Considering A 55g FOWLR - Need Advice

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wolfsburgfanatic

wolfsburgfanatic

Fire Eel
MFK Member
May 17, 2008
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Frederick, MD
My fiance and I are in the process of consolidating and rearranging everything in our place and she suggested that we need a nice tank in our dining area :headbang2

Only catch is that she wants saltwater (and a clownfish), which I've been itching to try anyway. It'll be going on an existing dresser so we're limited to a 55g with no sump or refugium. Since we're also trying to upgrade several of our other tank set-ups this needs to be done on a budget and it might take awhile to happen. Here's what I'm thinking so far:

Substrate: 3" bed (I've heard the sandbed should either be <1" or >3") of CaribSea Aragalive Indopacific Black and dry aragonite sand. I'm also thinking about putting eggcrate on the bottom of the tank in the sand to protect the tank in case the live rock collapses, but is this a good idea or a detrius collector in the making?

Live Rock: Looking at maybe 60-70lbs with much of the base rock being DIY live rock like Sploke made (http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/showthread.php?p=1315398#post1315398). But I'm a little confused as to how long it would take to cure and build up BB like natural live rock. Would it take much longer to cycle the tank as opposed to 100% liverock?

Filter: I've read on several sites that filter pads, bioballs etc are all "nitrate traps" and to just rely on the live rock and inverts. However I have also read that you need a hob to atleast run carbon so I'll take MFK's reccomendations on this one.

Skimmer: Why are they all so much $$$ :( Since I don't have a refugium it'll have to be a HOB type. Does anyone have any experience with the Reef Octopus BH 100 HOB Protein Skimmer? http://www.aquacave.com/reef-octopus-bh-100-br-hang-on-back-protein-skimmer-495.html If its garbage, then what would be a better option without breaking the bank?

Livestock: The only definates are 1-2 cb Ocellaris Clownfish and a bunch of shrimp, crabs and snails. This is where I need the most suggestions. I'd rather keep the tank lightly stocked and easy to maintain since its my first marine tank, but I certainly don't want it to look like an empty box of water and rock. Some of the species I've found that are of interest:

Sleeper Banded Goby (Amblygobius phalaena)
Neon Blue Goby (Elacatinus oceanops)
Sleeper Gold Head Goby (Valencienna strigata)
Longnose Hawkfish (Oxycirrhites typus)
Sixline Wrasse (Pseudocheilinus hexataenia)

Sorry for the long post, but I'm tired of setting up a tank and then saying "I wish I had done this... I wish I had thought of that." I'd especially appreciate more ideas for stocking since most of the SW fish I want would outgrow a 55g and/or decimate any ornamental inverts. Thanks in advance!

:cheers:
 
the hawk would probably eat the cleaner gobies

octopi are good skimmers, CPR bakpaks are also good

i'd forego the eggcrate for some aquarium epoxy
 
I might take a little heat for this but if your looking to save a couple bucks i have some ideas which i did myself and worked great...First put off the protein skimmer for a few months you dont need it right off the bat, second buy dead base rock like 50 pouns for like 50 bucks then buy like 10-20-30 pounds of really good live rock eventually the base rock will seed into live rock...And about the egg crates i would avoid it and go with a thicker sand base instead.
 
with a 55 you could get a dwarf angle, are toby puffers safe with small fish? any of those gobies should be fine though... you might you should try and get a goby + pistol shimp pair :D ::flamed::
 
downy14;2639401; said:
I might take a little heat for this but if your looking to save a couple bucks i have some ideas which i did myself and worked great...First put off the protein skimmer for a few months you dont need it right off the bat, second buy dead base rock like 50 pouns for like 50 bucks then buy like 10-20-30 pounds of really good live rock eventually the base rock will seed into live rock...And about the egg crates i would avoid it and go with a thicker sand base instead.
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no heat needed, i agree with alot of this.. except maybe reverse the ratio of live to base rock
 
Mantis411;2640987; said:
with a 55 you could get a dwarf angle, are toby puffers safe with small fish? any of those gobies should be fine though... you might you should try and get a goby + pistol shimp pair :D ::flamed::
Click to expand...

the toby would be fine, if it's added last and the "smaller" fish aren't too small (ie. newborns, etc)
 
ok....
here is my take. You don't need as much as you really think for a FOWLR.

Rock formation.
put a light amount of sand 1/4" or so. Place what will be your base rock for the bottom. Then add more sand. This allows the base to be sturdy, and if you get some burrowing fish, they will not go all the way down to the bottom. They usually tend to bury themselves within the first 1/10" of sand. More of a sand coating than burying themselves.
Now if you are going to have a clownfish, shrimp and such, I hardly doubt it will be strong enough to knock over rocks.
Best thing for LR is to purchase from locals that are breaking down tanks, that way you are more likely to get good deals on already cured rock.

Filtration
You really only need an Aquaclear 110 modded. If you look up Aquaclear refugium it shows you what you need to do. The most important thing in SW is flow. With enough LR the bacteria will be your filtation to break down the fish nasties, along with the CUC.

Skimmer
Not needed at all. Stay on top of your WC and you will not need one at all. Besides a small bio load will not have an affect on your water quality like a huge bio load.

Fish
I would stay away from hawkfish (completely) and some of the gobies until you have an established tank. Do the 2 clowns and you might get lucky and see them spawn.

Start small. Take your time. Failure is guaranteed when you rush things. Just read a few of the threads within the past few days.

A lot because people rush. Get ahead of themselves and buy excessive amounts of fish for their new aquarium. Then they have problems and turn here as to why they are having problems. SW is great if you have patience.
 
BIGgourami;2641816; said:
the toby would be fine, if it's added last and the "smaller" fish aren't too small (ie. newborns, etc)
Click to expand...

I would not recommend any puffers at all. The moment they get stressed you'll have yourself a livestock wipeout.
Especially since he stated that he wants crabs and shrimp. Puffers or triggers would be a no no.
 
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