# FOWLR tank/ slowly adding live rock



## SunshinePlaty (Mar 14, 2009)

Hi there, I am really concidering getting a saltwater tank (29g). I was wondering which filter would be best for a FOWLR tank? Would a strong biowheel filter work? I am unable to have sump filter system, and I want to treat the tank as if it has no live rock because it will not have enough for the tank to rely on at first. I want to start out with a small amount of LR with base rock and let the bacterias and organisms spread to the base rock and add more and more LR over a long period of time. I talked to someone at a local petstore and they said that this would work out as long as I got hardier fish at first and kept the water quality in check. The reason for spreading out the accumulation of live rock is mainly because of the costs. If I were to spend that much on a tank all at once my parents wouldn't let me get one at all, and the live rock is the most coslty part of starting a saltwater tank...Over the summer I'll get paid more and be able to fill it with live rock more quickly... I'm planning on adding fish at a very slow pace...

As for fish I would like to eventually have a fire fish, spotted cardinal fish, a wheeler's watchman goby or two, Hi Fin Red Banded Goby, pair of clowns, if possible a dwarf lionfish, shrimp, blue legged crabs, and when the tank is ready for it a mandarin dragonet...

For corals I plan on starting off by getting some colt coral, star polyps, Zoanthid Polyps, and some cabage leather corals...

Thanks for any advice or suggestions...


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## Fishfirst (Jan 24, 2005)

A strong biowheel would work as long as you kept up with water changes. I would add all the liverock at once though instead of adding it over time, even a small couple peices can destroy a tank if not cured properly and something on the liverock dies. Firefish, spotted cardinal, and gobies would be fine... A pair of clowns maybe a bit too aggressive for the firefish. Dwarf Lionfish will eat all of the fish above. Mandarins will need at least 75lbs of liverock to sustain themselves. The coral you want are all lower light... however I would still recommend T-5's HO lighting to do the trick.


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## SunshinePlaty (Mar 14, 2009)

Thanks for the suggestions, I'll try to start off with as much live rock as possible.
I guess I won't be able to get the mandarin then...
I had another question, If I buy the dwarf zebra lion when he is only one inch will he be ok with some of the above fish as long as they are larger than him? I know he'll probably try to eat shrimp even when he's little so I would use snails and hermitcrabs as cleaners, but will he be so used to the other fish that by the time he is big enough to eat them he won't even bother to? Especially if I make sure he is well-fed? Just wondering, if not I guess I'll have to pick between the lion and the non-predatory fish...
Also, If i go with the lion and he won't work with other fish would it be possible to keep two dwarf lions in the same tank? Just wondering, I really like those little guys lol =]


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## SunshinePlaty (Mar 14, 2009)

I was looking online a little more about live rock and how to properly set it up, and found this website that had some pretty good advice. Just thought I'd post it incase anyone else was asking the same question or was looking for more info on it:
http://saltaquarium.about.com/cs/filterselection/a/aa111901_3.htm


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## Fishfirst (Jan 24, 2005)

He will eat anything that is his size and smaller... and they grow quite quickly.


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## SunshinePlaty (Mar 14, 2009)

Thanks, 
Now that I was thinking more about it, I will probably eventually want some anenomes and a variety of corals, would the T-5's HO lighting still work for this?


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## SunshinePlaty (Mar 14, 2009)

Thanks, 
Now that I was thinking more about it, I will probably eventually want some anenomes and a variety of corals, would the T-5's HO lighting still work for this?
Also, what color light do t-5's give off? I really don't like the blue lights orthe really yellow ones lol, they seem to hide the corals' natural colors ...


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## Fishfirst (Jan 24, 2005)

If you want corals and anemones T-5's will need to be used... however, anemones may need even more intense lighting.


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