watch the fish swim around the rock | | | | allowed this water to remain in the tank for a month. |
| and corals in a never ending search for food. | | | | At that time I drained the water and stirred up the |
| However, all of this serene pleasure came at a cost, | | | | sand as the water drained. I repeated this process of |
| both monetarily and in labor. Daily testing of the | | | | filling, waiting a month then draining the aquarium for |
| water conditions, test kits, chemicals, R O water, | | | | two more months. |
| chiller, and a U V Sterilizer are just some of the items | | | | I re-filled with R O water and turned on the lights |
| needed and tasks performed. | | | | and pumps. I allowed the aquarium to run this way |
| After enduring the cost of up keep and the cost of | | | | for two weeks. I placed the plants and other |
| everything else that had anything to do with a reef | | | | decorations without any fish in the aquarium as not |
| aquarium, my reef crashed. The parameters went | | | | to put stress on any fish that I would put in there. |
| crazy and I did not know how to bring them back in | | | | At the end of the two weeks I purchased some |
| line. Every effort that I tried only made matters | | | | inexpensive fish to serve as the test to prove the |
| worse. When everything in the aquarium died I | | | | habitability of this conversion. |
| decided against re-stocking the aquarium with salt | | | | This took place seven months ago and i'm happy to |
| water animals. I converted this aquarium to a | | | | say that all five of my test fish are still alive and well |
| freshwater habitat. | | | | and sharing this community aquarium with discus fish, |
| I started by draining the salt water. I decided to use | | | | clown loaches, ghost shrimp, corey cat fish, and |
| the sand and rock from the reef as decoration in the | | | | freshwater clams. |