baby steps after a FOWLR tank

Steverino · 10/10/2006, 07:30 AM

After I get my FOWLR tank up and going, with some non-aggressive hardy basic fish (clowns, dwarf angels, Gobys, etc) as well as a cleanup crew of snails and shrimp, what would be the beginner types of non-fish species that would be the enxt step for me, such as featherdusters, mushrooms, SPS, (probably not corals), etc that would be the next step? I am taking this slow and simple, but want to plan ahead and start researching and reading up on what is recommended and what I can find locally. I will have a lot of live rock, and an 80 gallon tank.

Marinemom · 10/10/2006, 09:04 AM

Depends on what you want. Do you plan on softies for corals or do you want LPS or SPS corals? How much live rock do you have or are planning on having? Is this tank up and running already? For an 80 gallon tank I would recommend at least 80 pounds of live rock or more if you can. The more you have the better the tank will be for filteration as long as there is enough room for the fish to swim and be happy.

Marinemom

BlueCoast · 10/10/2006, 09:11 AM

I would avoid the SPS corals for awhile. Not only are they generally harder to care for, they require some of the strongest light amongst the corals. Think metal halides for most SPS's, for some starter corals, i would look into something like pulsing Xenia or green star polyps. Mushrooms are good too.

What kind of lighting do you have now? Corals are photosynthetic for the most part and thus get most of their energy from lighting.

Steverino · 10/10/2006, 10:51 AM

I have two PC lights. Each one has one blue actinic and one white, I think it is 10K but am having a memory fog. Each is a 96 watt light. The tank has the footprint of a 40 gallon breeder tank, but it is an extra tall. So it is 36w x 18d, and about 29 inches tall. I have some live rock and some not-live rock, and live sand too. I am intending to let the tank get up and going, I had a cycle and am ready to add the livestock slowly. I was not intending to get the Metal Halide lights, I am already in the doghouse for the budget on this thing! My goal is an interesting tank that has several colorful fish as well as a variety of shape and texture of growths on the rocks. Polyps, featherdusters, and any suggestions that would make for an affordable and visually interesting tank.

Shagsbeard · 10/10/2006, 10:56 AM

It depends on your entire stock list too. I have a butterfly fish that would decimate some of the soft corals/inverts that people would suggest off the top of their head. Your "not live rock" will become live rock in time... months rather than weeks. Let us in on the age of your tank... that's a key bit of data in deciding what to do next. Lighting is a limiting factor, but there are many others to consider.

Steverino · 10/10/2006, 11:30 AM

It is only a few weeks old, cycling with live sand and a couple of pieces of live rock. The temperature is stable at 79d, the pH is 8.3, salt is stable at 1.023. I plan to get more live rock and add it in over the next 2 weeks to get it fully 'decorated'. I don't plan to stock with fish immediately, I am taking it slow. I am not set on anything that is a must except for 1-2 clownfish (part of the 'deal' in having this tank), but perhaps Blennies, cardinals, gobies, maybe a long-nose hawkfish, maybe a dwarf angel. And a clean-up crew of shrimp and snails, I am not real keen on what I have heard about hermit crabs.

Raibaru · 10/10/2006, 11:57 AM

Well my skunk cleaner shrimp was an awesome addition to my tank. It isn't at all shy and is fairly visible all through-out the day. He will also take food right from my hand despite only being a few days old!

Another non-clean-up crew invert to add would be a Fire Shrimp. I don't own one of them and I hear they are easily startled and very reclusive. But they are an awesome shade of red.

As for beginner corals, here is what I have in my tank. I have a Frogspawn Frag, a Torch Frag, a GSP frag, several mushrooms, a single Ricordia Shroom, some Kenya Tree, a Xenia Frag, various Zoanthids and some Clove Polyps. These are all very newbie friendly and aren't to picky with light or flow. Also most don't need to much in the way of supplimental feeding or additives. The Xenia I think is the most demanding and may need Iodine? But other then that the rest of my list is pretty good. I just feed the tank 2 times a week with this PhytoPlex plus.

As for fish, I wish I could help. I'm in the same boat. I have a Green Chromis and will eventually have a pair of Oscellaris or True Perc clowns (haven't decided yet). But since my tank is only a 36g I can't put much more into it. Maybe one or 2 more fish tops and my corals are pretty much finished too. The only for sure addition that will come is a BTA. Fish I'm trying to decide between a bi-color blenny, yellow watchman goby, fire fish or flame angel. Problem is a lot of these I hear are reclusive.

Good luck though. Hopefully my ramblings was atleast somewhat helpful.

MrSpiffy · 10/10/2006, 12:48 PM

I would suggest green star polyps (GSP), Anthelia, Colt corals, basically anything that requires lower light (somewhat limited). Mushrooms would be good, too. Maybe certain types of zoanthids would work, too.

I just started getting my first corals, too. I got frags of GSP, colt, anthelia, and a mushroom. I only have normal output fluorescents on my tank (20G, so 15W x 2 = 30W total light), and they seem to be doing very well. Feel free to look if you'd like.

