What equip do I need?

Thisseemsfishy · 02/05/2009, 10:21 AM

Iâ€™m starting a 55g FOWLR. I would like to know if I could use florescent bulbs? Also, do I need to use mechanical filtration if Iâ€™m going to get a protein skimmer and put it in my sump? Do I need a protein skimmer if Iâ€™m going to use a sump with mechanical filtration? If Iâ€™m going to keep a couple of crabs and sea stars will I need to add any certain chemicals? I know they say 1 - 1.5 pounds of live rock per gallon, but what if Iâ€™m going to use live sand as well? Is live sand a waste of money? I know Iâ€™m rambling with questions but Iâ€™m going to start my set up soon and am just looking for advice. I was successful with freshwater, but salt is a whole new league. Thanks for any help, and advice is GREATLY welcomed!!!

Sugar Magnolia · 02/05/2009, 10:26 AM

To Reef Central

Read through these articles - http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh...readid=1031074

IMO, you can get along just fine with regular dry aragonite sand and either buy a pound or two of live sand or better yet, check in your area for a local club and get a couple of scoops from other members.

Skimmer for sure. Chemicals - none until your tank has cycled. The most important thing to have right now is test kits for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and pH along with a refractometer to test salinity. Later on you will need test kits for calcium, alkilinity and magnesium.

THE ROOK · 02/05/2009, 10:29 AM

-Florescent Bulbs ok for fowlr

- Skimmer (ask here 1st. Too much junk out there) - Yes

- Canister or Wet/dry sump. - No

Sugar Magnolia · 02/05/2009, 10:30 AM

http://www.kyreefsociety.com/
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/fo...s=&forumid=471

joeychitwood · 02/05/2009, 11:03 AM

You can run carbon in a canister filter. I think a skimmer is a reliable and cheap method of keeping the water cleaner. Do not use Bio-Wheels or other types of media filtration. Good live rock in combination with skimming and carbon should be all you need. Get a cup of live sand from other reefers (whom you trust to have a disease-free tank) to seed a sand bed if you plan on using sand. I'm using a one-inch sand bed for aesthetic purposes with good results.

I enjoyed my fish-only tank, but I quickly reached a point where I could not increase the bioload and could not add any new fish. The tank became less interesting to me. Keeping corals, clams and invertebrates is much more fun, because I can literally add all the corals I can fit into the tank. It's much easier to maintain an interest level with a reef tank, in my opinion.

Thisseemsfishy · 02/05/2009, 12:06 PM

Thanks for all the help, what if new sand is the same price as live sand, then should i just buy all live sand? Also what chemicals after the tank is cycled, espically if i'm going to have crabs and sea stars? Is it bad to run bio media with LR and LS?

joeychitwood · 02/05/2009, 12:42 PM

Bio media tend to produce nitrates, so not only are they unnecessary, but they can be harmful to the overall water quality. I use B-Ionic two-part alk and calcium additives, but otherwise generally, regular water changes should provide most of the essential minerals you need in the water. What are your plans for the sand bed? If you are just keeping fish, you can and probably should use a fairly shallow bed. If priced the same, live sand is fine, but not really necessary.

Thisseemsfishy · 02/05/2009, 12:46 PM

I didnt really have any plans, just as a base for my rock. Should I have plans? How deep should the sand be? Speaking of base...should I use or can I use uncured rock as the base or can I just stack already cured LR?

joeychitwood · 02/05/2009, 02:31 PM

You only need decide how deep your sand bed will be. Or, you might wish to choose a bare bottom or Star Board bottom. In a fish-only tank, it really doesn't matter, unless you plan to have sand sifters or other critters that burrow in sand.

You could buy some live rock and some dead base rock. The base rock will eventually become colonized and will become LR. It is a less expensive route than buying 100% LR.

Thisseemsfishy · 02/06/2009, 12:57 AM

I want to have crabs and sand sifting sea stars so what would you recommend as a sand depth? Will uncured rock create harmful pollutants? I planned on using all live rock and add a couple of fish in a couple of weeks. What are your thoughts?

joeychitwood · 02/06/2009, 08:48 AM

I think you could use an inch or two of sand for a nice white base without the issues of a deep sand bed. Uncured rock will obviously need to cure before you stock the tank. You can cure it in a Rubbermaid container with a heater, light and powerhead, or you can cure it in your tank, which can be a smelly proposition.

