Cichlid VS Saltwater FOWLR - Aquarium Advice

imcgary · 02-26-2007, 07:41 PM

I have a 46bow assuming the only equipment that i have is two HOB filters. What would you do? I am not attached to the filters by any means so i dont feel obligated to use them on the new setup. Give your supporting arguments for your decision if you dont mind.

blazeyreef · 02-26-2007, 07:43 PM

I say saltwater FOWLR but then again obsessed with my salties hehe! if you have the filter by no means use them! but I would also get a good skimmer if you do go with saltwater..... what filters are they out of curriousity?

neilanh · 02-26-2007, 07:47 PM

it I were to do (or should I say, when I do) SW it'd have to be reef. But that's just me

Finatic · 02-26-2007, 08:41 PM

I have both SW an FW. Cichlid tanks can be as colorful as FW tanks, but much much cheaper to set up initially.

FWIW

dsmlrussell · 02-27-2007, 01:46 AM

Go FOWLR. SW is so addicting you will want to upgrade to a full reef in no time.

imcgary · 02-27-2007, 10:17 AM

ok so far we have 3 for sw and 1 for cichlids. i must say that the argument that cichlids are cheaper is a good one. BUT the argument of upgrading a FOWLR tank to a full reef tank is also very enticing.

What about the size of the tank. How would that affect the decision either way?

mugginns · 02-27-2007, 10:37 AM

Do you have a lot of experience? Do you have the time to devote to take care of a FOWLR tank? Do you want to upgrade to a reef at some point? Do you have the cash to buy lighting for a reef tank?

All questions to ask yourself. If it were me, I'd make a really nice planted SA or CA cichlid setup, that looks really natural, or perhaps a big rocky african tank.

scalesojustice · 02-27-2007, 03:27 PM

i'll also support the cichlid argument for the following reasons. First off is price. if you have adequate filters (you're going to want your filters to turn over atleast 322 gallons per hour), then your only real expense will be the fish. you can get a 50 lb. bag of pool filter sand for $7 and rocks are free if you find the right ones.

also is ease of care and maintenance. the big reason that i don't do saltwater is the time. i just don't have it. you have to constantly watch it and most people recommend using R.O. water, which can be expensive in itself. freshwater allows for more cost cutting. you'll need certain lighting, skimmer, LR, power heads, etc. expenses that you don't have with FW

with a freshwater, once you are fully cycled (fishless) it's pretty much on auto-pilot with a water change once a week. you can have a great looking tank and keep your problems to a minimum with fresh water, as long as you research first. even if you want more of a challenge later on down the line, a planted tank would give you lots of problems to fix

plus, i tend to travel a bit and i like being able to go away for a couple days and not worrying about the tank. even if my fish sitters over feed a bit, i know i'm not going to come home to a crashed tank and dead fish.

Finatic · 02-27-2007, 03:56 PM

If you really want a colorful Cichlid tank, go with Peacocks (males). You can get some great colors especially with the crossbreeds.

Don't get me wrong, I love my reef tank, but I didn't have the budget to set up another 75gal tank. The Cichlid tank was about 1/5th the price.

Cichlid:
Cannister filter $105 (with Petsmart webmatch)
Rocks $30 ($.50 a piece from landscape supply)
One PH @ $18
Sand (went with aragonite) $50 -70
Light $40

Reef
Skimmer $120
Rocks $600 - $800 (1.5 lbs per gallon at $7 per pound for LR and $3 per pound for Base)
4 PH's $80
Sand $60-$ 70
Salt $40 per 200gal worth of mix
Light $400 (yes $400)

Hope this helps some. Not trying to sway you either way, I just wish I would have done more cost research into it before I started SW. They are both fun and beautiful tanks.

imcgary · 02-27-2007, 06:27 PM

I already have a 125g planted tank that looks awsome. It used to be in the 46g but i decided to move it up to the big tank. so experience is not a problem time might be more of a problem. My original thaught was Cichlids but after i was doing some research i thaught my options would be limited because of the size of the tank

02-26-2007, 07:41 PM	#1
imcgary Aquarium Advice Regular Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Kansas Posts: 70	Cichlid VS Saltwater FOWLR I have a 46bow assuming the only equipment that i have is two HOB filters. What would you do? I am not attached to the filters by any means so i dont feel obligated to use them on the new setup. Give your supporting arguments for your decision if you dont mind.

