advice for 55 gallon fowler set-up

jasson

Registered Member
Sep 24, 2004
2
0
0
ok i need yall's advice i am looking to get in the hobbie i plan on setting up a 55 gallon fowler tank. i have read two books that completely contridict themselves and numerous articles now i am looking for a common thread i can go with. i would like to set up a 55 gallon tank with a wet dry system and possible a reverse underground filter. i am looking for recomedations on protein skimmer, lighting, ect. i plan on keeping a few fish and maybe 6 months down the road,of stability, a anemone. i would also like to have the capability to switch to a reef tank in a few years while using the same equipment. any recommendationd would help and please be specific with brands. i am not on an unlimited budget but am willing to make a $2000 investment. thanks in advance

p.s. if this has already been answered please post a link.
 
Well, first, if you want to end up with a reef tank, you do not want to use any kind of UGF, IMO. They are a pain to keep clean and functioning, since most reefers want lots of live rock--all of which sits on the substrate and will clog a UGF, and UGF can't run with sand. So, I'd pitch that out now. FOr the wet-dry--I'm not a fam of them. If you run a pre-filter, to prevent solid wastes from becoming trapped in the wet-dry they can work, but that prefilter will require frequent cleaning.

Second--you'll need to purchase fish with the intent of them living in a reef, so be careful and research all the fish completely before purchase.

Here's how I would set the tank up:
2-4 inches of sand. Any kind of fine grained sand will work, some will help buffer your water.
40-60 pounds of porous rock, with at least 30 pounds of that being live rock.
Skimmer--big fan of them, and they help maintain the water quality.
3 powerheads, one for each side of the tank and one in the middle.

A sump is a good option--place to stash a heater and other equipment.

For lights--if you want a reef, go with the best you can. That means metal hallide (2 bulbs for a 4 foot tank) and I'd get one of the hoods that has the MH and a PC for actinic lights. I would get these now, since it's easier to include in the setup than as a retrofit.

Please do a ton od research before purchasing an aneneome. Even with adequate lighting and feeding, they seldom survive more than a few years in an aquarium. Without these, they die quickly--sad for an animal that lives hundreds of years in the wild. There is not real reason to have one, other than for it's own sake, since clowns and other critters that develop relationships with anenomes will accept other hosts. The best summation of their care that I have seen is this: By the time you have the experience to care for an anenome, you realize why you shouldn't have one.
 
sump?

what is the difference between the sump and wet/dry? now the stupid question what do you attach the power head to? where does it draw water from?
 
Powerheads aren't really attached to anything--they hang off the top, or are attached to the side with suction cups (I prefer to hang them--suction cups tend to lose their flexibility and quit working in SW). They have a small screen on the bottom where water comes in.
 
AquariaCentral.com