Help with new set up... You guys are th best...

Very kind words for a very deserving gal. She is the best ain't she? There isn't a week goes by that I don't learn sumthin new from her. =)

I'll save the long winded answers for Onion (she loves to talk!), but I'll tell ya real quickly that ya don't need that canister filter. If you already have it, you'll be removing the media from it and running it as a glorified powerhead.

Errmm...Should I be blushing? Thanks for the kind words, but this forums is what introduced me to the vast amount of information available to the aquatic hobbyist, so I'm just trying to share, as so many kind people willingly shared with me.

For a first tank, the bigger is always better. Not just because it gives you more space for fish, but because the larger volume of water is more stable. This means it's easier to keep it where you need it, without as much work. The 40 gallon tank would be great--these usually have a lot of surface area, which will help out as well, without being so deep that it's a pain to work in.

For filtration, Corax is right--the live rock and live sand are the best biological filtration you can have. The bacteria colonize all levels of the rock and sand, and take care of ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates. These are the biggies, but some people still want to have some mechanical filtration as well. The problem with mechanical filtration in a SW system is that there are 'natural' means of dealing with the solid wastes that mechanical filters capture--crabs, shrimps, snails, worms, etc are called detrivores because these is the kind of stuff they live on. If it's caught up in a mechanical filter like a canister, they can't get to it. This means that you have to clean the mechanical filter regularly to avoid having those solids break down, causing more ammonia and nitrites, and eventually, more nitrates. The bacteria for ammonia and nitrites can catch up with the higher load easily, but the nitrate consuming bacteria are slower to catch up, meaning you have to do more water changes. If there's not mechanical filtration, you get cleaner water, with less work. So, if you haven't purchased the canister yet, I wouldn't. Spend the money on getting a few good powerheads and more live rock instead. If you have the canister, run it with out media. It is nice to have the option to throw chemical media (like carbon) in if needed, but not as a full time part of the system.

MH will be great for a long term plan. The FOWLR won't need much light--1.5-2 watts per gallon of NO light will be enough for most of the organisms on the rock, and the fish won't care--it will mostly be for your viewing pleasure. Another little thing I highly recommend--get a good, indoor/outdoor timer. IMO, tanks run better when they are on a regular lighting schedule, and between work and play, I would never be able to provide that without having my lights on timers. Of course, with 8 tanks, I also don't want to wander around the entire house turning lights on/off each day!

Depending on what kind of clowns you get, there are a wide vareity of fish you could get. The chalk basslets are nice, pretty colors, and a pair would be fine with a pair of clowns. Of course, I would avoid damsels, since they can be such contentious twits. The hawks tend to be attractive as well, but you'll need to make sure the tank is well covered to avoid carpet-surfing. There are also some wrasses that would fit--but you'll have to be careful to avoid those that get too large! One of the dwarf angels would fit in as well, but some of these can be fussy eaters, so research well before purchase. A good cleanup crew as well--snails and worms may not be that exciting or colorful, but some blood or camel shrimp definitely will entertain in addition to helping keep the tank clean.

Guess I am kind of wardy, huh?

"For filtration, Corax is right--the live rock and live sand are the best biological filtration you can have. The bacteria colonize all levels of the rock and sand, and take care of ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates."

Totally agree.

" These are the biggies, but some people still want to have some mechanical filtration as well. The problem with mechanical filtration in a SW system is that there are 'natural' means of dealing with the solid wastes that mechanical filters capture--crabs, shrimps, snails, worms, etc are called detrivores because these is the kind of stuff they live on. If it's caught up in a mechanical filter like a canister, they can't get to it. This means that you have to clean the mechanical filter regularly to avoid having those solids break down, "

Do not totally agree. First I hate canister filters; I love hang on the Back (HOB) filters. They do the same thing. If you have any pod eaters these filters are a great help. Pods use the filters to live and multiply in, in safety. My filters are teaming with live all over the filter pads. The larvae they product not only replenished them in the filter; but also in the tank. They act as cleanup crew and become live food in the tank.


Ray