How much easier is it to set up a fish only tank?
- Thread starter kalelin38
- Start date
Mr James
Premium Member
IME, FOWLR is the best way to start out. Just make sure that you research which fish can live together and which cannot. Also, if you plan to even have softies in your tank, don't get any coral eating fish or inverts. I took care of a Chocolate Chip Starfish for a bit and ate some of my softies. I knew it was a possibility, so it isn't his fault.
As far as your FOWLR (Fish Only With Live Rock), you still need a good (if not great) protein skimmer. But you don't need lights or a calcium reactor, if you're into that sort of thing. You could get by with dosing Part A and B if you got certain soft corals. But as for your lights, you could go with NO's (Normal Output).
Live rock. My rule of thumb is 90% base rock and 10% really good live rock (premium). You will still need at least 2lbs/gallon.
Personally, I would forget about tangs in a 90g. I would go with multiple small fish, possibly schooling fish.
As far as your FOWLR (Fish Only With Live Rock), you still need a good (if not great) protein skimmer. But you don't need lights or a calcium reactor, if you're into that sort of thing. You could get by with dosing Part A and B if you got certain soft corals. But as for your lights, you could go with NO's (Normal Output).
Live rock. My rule of thumb is 90% base rock and 10% really good live rock (premium). You will still need at least 2lbs/gallon.
Personally, I would forget about tangs in a 90g. I would go with multiple small fish, possibly schooling fish.
Beaner3
New member
Hey Rob, so you got the itch for a tank again huh? I agree with the above, but if you wanted to cut down on the cost of live rock, you could make it up with a nice skimmer and refugium doing alot of your nutrient removal for you. I had a 120 a few years ago that I did this on (big fuge with an efficient skimmer) and it worked well, only really did water changes as my testing was telling me things were starting to tip. The stars and stripes puffer I had was huge by the time I had to move and give all the fish away. And you don't have to worry as much about the nitrates spiraling up and out of control, because you won't have any corals. I'd let mine get to about 20 ppm before I felt a water change was nescessary. I had the puffer, a snowflake eel, harlequin tuskfish,a handful of yellow tail blue damsels, and a chevron tang, plus a buch of hermits that didn't get destroyed by any of the fish (I added them first). I started with the smallest fish I could get my hands on, and only ran a power compact 48"strip, (i liked the 50/50 bulbs). good luck!
Eel-byte
Premium Member
Sup Rob?! I agree with James and Ben, a good skimmer for sure. If you're going to keep softies, maybe a dual strip fixture (daylight/03). That lighting should be ok for hammers or frog spawn if you went with lps. Definitely a two part solution if you go stoney. If you remember my tank, I just dosed B-Ionic 2 part solution. Had great growth.
Yeah I miss watching the fish. I remember the brain I had did better with the compact lights, didn't do so go after we upgraded. Most of the reason I'm thinking about just sticking with a fish only tank is the cost factor. I have a good skimmer, fuge, reefkeeper and most of the stuff for the more expensive lights except for the fixtures and reflectors. I thought about just doing a fresh water tank, but like salt water fish better.
Eel-Byte,
I want to keep it simple to keep the work down as my medical conditions do make it hard to work on the tank. I'm thinking many putting in rocks for looks and to give the fish a place to hide and rest so it I go all base rock that would work for me as long as it looked nice. I need to figure out how to set the system up for water changes where I don't have to carry water bucked up from the basement. So I probably will need the help of some of the club members. Hopefully the next time you guys have a meeting I can attend.
I want to keep it simple to keep the work down as my medical conditions do make it hard to work on the tank. I'm thinking many putting in rocks for looks and to give the fish a place to hide and rest so it I go all base rock that would work for me as long as it looked nice. I need to figure out how to set the system up for water changes where I don't have to carry water bucked up from the basement. So I probably will need the help of some of the club members. Hopefully the next time you guys have a meeting I can attend.
Beaner3
New member
Hey hey,
You could get one of these
http://www.marinedepot.com/ps_Aquar...edic_SP_3000_sp3000_niveaumat_reef_doser.html
And then hook it up to one of these
http://www.marinedepot.com/ps_ViewI...iew~idProduct~RC1311~idCategory~FIDPETPU.html
with the float sensors hooked up in your sump at high and low levels, then have the peristaltic pump continually replenishing water from a reservoir to your sump, the only thing you have to top off is the reservoir with fresh water, or kalkwasser, or whatever (beer). works pretty slick once it's all dialed in, and you won't have to sweat going into the basement.
You could get one of these
http://www.marinedepot.com/ps_Aquar...edic_SP_3000_sp3000_niveaumat_reef_doser.html
And then hook it up to one of these
http://www.marinedepot.com/ps_ViewI...iew~idProduct~RC1311~idCategory~FIDPETPU.html
with the float sensors hooked up in your sump at high and low levels, then have the peristaltic pump continually replenishing water from a reservoir to your sump, the only thing you have to top off is the reservoir with fresh water, or kalkwasser, or whatever (beer). works pretty slick once it's all dialed in, and you won't have to sweat going into the basement.
Beaner3
New member
you could have it both ways, i guess, if you threw a couple of bulkheads in the bottom of your reservoir, connected to your sump, then when you change your water you could just vacuum all the crap out of the sump, open a ball valve, and let your "reservoir" be your water change. maybe a powerhead and heater in the reservoir to mix and heat your water too, that would be pretty cool. I suppose if you had any sick fish you could dose the top off/water change and let it slowly enter the tank instead of dropping one big massive nuke.
I had a nice set-up designed for the tank and cabinets to go around it that would hold the extra equipment. I was going to tile the floor under the tank. I might have some floor leveler left over after I do the 2nd half of my bathroom floor so I can us that for level the floor where the tank and stands were going to go so kind of got me thinking that maybe that's a sign that I should start up again. I just don't have the brainiac living with me to tell me how things work so I'm going to have to learn myself this time around.
FastFish720
New member
It depends:
If you do a sterile Fish Only Tank it's extremely easy, not much different than freshwater.
As soon as you add live rock to your FO tank, it becomes much more difficult as you suddenly have to deal with different algaes without a clean up crew.
Ok...so you decide to add some snails and crabs to eat stuff. Well you bought fish that eat them...so instantly more difficult. So like the others said research your fish and inverts you buy.
Ok...so now you have a clean up crew, you might as well start adding mushrooms and now you're at a reef.
If you do a sterile Fish Only Tank it's extremely easy, not much different than freshwater.
As soon as you add live rock to your FO tank, it becomes much more difficult as you suddenly have to deal with different algaes without a clean up crew.
Ok...so you decide to add some snails and crabs to eat stuff. Well you bought fish that eat them...so instantly more difficult. So like the others said research your fish and inverts you buy.
Ok...so now you have a clean up crew, you might as well start adding mushrooms and now you're at a reef.
I got some sand and live sand that was purchased a couple of years ago. Anybody know how long the live sand lasts and if I can use it or will it mess things up?
So do I still need a protein skimmer and sump if I do a sterile tank? Sumps so biggy as I have everything I think I need to set it up. Do have the Protein skimmer too but if I don't need to hook it up I won't.
Need to get somebody from the local club to stop by and give me advise.
So do I still need a protein skimmer and sump if I do a sterile tank? Sumps so biggy as I have everything I think I need to set it up. Do have the Protein skimmer too but if I don't need to hook it up I won't.
Need to get somebody from the local club to stop by and give me advise.