Thisseemsfishy · 02/06/2009, 11:00 AM

What if i use all live rock, as a base and everything,will that work and cycle the tank properly? Followed by a two fish in a couple of weeks? Thanks for all your help and patience.

Sugar Magnolia · 02/06/2009, 12:19 PM

All LR is perfectly fine as long as expense isn't an issue for you. Using uncured LR you can expect your cycle to last up to 8 weeks. Fully cured LR can have a minimal if not zero cycle time, depending upon how it was transported/how long it was out of the water.

Remember - no fish until all of your tests are showing zero.

02/05/2009, 10:21 AM	#1
Thisseemsfishy Just another Reefer Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Kentucky, USA Posts: 715	What equip do I need? Iâ€™m starting a 55g FOWLR. I would like to know if I could use florescent bulbs? Also, do I need to use mechanical filtration if Iâ€™m going to get a protein skimmer and put it in my sump? Do I need a protein skimmer if Iâ€™m going to use a sump with mechanical filtration? If Iâ€™m going to keep a couple of crabs and sea stars will I need to add any certain chemicals? I know they say 1 - 1.5 pounds of live rock per gallon, but what if Iâ€™m going to use live sand as well? Is live sand a waste of money? I know Iâ€™m rambling with questions but Iâ€™m going to start my set up soon and am just looking for advice. I was successful with freshwater, but salt is a whole new league. Thanks for any help, and advice is GREATLY welcomed!!!

02/05/2009, 10:26 AM	#2
Sugar Magnolia Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Northern VA Posts: 17,691	*To Reef Central* Read through these articles - http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh...readid=1031074 IMO, you can get along just fine with regular dry aragonite sand and either buy a pound or two of live sand or better yet, check in your area for a local club and get a couple of scoops from other members. Skimmer for sure. Chemicals - none until your tank has cycled. The most important thing to have right now is test kits for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and pH along with a refractometer to test salinity. Later on you will need test kits for calcium, alkilinity and magnesium. __________________ Adrienne The only thing to fear is fear itself....and spiders.

02/05/2009, 10:30 AM	#4
Sugar Magnolia Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Northern VA Posts: 17,691	http://www.kyreefsociety.com/ http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/fo...s=&forumid=471 __________________ Adrienne The only thing to fear is fear itself....and spiders.

02/05/2009, 12:06 PM	#6
Thisseemsfishy Just another Reefer Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Kentucky, USA Posts: 715	Thanks for all the help, what if new sand is the same price as live sand, then should i just buy all live sand? Also what chemicals after the tank is cycled, espically if i'm going to have crabs and sea stars? Is it bad to run bio media with LR and LS? __________________ -the Sho "Success is a science; if you have the conditions, you get the result." -Oscar Wilde "The best thing a man can do when he is losing is just give up!" -Matt Stimson Current Tank Info: 65g Reef, 265w Cree LED Lighting, 20g DIY Sump/Fuge, Euro-Reef CS6-1 Skimmer, 2 Little Fishes GFO Reactor \|\|\|\|\| Mostly SPS and a few LPS, Zoa's, and Shrooms

02/05/2009, 12:46 PM	#8
Thisseemsfishy Just another Reefer Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Kentucky, USA Posts: 715	I didnt really have any plans, just as a base for my rock. Should I have plans? How deep should the sand be? Speaking of base...should I use or can I use uncured rock as the base or can I just stack already cured LR? __________________ -the Sho "Success is a science; if you have the conditions, you get the result." -Oscar Wilde "The best thing a man can do when he is losing is just give up!" -Matt Stimson Current Tank Info: 65g Reef, 265w Cree LED Lighting, 20g DIY Sump/Fuge, Euro-Reef CS6-1 Skimmer, 2 Little Fishes GFO Reactor \|\|\|\|\| Mostly SPS and a few LPS, Zoa's, and Shrooms

02/05/2009, 10:29 AM	#3
THE ROOK Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Springfield, MA Posts: 2,100	-Florescent Bulbs ok for fowlr - Skimmer (ask here 1st. Too much junk out there) - Yes - Canister or Wet/dry sump. - No

