New to Saltwater (FOWLR) Please Help!

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DirtyPanda

Aquarium Advice Apprentice
Joined
Jan 18, 2012
Messages
10
Hi there Aquarium Advice!

I have been in the freshwater hobby for several years now and recently found a great deal on a 125 Gal tank and would love to try my hand at a Saltwater FOWLR aquariums.
After hours of research I am a bit overwhelmed and still have many questions! I have no idea where to begin, please help.
I am considering a 125 Acryllic that already comes with a sump but is missing a pump
The sump looks like this http://images.craigslist.org/3Mf3Nc3Hc5I65N95Had2o56086862444a14be.jpg
I was thinking of using an eheim 1260 but are there any alternatives? (Trying to keep costs down) Also what should go in the sump? After a lot of research I learned of Protein Skimmers and is it really necessary to have with a FOWLR?
I am still unsure of the livestock but it will have a 2" sand bed and does not require a heater, temperature stays between 78-80F

Also am I missing anything else? I know there is a lot to saltwater tanks but would not mind making the commitment! Thank you
 
Hey there, I'm not familiar with sumps so can't help you there, but you don't need a skimmer it just a good thing to have. It would be a good idea to have a heater in it just incase your tank gets some temp change, and lastly you are missing lighting and your power heads for water flow. Hope this helps!
 
I will add too that a salt water test kit is essential as is your water source! No tap water I am afraid :) take your time and do plenty of research before purchasing anything...
 
I would highly advise a skimmer on a tank that size or make sure you dont stock the tank to capacityand again i would advise on the heater the heater will not run much unless the tank temp drops so just a security measure
 
Hello, and welcome to the hobby. I too was in your position at once. I have a 135g fowlr tank and am slowly trying my hand at some mushrooms. Everyone that I talk to says "bigger is easier". I only have a canister and a hob filter currently. I've never had parameter issues. I do also have a 40g sump and skimmer that I just recently purchased. Just waiting for my return to come in. I ordered a mag 950. You'll love it once everything is set up. Keep us posted with pics.
 
I will second that a skimmer really should be on your list. There's really no point in having a tank that size if you aren't going to take full advantage of the capacity, and to reliably do that, you'll need a skimmer. You could survive without it at first, but once the fish start putting on some size, you'll be wishing you had it. I'd also like to mention that skimmers pull out waste that mechanical filtration cannot. (filter socks, hob/ canister filters). In terms of the power heads, I'd recommend taking your time and spending decent money here. Cheaper routes will only end up causing headaches and extra expenses later on. As for the heater, even if you don't need one and are sure it will stay 78-80, place a heater or two in just to make sure that in case of an accident, your tank is safe. They won't kick on until they are needed to heat. I personally am running 2-200w heaters on my 125 (like running two so if one goes down I still have one)
 
I picked up 2 hydor koralias for $40 each on amazon. If you keep your eye open, you'll find stud for really cheap.
 
Thank you guys so much for the replies!
The reason I probably will not be getting a heater is because I live in Hawaii and the temperature does not change in my tanks (I have a 55 Freshwater and it's temp stays within that range)

Also because I live in Hawaii our tap water is unfiltered and has no additives, so would it be ok for me to mix salts with tap instead of distilled water?
Many people mentioned powerheads but I'm not really familiar with those, what do they really do and what types or how many would I need for my 125G?
 
I would still recommend ro-di water for best results. Can you test the tap water for TDS (total dissolved solids) you will need power heads for water movement. I have 2 in my 55g so believe you may need more. Someone with the same size tank hopefully can recommend how many/rate of flow etc. as for the heater, up to you
 
Power heads are devices that circulate water. Aka create flow. Check out www.bullreefsupply.com and dr fosters and smiths website. They will have powerless sections that will help you out better. In terms of how many and what flow rate, that's gonna be based on what you plan on doing with your tank. If you plan to always keep it FOWLR, you should shoot for 12-15x turnover. If you think you'll ever go for corals, you need more flow depending on the type
 
As long as your temp is stable and doesn't fluctuate more than 2 degrees. You may have the same problem as I do living in oz, I can't keep my temp down!
 
I plan on keeping the tank FOWLR, I don't think I can keep up with the costs of a reef tank...
With that in mind, when you people talk about water turnover, does that include power of pump as well or just the powerheads?

If so could I get away with a pumps and a couple powerheads for about $200 or less?
 
I have 2 hydor 1400, 1 aqua clear 80, plus my canister return and my hob return. As long as there is no standing water you'll be set. You'll learn a ton about saltwater from this forum. I know I have. There are a lot of people with great info.
 
The key really is to create enough flow in the tank so there are no dead spots (no flow). There are several methods to doing this. You could take the simple route of buying oversized power heads. A lot of people do this and it works (just costs a lil more) the second route is buying power heads that can be controlled via a wave maker. This simply alternates power between power heads to create different currents. My favorite is the rockscaping. When youre scaping, simply keep the rocks 2"-3" away from the glass and overflows. This will allow water to flow around the rocks and pickup debris.
 
In your sump? I so yes. That's what I just picked up. How much did you pay? I've heard great things about them from fellow hobbiest.
 
I absolutely love the mag drive line! I have an 18 on my 125 right now. Only think I can tell you is be careful of the size measurements. Danger apparently has 2 versions of every pump. A "normal" indoor pump and a "pond" version. The size measurements slightly differ etween the two
 
huma-huma said:
I absolutely love the mag drive line! I have an 18 on my 125 right now. Only think I can tell you is be careful of the size measurements. Danger apparently has 2 versions of every pump. A "normal" indoor pump and a "pond" version. The size measurements slightly differ etween the two
Click to expand...

Holy cow, you have a mag 18? I just picked up a mag 9.5 for me 135. After asking people and doing a little research seems like the 9.5 will work perfect for my overflows. I sure hope so...
 
Yep lol. I'm lifting the water about 4 feet. Split to 2 overflows, each with 2 jet nozzles. So I need the added power. I'd also recommend opening the pump up and lubricating the impeller magnet with vasoline. It's ok if you don't but it gives a lil extra protection against damage. And try to remember that preventative maintaince is worth gold in this hobby. If you keep your equipment clean and free of gunk, they will usually return the favor with flawless service
 
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