Best tank dimensions for an agressive FOWLR? lighting?

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
Diogenes

Diogenes

Fire Eel
MFK Member
Oct 9, 2008
2,407
21
68
Birmingham, AL
I'm doing a little research into setting up a FOWLR tank in a year or so. I have no experience with marine aquaria or any of the fish. I know i want to keep a puffer (dogface or procupine), a Picasso trigger (or other Rhinecanthus), a Niger trigger, and an eel (I was thinking white eye). I was planning on doing about 1.5 lb/gallon of live rock, a sump, a hang-on refugium, and a oversized skimmer. Here are my questions.

What kind of lighting would I need?

What tank dimensions would be optimal?

My top considerations from glasscages.com:

60 x 30 x 25

96 x 24 x 25

72 x 24 x 25

72 x 24 x 17

price is a bit of a factor, not so much in the tank, but in the live rock, so if i could get away with a minimum size to adequately house these species I'd prefer to do so.

Thanks
:popcorn:
 
Hm i always say longer the tank the better and wider , you can have more room for the fish to swim , tall tanks are for display like corals , and as far as the live rock, fish only tanks can get away with no live rock ... so basically thats totally up to you and for style. i like LR better than fake corals , but 1.5 thats alot! make sure to check craigslist for lr thats only 3 dollars a pound for that much as far as lighting , you could buy a light strip from home depo and walmart lights .... no special lighting required not even if your wanted coraline alge , that would just require magnesium calcium and alk doeses 1 once a week. i have 4 fowlr tanks they are awsome , and 2 of them have corals in there too, they dont even have special lighting and they grow like weeds!
 
i was actually in your postion once. I traded cichlids for marine and it was worth it , pm with any other questions , i could walk you threw everything you need to know , and btw fowlr can get away without a protien skimmer (skimmer wouldnt be effective for atleast 6 months anyways, aftert tank was cycled).... but you will need much better filtration than average due to the feedings they like.
 
so you say longer tank eh? what about the fact that some of these fish can get around 24" in length? would that make the 5x3 a better choice?
 
well... the bigger tank the better. the white eye will grow pretty long... it all depends on you...

~ocean
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
MonsterFishKeepers.com
Top Bottom