speckrb
Aquarium Advice Apprentice
I've been soaking up every bit of advice and read everything I can here and want to get some opinions. I have had many fresh water aquarium setups in the past and a 55 saltwater that included clowns, yellow headed jaw fish, pygmy angel figure 8 puffer - yes a figure 8 puffer that loved life in saltwater and a sifting goby (forgot the name). That was going so great for 6 months and then a crash that killed everything that several years later I learned was probably caused when I started to use the dehumidifier water from my basement. No one at any LFS, not even the one that I trusted the most said it was bad idea. I later learned that, after Al invented the internet, Dehumidifier water can have so many bacteria that it will kill everything. Now I am older and wiser - well older at least. I am not going to even start until I know exactly what I am doing. I am in the process of setting up a small FOWLR with a sump and separate refuge. I want to learn and maintain a simple system before I execute plan B in a couple years after we move.
My plan (I’ll call it plan A) now is I am now building a nice tank stand to hold a 20gal long that I am having drilled this weekend with a 15 gallon sump under the tank with an auto top off and trickle filter (if my idea works I’ll post pix after it is Patented) i'll post pix anyway. Do a fishless cycle before adding any fish. Add the LR and let stabilize, then add clowns and pygmy.
Skimmer and sump pump TBD based on advice here. After that is all running smoothly I want to start a 5 gallon separate refugium with cheato for a copepod farm and algae control (Eventually this will be a large part of plan B that includes a mandarin and 360 gallons- heh -heh- heh). My stock list for this setup I want to keep simple with a very light bio load. I am thinking simple lights of 50/50 – small actinic added for color enhancement during evening viewing hours with a LED moon light.
2 Percula's (they are the most basic but still my favorite)
Pygmy Angel
4-5 turbo snails or other clean up crew as needed
20-25 lbs LR
After things are under control and I am able to control the water params and algae I MAY, MAY, MAY try a hearty mushroom (eventually this will be part of plan B heh -heh- heh).
I want to keep the entire setup compact for cost and space reasons.
Questions I have for now is with plan A being a 1 to 2 year experimental learning set up and again keeping in mind that for now cost is an issue – when will it ever not be an issue, what sump style skimmer, set of smaller heaters, sump pump, light setups and DT substrate would everyone recommend? I know substrate depends on the inhabitants but what is the safest?
I now realize that keeping marine fish has very little to do with the fish themselves, it is all about controlling the water.
Is the trickle + skimmer + LR a bad idea?
Thanks and if anyone has anything that they have outgrown and wants to sell, and would fit this small setup let me know.
My wife does not know about plan B yet!!!
Sorry this maybe should have gone into the "Getting started column"
My plan (I’ll call it plan A) now is I am now building a nice tank stand to hold a 20gal long that I am having drilled this weekend with a 15 gallon sump under the tank with an auto top off and trickle filter (if my idea works I’ll post pix after it is Patented) i'll post pix anyway. Do a fishless cycle before adding any fish. Add the LR and let stabilize, then add clowns and pygmy.
Skimmer and sump pump TBD based on advice here. After that is all running smoothly I want to start a 5 gallon separate refugium with cheato for a copepod farm and algae control (Eventually this will be a large part of plan B that includes a mandarin and 360 gallons- heh -heh- heh). My stock list for this setup I want to keep simple with a very light bio load. I am thinking simple lights of 50/50 – small actinic added for color enhancement during evening viewing hours with a LED moon light.
2 Percula's (they are the most basic but still my favorite)
Pygmy Angel
4-5 turbo snails or other clean up crew as needed
20-25 lbs LR
After things are under control and I am able to control the water params and algae I MAY, MAY, MAY try a hearty mushroom (eventually this will be part of plan B heh -heh- heh).
I want to keep the entire setup compact for cost and space reasons.
Questions I have for now is with plan A being a 1 to 2 year experimental learning set up and again keeping in mind that for now cost is an issue – when will it ever not be an issue, what sump style skimmer, set of smaller heaters, sump pump, light setups and DT substrate would everyone recommend? I know substrate depends on the inhabitants but what is the safest?
I now realize that keeping marine fish has very little to do with the fish themselves, it is all about controlling the water.
Is the trickle + skimmer + LR a bad idea?
Thanks and if anyone has anything that they have outgrown and wants to sell, and would fit this small setup let me know.
My wife does not know about plan B yet!!!
Sorry this maybe should have gone into the "Getting started column"
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