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I'm thinking of making the switch from fresh to saltwater, but I'm not sure when's the best time to do it. Should I hold off until the tank is fully cycled, or can I make the change now? Any advice would be really appreciated.

When switching from freshwater to saltwater, it's essential to consider the distinct bacteria involved in nitrification and denitrification. The approach to cycling a saltwater tank largely depends on the type of setup you're aiming for - fish only, fish with live rock, or a full reef system.

If you opt for live rock, it serves as a natural filter, eliminating the need for internal or external filters. The bacteria are already present, resulting in a mini cycle that typically lasts a week or two. After this period, you can introduce snails and hermits to form your cleanup crew, followed by fish a few weeks later.

However, if you plan to keep invertebrates, you may need to replace the tank water with Reverse Osmosis water anyway. I recommend checking the resource centre in Marine chit chat and reviewing the stickies to determine the best approach for your desired setup. Once you've decided, feel free to reach out if you have any further questions or need guidance on moving forward.

What's the size of your tank?

If you've already started the cycling process for freshwater, you'll essentially be back to square one with saltwater.

Using RO water is a must, it makes a huge difference when setting up a saltwater tank, trust me, it's worth the extra effort, you'll be glad you did.

I was thinking, why not consider a middle ground - go brackish to start, then gradually increase the specific gravity to marine. There are some seahorse species that thrive in brackish water when young but can tolerate full marine as adults.