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh...hreadid=942017

10/10/2006, 07:30 AM	#1
Steverino Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: western Chicagoland, IL Posts: 1,114	baby steps after a FOWLR tank After I get my FOWLR tank up and going, with some non-aggressive hardy basic fish (clowns, dwarf angels, Gobys, etc) as well as a cleanup crew of snails and shrimp, what would be the beginner types of non-fish species that would be the enxt step for me, such as featherdusters, mushrooms, SPS, (probably not corals), etc that would be the next step? I am taking this slow and simple, but want to plan ahead and start researching and reading up on what is recommended and what I can find locally. I will have a lot of live rock, and an 80 gallon tank.

10/10/2006, 09:04 AM	#2
Marinemom Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Posts: 534	Depends on what you want. Do you plan on softies for corals or do you want LPS or SPS corals? How much live rock do you have or are planning on having? Is this tank up and running already? For an 80 gallon tank I would recommend at least 80 pounds of live rock or more if you can. The more you have the better the tank will be for filteration as long as there is enough room for the fish to swim and be happy. Marinemom

10/10/2006, 09:11 AM	#3
BlueCoast Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: St. Pete (FL) Posts: 982	I would avoid the SPS corals for awhile. Not only are they generally harder to care for, they require some of the strongest light amongst the corals. Think metal halides for most SPS's, for some starter corals, i would look into something like pulsing Xenia or green star polyps. Mushrooms are good too. What kind of lighting do you have now? Corals are photosynthetic for the most part and thus get most of their energy from lighting.

10/10/2006, 10:51 AM	#4
Steverino Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: western Chicagoland, IL Posts: 1,114	I have two PC lights. Each one has one blue actinic and one white, I think it is 10K but am having a memory fog. Each is a 96 watt light. The tank has the footprint of a 40 gallon breeder tank, but it is an extra tall. So it is 36w x 18d, and about 29 inches tall. I have some live rock and some not-live rock, and live sand too. I am intending to let the tank get up and going, I had a cycle and am ready to add the livestock slowly. I was not intending to get the Metal Halide lights, I am already in the doghouse for the budget on this thing! My goal is an interesting tank that has several colorful fish as well as a variety of shape and texture of growths on the rocks. Polyps, featherdusters, and any suggestions that would make for an affordable and visually interesting tank.

10/10/2006, 10:56 AM	#5
Shagsbeard Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Morro Bay, CA Posts: 2,143	It depends on your entire stock list too. I have a butterfly fish that would decimate some of the soft corals/inverts that people would suggest off the top of their head. Your "not live rock" will become live rock in time... months rather than weeks. Let us in on the age of your tank... that's a key bit of data in deciding what to do next. Lighting is a limiting factor, but there are many others to consider.

10/10/2006, 11:30 AM	#6
Steverino Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: western Chicagoland, IL Posts: 1,114	It is only a few weeks old, cycling with live sand and a couple of pieces of live rock. The temperature is stable at 79d, the pH is 8.3, salt is stable at 1.023. I plan to get more live rock and add it in over the next 2 weeks to get it fully 'decorated'. I don't plan to stock with fish immediately, I am taking it slow. I am not set on anything that is a must except for 1-2 clownfish (part of the 'deal' in having this tank), but perhaps Blennies, cardinals, gobies, maybe a long-nose hawkfish, maybe a dwarf angel. And a clean-up crew of shrimp and snails, I am not real keen on what I have heard about hermit crabs.

10/10/2006, 11:57 AM	#7
Raibaru Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Maryland Posts: 979	Well my skunk cleaner shrimp was an awesome addition to my tank. It isn't at all shy and is fairly visible all through-out the day. He will also take food right from my hand despite only being a few days old! Another non-clean-up crew invert to add would be a Fire Shrimp. I don't own one of them and I hear they are easily startled and very reclusive. But they are an awesome shade of red. As for beginner corals, here is what I have in my tank. I have a Frogspawn Frag, a Torch Frag, a GSP frag, several mushrooms, a single Ricordia Shroom, some Kenya Tree, a Xenia Frag, various Zoanthids and some Clove Polyps. These are all very newbie friendly and aren't to picky with light or flow. Also most don't need to much in the way of supplimental feeding or additives. The Xenia I think is the most demanding and may need Iodine? But other then that the rest of my list is pretty good. I just feed the tank 2 times a week with this PhytoPlex plus. As for fish, I wish I could help. I'm in the same boat. I have a Green Chromis and will eventually have a pair of Oscellaris or True Perc clowns (haven't decided yet). But since my tank is only a 36g I can't put much more into it. Maybe one or 2 more fish tops and my corals are pretty much finished too. The only for sure addition that will come is a BTA. Fish I'm trying to decide between a bi-color blenny, yellow watchman goby, fire fish or flame angel. Problem is a lot of these I hear are reclusive. Good luck though. Hopefully my ramblings was atleast somewhat helpful.

10/10/2006, 12:48 PM	#8
MrSpiffy Premium Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Loveland, CO Posts: 1,300	I would suggest green star polyps (GSP), Anthelia, Colt corals, basically anything that requires lower light (somewhat limited). Mushrooms would be good, too. Maybe certain types of zoanthids would work, too. I just started getting my first corals, too. I got frags of GSP, colt, anthelia, and a mushroom. I only have normal output fluorescents on my tank (20G, so 15W x 2 = 30W total light), and they seem to be doing very well. Feel free to look if you'd like. http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh...hreadid=942017