20 Gallon FOWLR questions

[swackattack]

Hey there...have an empty 20 gallon and looking to start a FOWLR set up

Not really interested in doing a reef due to time/monetary constraints.

Significant freshwter expereince however this is my first experience with salt

My general plan is 20 lbs of live rock, what do you suggest as a substrate. I'm trying to budget accordingly so I think i can find LR on CL for about $4 a pound.

As for lighting, does just LR have any special requirments? I was thinking a relatively cheap fixture like this http://pawsuppetsupply.com/026921.html

The filtration will be an AC 30 and an AC 50, any media changes other than the default needed here?

As far as livestock was concerned, I was thinking maybe 3 fish and any inverts you guys suggest....
Tenatively some sort of goby, possibly the requistite clown and maybe a dwarf angel of some sort?

Thanks much!

 

[BIGgourami]

well the link oy u posted to the lights is just a bulb.. for a full fixture something like this would be nicer
http://pawsuppetsupply.com/027528.html

as far as substrate goes dry aragonite sand would work fine it's be like $20 for a 40 pound bag which is a lot more than you'd need...

i think just the 50 would be fine.. i have a 50 on my 29 and it work pretty good.. i also use a skimmer and 2 powerhead but i have a reef tank.. you wouldn't need that much filtration or flow in yours..

the only angel i even come close to recomending for a 20 gallon owuld be a cerub angel..
inverts would be a list a mile long.. i would say look around and get some ideas.. come back here, and we'll tell you whats a good mix of what you like...

 

[WestTex]

I happen to be working on setting up the exact same tank it seems...I too have been keeping Freshwater for a long time and have never taken the plunge into Saltwater. So far I've got a 30 aquaclear filter with a small protien skimmer, and one powerhead for a 20 gallon tall tank.

How big of an issue is the lighting for a tank like this if its just live rock and fish.

Also interested in keeping a goby / shrimp to see the symbiotic relationship. Would a watchman goby and pistol shrimp be ok together? Any suggestions on species that would live together?

 

[BIGgourami]

How big of an issue is the lighting for a tank like this if its just live rock and fish.

mute at best.. you'd just want enough to keep the coralline and any other algea on the rock alive...

Also interested in keeping a goby / shrimp to see the symbiotic relationship. Would a watchman goby and pistol shrimp be ok together?

by very defininition they would, watchman gobies are a group of fish, not a species. a yellow watchman and basically any small pistol should form a pair.. usually if you see a pistol shrimp they are brought in with their counterpart goby

Any suggestions on species that would live together?

what just in general?
crysiptera damsels, a pair of clownfish, orchid dottyback, royal gramma, chalk bass, firefish, cardinalfish... there's a few

added in red

 

[WestTex]

Thanks BIGgourami