# My idea for a first FOWLR tank



## solarz (Aug 31, 2010)

I am totally new at saltwater tanks, and I am thinking of converting my 16-gal trophy-shaped tank into saltwater. I plan to start with 2 ocellaris clowns and some live rocks. I have a HOB filter for this tank.

1- What kind of substrate should I use? The tank is 16-18 inches tall, should I go with a thin layer or a deep sand bed?

2- What is the best way to get Live Rocks? Can I buy just one LR and put it with "dead" porous rocks, and have the dead rocks become live? How long would that take?

3- Do I need any extra equipment?

Any other comments or suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

Oh, and if anyone could give me a step-by-step guide of how to set it up from scratch, that would be awesome!


----------



## gucci17 (Oct 11, 2007)

I am not the most qualified to answer your questions on SW as I am totally new to this realm myself.

Is a skimmer and sump out of the question? I would go with a skimmer atleast on a nano tank. I know it's debatable but I personally would still try to use one if I was setting up a nano tank. Since it sounds like you are going with a FOWLR tank, weekly water changes might be ok. Just know, you are already below the minimum tank size for clown fish so I caution on overstocking you tank.

Substrate is totally up to you...I am personally going with caribsea special grade and a shallow sand bed.

Live rock can be purchased from many reef stores or forum members. How long it will take to turn dead rock alive, I have no idea. Depends on how much live to dead rock you have to start with I guess. 

Get a test kit and you will probably want to create a HOB refugium and grow some chaeto as a nutrient export for your nitrates and phosphates.


----------



## solarz (Aug 31, 2010)

gucci17 said:


> I am not the most qualified to answer your questions on SW as I am totally new to this realm myself.
> 
> Is a skimmer and sump out of the question? I would go with a skimmer atleast on a nano tank. I know it's debatable but I personally would still try to use one if I was setting up a nano tank. Since it sounds like you are going with a FOWLR tank, weekly water changes might be ok. Just know, you are already below the minimum tank size for clown fish so I caution on overstocking you tank.


I'm planning to start simple, with only 2 ocellaris and some liver rocks, and maybe some shrimp/snails clean up crew, nothing else. I'm perfectly fine with weekly water changes, plus I'm going to start with those baby ocellaris with are like 2" each.


----------



## Dax (Sep 29, 2010)

I just started a 60 gal SW and am learning but here are my 2 cents:

FOWLR is reasonably forgiving so it's a good opportunity to learn. If you are eventually going to a reef in this setup then you might want to rethink your approach.

Your SB will eventually become live, so the deeper the better for filtration, but your LR will do the same job, so ... depends on how much filtration you need. I have the medium grain aragonite and it is shallow.

If you get enough bio media in your HOB then you have time to wait for the "dead" rock to become live at which point you can remove the ones in your HOB. How long it will take depends on a lot of factors ... all having to do with your setup. My uneducated guess would be a least a couple of months.

Starting off, only extra equipment might be a powerhead or 2 for circulation. The rest you can add when you decide where you want your setup to go. 

There are a lot of step by step guides on starting up. After reading 3 or 4 you'll notice a common theme. Just pick what makes sense.

My suggestion is to go on kijijji ir craigslist and buy a setup that someone is dumping. Best way to jump start your setup and it is the most cost effective.


----------



## solarz (Aug 31, 2010)

Dax said:


> I just started a 60 gal SW and am learning but here are my 2 cents:
> 
> FOWLR is reasonably forgiving so it's a good opportunity to learn. If you are eventually going to a reef in this setup then you might want to rethink your approach.
> 
> ...


Hmmm.... 2 questions:

1- Does the rock go on top of the substrate, or (as I've read at one site) do you put in the rock first, then the substrate?

2- Can you use a freshwater bio media to "seed" a saltwater tank?


----------



## Dax (Sep 29, 2010)

Both will work, but IMHO rock on top of substrate. 

They always say to never rinse SW biomedia in freshwater because it will kill them, so I would say no to the biomedia.


----------



## gucci17 (Oct 11, 2007)

solarz said:


> Hmmm.... 2 questions:
> 
> 1- Does the rock go on top of the substrate, or (as I've read at one site) do you put in the rock first, then the substrate?
> 
> 2- Can you use a freshwater bio media to "seed" a saltwater tank?


I would think most people put rock either on eggcrate or straight onto the glass. That way if a critter digs the sand out from underneath, there is less of a chance of a rockslide.

And no you do not use fw bio media to see a sw tank.


----------



## solarz (Aug 31, 2010)

gucci17 said:


> I would think most people put rock either on eggcrate or straight onto the glass. That way if a critter digs the sand out from underneath, there is less of a chance of a rockslide.


Oh I see, so that's the concern of putting rock on top of sand. I guess if I don't plan to stack a lot of rocks, that's not really an issue.

I'm looking at big al's online, and is it the "Aragonite Reef Sands" that I should be getting? What grain size should I go with?


----------



## caker_chris (Apr 22, 2010)

sand grade depends on a few things.

What do you plan on keeping in terms of fish and inverts? What do you like in terms of looks?

Typically people tend to lean towards the sugar size because it looks better and cleaner as well as ditrus doesn't seem to be as big of a problem sitting on the bottom of the tank. One downside to the sugar size is that it blows around alot depending on direction and rate of flow in the tank.


----------



## gucci17 (Oct 11, 2007)

solarz said:


> Oh I see, so that's the concern of putting rock on top of sand. I guess if I don't plan to stack a lot of rocks, that's not really an issue.
> 
> I'm looking at big al's online, and is it the "Aragonite Reef Sands" that I should be getting? What grain size should I go with?


I find sugar sized grain sand gets blown around too easily not to mention sucked up when you are cleaning and siphoning. It does look nice at first but I plan on going with a larger grain size myself.

Don't bother with the 'live' sand. It's not worth paying a premium for.


----------



## Dax (Sep 29, 2010)

gucci17 said:


> I find sugar sized grain sand gets blown around too easily not to mention sucked up when you are cleaning and siphoning. It does look nice at first but I plan on going with a larger grain size myself.
> 
> Don't bother with the 'live' sand. It's not worth paying a premium for.


I second the motion.


----------



## solarz (Aug 31, 2010)

How do you guys mix up the salt water? I've read that hydrometers are inaccurate, so do you all buy an expensive refractometer? Also, how do you deal with evaporation?


----------



## caker_chris (Apr 22, 2010)

hydrometers are not as accurate as a refractometer but will do the trick. If you are planning on keeping sps and anemones then I would suggest you spend a little more on the refractometer, but since you are just having a fowlr the hydrometer will do.

As far as evaporation is concerned, you can either purchase an automatic top off unit or just refill the water yourself. Once again since you are only doing a fowlr the automatic top off isnt nessesary unless you dont want to be bothered with doing it yourself every day.


----------



## UnderTheSea (Jun 2, 2008)

solarz said:


> How do you guys mix up the salt water? I've read that hydrometers are inaccurate, so do you all buy an expensive refractometer? Also, how do you deal with evaporation?


Shop around, you can pickup a refractometer for under $50 which when you consider the cost of the hobby...... it's not really that much.


----------

