Fish Only Questions

[RealmTech]

Do you need to cycle a Fish Only set up without any Live Rock or Sand?
I feel like ammonia would only come from die off from stuff that was once living in the rock or sand, but just wanted to make sure. I would of course check the level anyways before adding fish. Just wanted to know what to expect before I start.

What are some common fish people add to a Fish Only tank?
I have only really seen the Lion Fish or some sort of eel.

[Shouldhavegills]

As a thought for others that want to cycle a tank "old school" style and have a bit of something to watch, sailfin or black mollies can be acclimated and do very well I'm salt water. Just be careful with feeding and stop at the first sign of ammonia and don't start again until nitrites are gone. Won't be the most exciting, but better than a tank of nothing in it. You don't want to start with a lion, they don't react well to ammonia. You could start with a common grouper or damsels ( sargent majors, 3 or 4 stripes work well), but no incurred roock till the cycle is done. Un-cured rock would cause too much of a spike. Again, this is a tried and true old school method. Gets the job done and is entertaining. Other ways to establish a tank would be to obtain filter media from a known good established tank, I have done this many times, always with success.

[RealmTech]

I just re-read my question and it didn't really make sense.

If I am setting up a fish only tank. Meaning I will not be including any live sand or live rock. Do I need to cycle the tank?

[shaginwagon13]

Originally Posted by RealmTech

I just re-read my question and it didn't really make sense.

If I am setting up a fish only tank. Meaning I will not be including any live sand or live rock. Do I need to cycle the tank?

Technically a quarantine tank can be made from no LR or sand and just saltwater but you have to monitor the water very frequently for Ammonia and do water changes to reduce the levels when they appear.

You can get a spike in levels from food that goes uneaten, waste, etc. so you are going to need to do something. Either your going to have to do lots and lots of water changes depending on how many fish you plan to keep, or have some sort of sump/ filtration and possible some LR and a skimmer under the tank. To be honest I don't think your going to find many supporters of the no LR + no sump and to be honest you will end up spending more money on Salt doing water changes so much that a sump with some LR and a skimmer will end up paying for itself within a year. You will need some sort of filtration system along with your tank.

Some fish people keep (depending on the size) are sharks, stingrays, Wrasse, Triggers, Batfish, Angels, Eels, Octopus, Grouper, Lionfish, ect. Many of the fish I listed however require pretty large tanks to care for properly, how large were you planning on going.

[RealmTech]

I wont be setting one up, I was just curious for a guide I was writing. I see lots of websites with info about FO tanks, but I can't find much information on how to actually do it. I might end up taking out the guide for FO tanks and just recommend FOWLR. Based on what you said and what I have found on the internet.

[shaginwagon13]

Ya with a FOWLR tank you defiantly will save money on the lighting and I supposed you don't need the tons of flow like you would a SPS tank which would save you money of pumps like the Ecotech or Tunze, but the very basics would be some sort of filtration along with a skimmer.

[MaxxedMan]

The fact the guy writing the guide on a Fish Only tank has never set one up and is asking how in an online forum makes me a little worried about your guide.

Seems irresponsible for you to be writing a guide on such an expensive hobby that deals with live animals that will die when you admit you have no experience or any plan to gain experience before writing it.

Maybe I'm just being a PITA. Sorry

[shaginwagon13]

Originally Posted by MaxxedMan

The fact the guy writing the guide on a Fish Only tank has never set one up and is asking how in an online forum makes me a little worried about your guide.

Seems irresponsible for you to be writing a guide on such an expensive hobby that deals with live animals that will die when you admit you have no experience or any plan to gain experience before writing it.

Maybe I'm just being a PITA. Sorry

haha +1

I got the impression he was wiritng a guide to the ' Do's and Dont's ' of having a tank and was doing research

MaxxedMan is right. If your planning to actually publish or give this guide to someone else to follow, your only cost the fish their life most likely. Most of the fish in FOWLR tanks are Expert only fish. They require a tank dedicated to their specific needs and special care must be given for their proper survival and longevity.