What goes well in a FOWLR tank?
I have a 30 gallon tank and I am going to set up a FOWLR aquarium in it. I love the colours and variation of a marine tank. I have done my reading about live rocks and SW tanks. Now I want some information from experienced people for good tank mates.
I would like ones, first and foremost, that help maintain the tank. In my freshwater tanks, I never see any algae, ever, because of the certain I keep. I don’t mind algae in my marine tank becaise I love the colour and I need the biological filter but I want something that can help keep it down to where it needs to be.
I do want a few shoals of fish, if my tank size permits. I know the rule of thumb for a FW tank is “1 gallon for every inch of full-grown fish,” but does that rule apply to marine tanks with live rock? Does the live rock take up that space, too?
I love variation. I am a full-time student and a Science major. I just finished a year of Biology and I would want to use my education in Ecology and Limnology. In saying that, I want an ecosystem. I enjoy seeing symbiosis. Clownfish and their host anemones are awesome to me. I want my entire tank to be filled with creatures that dwell with each other and others of different species.
Can anyone give me a good list of what they use or have used? I want anything from sponges to Moorish Idols (I don’t mean to list from that one Disney movie, just good fish). The more, the better.
Any advice and anything to watch out for would be graciously accepted. Also, I love anything exotic; the more exotic, the better.
Thank you, in advance.
1in per gallon is a crap rule
especially for saltwater.
saltwater fish have to be stocked extremely light and the tanks requre a lot more maintaince.
i would not put any more than 4-5 small (2-3)in fish in that tank.
i have a 29 gallon set up FOWLR right now.
it has crushed coral substrate-25lbs, 75lbs live rock, 3 bluelegged hermit crabs, 7 snails, one blue with yellow tail damselfish, one domino damsel, and one pajama cardinal.
i am going to add about 15 more lbs of live rock from another tank i have that i am breaking down along with 2 false percula clownfish that i have had for 3 years.
my 29 gallon came as a kit from walmart. i added one more filter for a total of 2 20-40 gallon filters, and i replaced their underpowered heater.
if you want more fish than a few small ones, get a 55 gallon tank.
you can get a kit from walmart for about 150$ and you can use it for the FOWLR setup just fine.
my ten gallon fowlr set up holds the two clowns, 20lbs live sand, 15lbs live rock that is it. ive had it set up for 3 years and have lost no fish. it was my first tank
if you do go with the 30 gall, stock it lightly and get a lot of live rock
you can start with base rock, but use some live rock to see it.
i would say at least 30-40 lbs of live rock . it helps with the biological filtration a lot
tank raised clownfish rarely host with an anenome.
you can have a great ecosystem like the one i have but lightly stocked.
get some hermits and snails to control algae and to scavenge.
yes the live rock does displace the water as well.
full of rock the tank will not have 30 gallons of water in it.
i would start with a pair of tank raised false perculas after your tank has been set up and cycled with the live rock
then i would maybe add 2-3 more small fish.
like.. the fire fish is neat,
the pajama cardinal is too
and i love the yellow watchmen goby but have never had one. they just look really cool to me.
good luck and hope this helps
The old rule of thumb for salt is and inch of fish per 5 gals of water. Thats why everyone suggests starting with a larger tank. A 55 or 75 are good sizes to start with. So shoals of fish are going to be very limited due to your size fish. A good shoaling small fish are Chromis, they are rather bland light blue/green but they do shoal.
The more exotic a fish usually means the more expensive it is and the harder it will be to keep, especially for a beginner. Moorish idols have not been know to do well in aquariums, they require at least 6 ft tanks and the successful ones were kept in pairs. The 2 people I know who have kept them long term in an aquarium also had access to live sponge to feed them daily.
Anemones require reef tank lighting, Metal halide or very good T-5 setups.
A good symbiotic pair that is small and does not require reef tank lighting would be the pistol shrimp goby pair. http://www.ehow.com/how_4996446_start-pistol-shrimpgoby-pair.html
Here is a link with good fish care info.
http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/aquarium-fish-supplies.cfm?c=15&pCatId=15
Step 1: Create a Tank Log
.Changing either a seasoned saltwater FO (Fish-Only) or a FOWLR (Fish-Only With Live Rock) aquarium into a reef tank system with corals isn’t as complicated and difficult to do as it may seem. By making preparations and good choices before adding corals to an existing aquarium, many of the problems that one can encounter when making this transition are greatly reduced, and may be avoided altogether.
Starting with the first step, here’s how to change an existing basic saltwater FO/FOWLR aquarium into a reef tank system in 7 easy steps.
Step 1: Create a Tank Log
One of the most valuable tools a saltwater aquarium hobbyist can have for solving problems is an accurate and well kept log about their aquarium. There are a number of free for download aquarium maintenance software programs available that are easy to set up and use, and some of them even offer troubleshooting features.
Investing the few minutes it takes to record important statistics, such as water test results, equipment and other component changes or additions you made to your system, as well as taking note of your observations (i.e. water a bit cloudy; brown algae appearing) can pay off in a big way when you want to solve a problem, or are planning to make improvements to your system.