02/05/2009, 11:03 AM	#5
joeychitwood Schrödinger's Mod Join Date: Apr 2001 Posts: 3,488	You can run carbon in a canister filter. I think a skimmer is a reliable and cheap method of keeping the water cleaner. Do not use Bio-Wheels or other types of media filtration. Good live rock in combination with skimming and carbon should be all you need. Get a cup of live sand from other reefers (whom you trust to have a disease-free tank) to seed a sand bed if you plan on using sand. I'm using a one-inch sand bed for aesthetic purposes with good results. I enjoyed my fish-only tank, but I quickly reached a point where I could not increase the bioload and could not add any new fish. The tank became less interesting to me. Keeping corals, clams and invertebrates is much more fun, because I can literally add all the corals I can fit into the tank. It's much easier to maintain an interest level with a reef tank, in my opinion.

02/05/2009, 12:42 PM	#7
joeychitwood Schrödinger's Mod Join Date: Apr 2001 Posts: 3,488	Bio media tend to produce nitrates, so not only are they unnecessary, but they can be harmful to the overall water quality. I use B-Ionic two-part alk and calcium additives, but otherwise generally, regular water changes should provide most of the essential minerals you need in the water. What are your plans for the sand bed? If you are just keeping fish, you can and probably should use a fairly shallow bed. If priced the same, live sand is fine, but not really necessary.

02/05/2009, 02:31 PM	#9
joeychitwood Schrödinger's Mod Join Date: Apr 2001 Posts: 3,488	You only need decide how deep your sand bed will be. Or, you might wish to choose a bare bottom or Star Board bottom. In a fish-only tank, it really doesn't matter, unless you plan to have sand sifters or other critters that burrow in sand. You could buy some live rock and some dead base rock. The base rock will eventually become colonized and will become LR. It is a less expensive route than buying 100% LR.

02/06/2009, 12:57 AM	#10
Thisseemsfishy Just another Reefer Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Kentucky, USA Posts: 715	I want to have crabs and sand sifting sea stars so what would you recommend as a sand depth? Will uncured rock create harmful pollutants? I planned on using all live rock and add a couple of fish in a couple of weeks. What are your thoughts? __________________ -the Sho "Success is a science; if you have the conditions, you get the result." -Oscar Wilde "The best thing a man can do when he is losing is just give up!" -Matt Stimson Current Tank Info: 65g Reef, 265w Cree LED Lighting, 20g DIY Sump/Fuge, Euro-Reef CS6-1 Skimmer, 2 Little Fishes GFO Reactor \|\|\|\|\| Mostly SPS and a few LPS, Zoa's, and Shrooms

02/06/2009, 08:48 AM	#11
joeychitwood Schrödinger's Mod Join Date: Apr 2001 Posts: 3,488	I think you could use an inch or two of sand for a nice white base without the issues of a deep sand bed. Uncured rock will obviously need to cure before you stock the tank. You can cure it in a Rubbermaid container with a heater, light and powerhead, or you can cure it in your tank, which can be a smelly proposition.

02/06/2009, 11:00 AM	#12
Thisseemsfishy Just another Reefer Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Kentucky, USA Posts: 715	What if i use all live rock, as a base and everything,will that work and cycle the tank properly? Followed by a two fish in a couple of weeks? Thanks for all your help and patience. __________________ -the Sho "Success is a science; if you have the conditions, you get the result." -Oscar Wilde "The best thing a man can do when he is losing is just give up!" -Matt Stimson Current Tank Info: 65g Reef, 265w Cree LED Lighting, 20g DIY Sump/Fuge, Euro-Reef CS6-1 Skimmer, 2 Little Fishes GFO Reactor \|\|\|\|\| Mostly SPS and a few LPS, Zoa's, and Shrooms

02/06/2009, 12:19 PM	#13
Sugar Magnolia Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Northern VA Posts: 17,691	All LR is perfectly fine as long as expense isn't an issue for you. Using uncured LR you can expect your cycle to last up to 8 weeks. Fully cured LR can have a minimal if not zero cycle time, depending upon how it was transported/how long it was out of the water. Remember - no fish until all of your tests are showing zero. __________________ Adrienne The only thing to fear is fear itself....and spiders.