How to Convert Salt Water Fish Tank to Fresh

Love your saltwater tank, but yearn for the carefree state of the freshwater fish owner? Then the time may have come to convert your saltwater tank to fresh. Of course, be sure to find your marine inhabitants good homes before you start the transition. Once you have emptied your tank of life, then it is simply a matter of a serious cleaning before you can start enjoying your new freshwater fish hobby.

Things You'll Need

  • Cleaning rags
  • Plastic scrubbing pads
  • Vinegar
  • Bleach
  • Plastic tubs
  • Colander
  • Gallon milk carton (empty)
  • pH tester strips
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Instructions

    • 1

      Empty the aquarium. This means that you need to remove all the water, the gravel, plants and rocks.

    • 2

      Clean the algae off everything. Use a cleaning rag or a plastic scrubbing pad soaked in vinegar to kill all of the algae and scrub off any salt buildup or residue. It is very important to be extremely thorough on this step. Any salt left on the plants, rocks or sides of the aquarium could kill your new fish.

    • 3

      Mix up a gravel-cleaning solution. Fill the gallon jug with 2 cups of bleach and the remainder with water. Shake it gently to mix up the solution.

    • 4

      Rinse off your gravel. Place it in the colander and douse it with the gravel-cleaning solution.

    • 5

      Soak the gravel, plants and rocks in the same bleach solution that you rinsed the gravel with. Use the gallon jug to make more of the mixture and pour it over the gravel, rocks and plants once they are in the plastic tubs. You should leave them in this cleaning mixture for about a week.

    • 6

      Get everything ready for the new fish. This means rinsing the bleach solution off of the gravel, rocks and plants, and wiping down the aquarium a final time with a clean, vinegar-soaked rag. Inspect everything for salt crust. If you find any, start the process over once you get it removed.

    • 7

      Monitor the new aquarium's pH. You will need to fill the aquarium with de-chlorinated water for the new fish. However, you cannot install the new inhabitants immediately. You will need to monitor the pH until it remains steady between 6.6 and 7.2 for a week or more. Only then can you move in your new pets.