02-26-2007, 07:43 PM	#2
blazeyreef Aquarium Advice Addict Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Nashville TN Posts: 1,600 Images: 1	I say saltwater FOWLR but then again obsessed with my salties hehe! if you have the filter by no means use them! but I would also get a good skimmer if you do go with saltwater..... what filters are they out of curriousity? __________________ Houston "Face Trials with Smiles"-Porter Ellett *My aquariums-5gall snowball shrimp, 20long-awaiting setup,29gall planted* "We are nothing until we make ourselves somthing" CTR**

02-27-2007, 10:37 AM	#7
mugginns Aquarium Advice Regular Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Lansing, MI Posts: 75	Do you have a lot of experience? Do you have the time to devote to take care of a FOWLR tank? Do you want to upgrade to a reef at some point? Do you have the cash to buy lighting for a reef tank? All questions to ask yourself. If it were me, I'd make a really nice planted SA or CA cichlid setup, that looks really natural, or perhaps a big rocky african tank. __________________ 50 G (B) Freshwater Amazon tank 40 G (B) Reef tank 20 G Tanganyika tank

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02-26-2007, 08:41 PM	#4
Finatic Aquarium Advice Activist Join Date: Aug 2006 Posts: 160 Images: 4	I have both SW an FW. Cichlid tanks can be as colorful as FW tanks, but much much cheaper to set up initially. FWIW

02-27-2007, 10:17 AM	#6
imcgary Aquarium Advice Regular Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Kansas Posts: 70	ok so far we have 3 for sw and 1 for cichlids. i must say that the argument that cichlids are cheaper is a good one. BUT the argument of upgrading a FOWLR tank to a full reef tank is also very enticing. What about the size of the tank. How would that affect the decision either way?

02-27-2007, 03:27 PM	#8
scalesojustice Aquarium Advice Activist Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 152	i'll also support the cichlid argument for the following reasons. First off is price. if you have adequate filters (you're going to want your filters to turn over atleast 322 gallons per hour), then your only real expense will be the fish. you can get a 50 lb. bag of pool filter sand for $7 and rocks are free if you find the right ones. also is ease of care and maintenance. the big reason that i don't do saltwater is the time. i just don't have it. you have to constantly watch it and most people recommend using R.O. water, which can be expensive in itself. freshwater allows for more cost cutting. you'll need certain lighting, skimmer, LR, power heads, etc. expenses that you don't have with FW with a freshwater, once you are fully cycled (fishless) it's pretty much on auto-pilot with a water change once a week. you can have a great looking tank and keep your problems to a minimum with fresh water, as long as you research first. even if you want more of a challenge later on down the line, a planted tank would give you lots of problems to fix plus, i tend to travel a bit and i like being able to go away for a couple days and not worrying about the tank. even if my fish sitters over feed a bit, i know i'm not going to come home to a crashed tank and dead fish.

02-27-2007, 03:56 PM	#9
Finatic Aquarium Advice Activist Join Date: Aug 2006 Posts: 160 Images: 4	If you really want a colorful Cichlid tank, go with Peacocks (males). You can get some great colors especially with the crossbreeds. Don't get me wrong, I love my reef tank, but I didn't have the budget to set up another 75gal tank. The Cichlid tank was about 1/5th the price. Cichlid: Cannister filter $105 (with Petsmart webmatch) Rocks $30 ($.50 a piece from landscape supply) One PH @ $18 Sand (went with aragonite) $50 -70 Light $40 Reef Skimmer $120 Rocks $600 - $800 (1.5 lbs per gallon at $7 per pound for LR and $3 per pound for Base) 4 PH's $80 Sand $60-$ 70 Salt $40 per 200gal worth of mix Light $400 (yes $400) Hope this helps some. Not trying to sway you either way, I just wish I would have done more cost research into it before I started SW. They are both fun and beautiful tanks.

02-27-2007, 06:27 PM	#10
imcgary Aquarium Advice Regular Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Kansas Posts: 70	I already have a 125g planted tank that looks awsome. It used to be in the 46g but i decided to move it up to the big tank. so experience is not a problem time might be more of a problem. My original thaught was Cichlids but after i was doing some research i thaught my options would be limited because of the size of the tank