Fish only or FOWLR?

mskvarenina · 01/15/2014, 08:38 PM

Last time I did a saltwater tank it was fish only but I've been reading alot that recommends a FOWLR tank for better filtration. My concern with using live rock is if the fish ever get sick I won't be able to use copper in the tank to cure them. I don't have the space or money to setup a second quarantine tank.

What are your recommendations?

JackandJill · 01/15/2014, 08:46 PM

FOWLR would be much easier (and more fun/attractive/natural). If you have a spare 20" of room on the floor in a room or on top of a dresser perhaps you could set up a temporary 10 gallon quarantine tank when treatment is needed and break it down when not.

edsbeaker · 01/15/2014, 08:48 PM

I started in saltwater with fish only, as well. It worked with no problems. I think as long as you have some kind of biological filtration material, bio-rings, bio balls, or K-media which has become very popular, you should be fine. I would still use a skimmer, which isn't a necessity, but probably would be helpful.

I agree that for your situation, in not being able to set up a QT, you would have a much easier time, if you ever have to treat the fish, if you didn't have any LR.

edsbeaker · 01/15/2014, 08:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JackandJill

FOWLR would be much easier

I don't think this is necessarily true. If you have biological material for filtration in your sump, there is virtually no more maintenance then with LR. And if, by chance, there is an outbreak, which isn't that unusual, even if one quarantines, it is much, much more difficult to catch all the fish, move them over to another tank, etc. If you are happy with the look of a saltwater tank without the live rock, there is no need for you to have it.

I think FO tanks can be quite pretty, maybe not so natural, but some of us prefer looking at a FO tank compared to just live rock with no coral. It's a matter of opinion. Do what makes you happy. Both ways work!

Also one of the concerns for not using biological media is that it collects detritus. This is only a problem with reef tanks. Critters other than fish are negatively affected by higher readings of nitrate. Fish are not, so this would not be an issue in a FO tank.

mskvarenina · 01/15/2014, 09:19 PM

In my prior setup, I had a 90g with a big wet dry and bio-balls, a large pump and a UV. The fish did excellent and I never had any outbreaks. The dealer I was using at the time really pushed for the large pump and water flow saying that by keeping the fish very active all the time kept them healthy.

May be true because as I said, they swam around all the time and never got sick.

I don't actually mind the non-natural look. Actually I had a few large pieces of dry bleached coral which served as my decoration and it looked natural enough although nothing was living/growing on it all except some algae.

01/15/2014, 08:38 PM	#1
mskvarenina Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2014 Posts: 286	Fish only or FOWLR? Last time I did a saltwater tank it was fish only but I've been reading alot that recommends a FOWLR tank for better filtration. My concern with using live rock is if the fish ever get sick I won't be able to use copper in the tank to cure them. I don't have the space or money to setup a second quarantine tank. What are your recommendations?

01/15/2014, 08:48 PM	#3
edsbeaker Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Bartlett, IL Posts: 857	I started in saltwater with fish only, as well. It worked with no problems. I think as long as you have some kind of biological filtration material, bio-rings, bio balls, or K-media which has become very popular, you should be fine. I would still use a skimmer, which isn't a necessity, but probably would be helpful. I agree that for your situation, in not being able to set up a QT, you would have a much easier time, if you ever have to treat the fish, if you didn't have any LR. __________________ Marilyn RedSea Max-E 260

01/15/2014, 08:46 PM	#2
JackandJill Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2013 Posts: 249	FOWLR would be much easier (and more fun/attractive/natural). If you have a spare 20" of room on the floor in a room or on top of a dresser perhaps you could set up a temporary 10 gallon quarantine tank when treatment is needed and break it down when not.

01/15/2014, 09:19 PM	#5
mskvarenina Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2014 Posts: 286	In my prior setup, I had a 90g with a big wet dry and bio-balls, a large pump and a UV. The fish did excellent and I never had any outbreaks. The dealer I was using at the time really pushed for the large pump and water flow saying that by keeping the fish very active all the time kept them healthy. May be true because as I said, they swam around all the time and never got sick. I don't actually mind the non-natural look. Actually I had a few large pieces of dry bleached coral which served as my decoration and it looked natural enough although nothing was living/growing on it all except some algae.