42g - FO or FOWLR?

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SHARPiE

Aquarium Advice Freak
Joined
Sep 1, 2009
Messages
492
Location
Adelaide, South Australia
Hi all,
I'm relatively new to the marine game. I have done lots of research online, at marine fish stores and using books. I have a well established 10g FO percula clown tank. But I have a few questions specific to my new project.

I just bought a 42g AquaOne AquaStye AR-850 Tank (above tank open filtration bed, wet + dry trickle system with spraybar, carbon, cotton, sintered glass and power head)
Filter Flow Rate: 528g/hr
Light Wattage: 2 x 30in 25W 1 x 23.5in 20W

I have an inch of aragonite coral sand at the bottom.

Six months down the track when I can afford a protein skimmer and better lighting, I want corals and anemones. But for now I think I'll go FO with fake coral, that is, unless LR (or even dead rock) can survive without a protein skimmer and extra lighting.

Questions:

1 - Will the current filter & light be able to cope with live or even dead rock?
2 - In the interim, is it worth going for fake coral if the filter & light can't cope with live/dead rock?
3 - What is the difference between cycling FO vs FOWLR (any links?) I have successfully cycled fish only marine and tropical tanks before.
4 - Should I add more sand if I go LR?
5 - What are the best starter reef fish?
6 - Are these suitable for a fish only tank which will be converted to coral?


Thanks in advance for your input and help.

I will post progress photos if I am able.
 
1. Lighting is not important in the cycle process. I am not familiar with that specific filter, but you should be good. The spray bar may sauce quite a bit of salt creep.
2. Fake corals are a personal preference, I don't see a lot of folks using them. I like to use 75% base rock to 25% LR to cut on costs.
3. No difference, simply add 1 unseasoned, raw jumbo shrimp per 30 gallons for a humane, fishless cycle.
4. That doesn't matter....FO really means fish only, no sand or rock or at least a bare minimum.
5. Check liveaquaria.com and other sites and put together a list of what you would like to add (otherwise, the answer to this is almost limitless).
6. Same as 5....
Here are some articles:
http://aquariumadvice.com/articles/
Here is how to cycle your tank:
http://www.aquariumadvice.com/articles/articles/3/1/Cycle-your-salt-tank/Page1.html
I would suggest getting the saltmaster test kit from API...it's a decent starter kit.
I think you will need more light if you want to keep corals down the road....
 
As far as lighting if you do a (Fish only) or a (Fish only with Live rock) any lighting will work. Only need lighting to see the fish. If you go reef you`ll need a major lighting upgrade. IMO LR is good for your tank because it provides the surface area that your nitrifying bacteria needs. Excellent biological filtration.
 
Thanks for the reply's guys! Always much appreciated.

I just brought home 11 pounds of live rock - got it extra extra cheap as I know the guy at the LFS ($10 AUD a kilogram OR $3.8 USD for a pound!)

Will get some pics up tomorrow.

I'm loving it!
The LR could almost be used by itself in a display tank!!

While the cycling process starts, I will do some research as to what I want in it!
 
More updates:

Just bought over the net:

1x 280L Venturi Driven Protein Skimmer SA-2011
1x WH-2000 Weipro Internal/External Water Pump


Getting there faster than I thought.

List of fish I am thinking of:

2 Yellowtail Damsel
2 Firefish
1 Kaudern's Cardinal
1 Royal Gramma Basslet

Once anemones established:
2 cinnamon clown
 
More live rock, but it still looks good. Clowns may or may not host a nem. Not sure on the damsels, but damsels tend to be aggressive (clowns are damsels too!). Anemones need a stable tank that has been set up for about 8-12 months. Other than that, seems OK to me, but I'm still pretty new to SW.
 
OK, It's Day 3 of my FOWLR Tank, and it's time to do some tests:

Ammonia - 0.25 ppm
Nitrite - 0 ppm
Nitrate - 2.5 ppm
SG - 1.020
pH - 8.2
Temp - 24.5 celcius (76 F)


I have turned the heating up very slightly to hit 25 C or 77 F

Question
- Is it normal to have nitrate readings already? Could this have come along with my live rock?
 
I like the corals! Everything looks good. I had high nitrates my first two days with rocks in place.
 
Sharpie; Are you using ro/di water? If not, the nitrates could be coming from your tap water source. That's usually where most of the nitrates come from in tanks that don't use RO water. Nitrates could also come from leftover food, detritus buildups.. stuff like that. How much do you feed your fish? Do you have a clean up crew? Things like that should be able to determin where nitrates are coming from. Let us know! :)
 
Hey Zer0 -
I'm not using RO/DI water - But I tested the water before I added it to the tank:

Am - 0
Nitrite - 0
Nitrate - 0
pH - 8.8

I haven't added any fish or food yet -
No Cleanup crew yet either - Other than 4 very small black, red and white striped shrimp looking things, a few tubes growing out of the rock with these frond things that stick out and wave in the water, and a TINY cone shaped shell critter that came with the LR.

Anyone know what these critters are?
 
austinsdad - The shrimp things appear more white and grey now. No red anymore. Plus I cant find as many this time around.
Heres some pics.

melosu58 - yes, tap water for this one.


Any know what the corals are?
That tube fan worm thing?
And the white worm on the glass.

 
I did quite a bit of research on my local tap water before I added it. From what I can find, it is quite soft water.

This is the typical analysis:



After speaking with all the aquarium gurus in Adelaide, they said I should be very safe to use tap water for my FOWLR, but if i want to do reef, RO/DI should be considered.

So once I decide to make the plunge into corals, I'll invest in an RO/DI unit and slowly change all the water out.
 
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