Brand new, want to build a FOWLR, want to do it right, need advice...

1242 Views 3 Replies 2 Participants Last post by wake49, Apr 25, 2013

Frank12271

Discussion Starter · Apr 24, 2013

Hi all,

Glad I found this forum.

I purchased a 60 gallon set up last week and I've been doing a lot of reading online and watching a lot of videos on YouTube.

I've decided to stick with a FOWLR system and would like some advice on what to do next.

The tank set I got came with a 60 gallon tank, the stand, the hood and the lights (fluorescent).

That's all I have so far.

I had a great SW tank when I was a kid. Been missing it ever since I moved away from home and sold everything. So, twenty one years later I'm going to start all over. The technology has changed A LOT.

Any and all help will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advancd,
Frank

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wake49

· #2 · Apr 25, 2013

I would personally start it the same as I would start a reef. The basics are the same:

75-90 lbs of Live Rock (depending on how "full" you want the tank to look, and how many hiding spaces you want the fish to have)
4-6" Deep sand Bed. This is great for denitrification. Completes the nitrogen cycle, converting nitrates into nitrogen gas. Make sure youuse oolite live sand to have the correct grain size and the appropriate bacteria and microfauna to benefit the sandbed.
A quality protein skimmer

I would set up the sand bed and rock and let that run for a couple weeks until I started to see a good pod (reef bugs) population and some coraline algae forming on the glass. I would test Alkalinity and Calcium religously to make sure they stayed in their parameters of 400-450 ppm Calcium and 8-12 dKH Alkalinity.

Once Calcium and Alkalinity stabilized (there might be a gentle flux in calcium because of the coraline algae growth) I would test all my parameters: Calcium, Alkalinity, pH, Nitrates, Nitrites and Ammonia. If everything is going good, I might add my first fish.

What kind of fish are you thinking?

And Welcome to the Forum!

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Frank12271

Discussion Starter · #3 · Apr 25, 2013

Well, as far as fish... I haven't really thought about it. I know my wife wants a yellow Tang. I like schooling fish and Angels. A Trigger and a Puffer would be great. I had a Snowflake Moray for years in my last tank, I'm guessing that an eel is out of the question with a DSB since they burrow so much.

As far as the protein skimmer, do I need a sump with this or can I use one without a sump?

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wake49

· #4 · Apr 25, 2013

Frank12271 said:
Well, as far as fish... I haven't really thought about it. I know my wife wants a yellow Tang. I like schooling fish and Angels. A Trigger and a Puffer would be great. I had a Snowflake Moray for years in my last tank, I'm guessing that an eel is out of the question with a DSB since they burrow so much.

As far as the protein skimmer, do I need a sump with this or can I use one without a sump?

This tank is a 60 gallon, right? What are the dimensions?

I think this tank is way to small for all the fish you have listed here. For the Yellow Tang, I would reccommend at least a ninety gallon. The Trigger I would reccommend at least a 180 (although there are a few species that will thrive in a 125, like the Blue Throat). The Moray Eel is out if you want to do a DSB (deep sand beds are not required in a tank, just a good way to keep nitrates in check), and I would keep them at least in a 125 gallon. Maybe Cherub Angels would work in this tank, like the Falme Angel or Coral Beauty, but I would stay away from full-size angels such as the Emperor or Queen Angels.

You can do a Protein Skimmer without a sump. They make a variety of models that Hang On Back (HOB).

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