FOWLR help

[Garth Schafluetzel]

so i want to set up a 55 FOWLR for my dawf lion about 3 inch and marine betta i might one day but sum zoas maybe sum xenia or kenya i know but my reef will become a friendly one with a mix of sps clam and some others lol. my question how should i set this up should i treat it like my reef and go from there

 

[oceanparadise1]

Welll i dont think u need a sump or a skimmer. At least when i had a FOWLR i didnt have either and it was fine. I would do bi-weekly water changes and have a decent amount of flow. As far as lighting goes, really depends, if u dont want any corals regluar 18 watters will do, if you do want corals i would put at least 220ish or more watts above it

 

[Garth Schafluetzel]

i have a 265 watt pc fixture that i will likly use after i get my new lights of course and i was thinking i might put sum kenya and xenia types in there and some other low light items but for the first 6 months it will be fowler because i will be restocking and upgradeing my 75

 

[oceanparadise1]

Those lights would really be fine for almost anything in a 55 gallon tank! So looks like ur good to go! Only thing if u have the betta i would have a top on this tank, dont want those nice fish going surfing

 

[paintballer768]

Lionfish are messy eaters, Id for sure get the skimmer IMO, and a strong one too. Just set it up as a reef but dont plan on adding any other fish besides those two. Make sure the betta is larger than the lion or the lion will eat it.

For SPS/clam and all that, you need metal halides or T5 equivalent. I would say for a 75 gallon, a 250 watt MH might be the winner.

 

[oceanparadise1]

its a 55, and they are shallow i think in a 55 those lights would be fine for almost anything and as far as the skimmer i think it could go either way depends on how much he wants to do water changes,as long as theres enough flow it will be fine, if u look at my theard some one wrote a whole lot about how lions really arent that messy

 

[Garth Schafluetzel]

yeah my lion and betta have been living together in my 75 for over a year and honestly i hadent thought about the fact that the fixture i have on my 75 now 265 watt pc fixture sitting at 3.5 wpg so moving it to the 55 will make it just over 4.8 wpg lol and use for my 75 im getting 2 250 watt aquamedic pendants and build a custom hood so i can supplement with actinic t5ho

 

[oceanparadise1]

I would throw the WPG rule right out the door. That no longer applies, not at all unless ur using t8s or t12s. With pcs,t5hos and MH that rule really doesnt apply. Its really more about the par rating then anything.

 

[Garth Schafluetzel]

o and i will use the skimmer thats been doing great with them and my tang for a year now but will be upgraded that as well. the one ill use on the 55 is an aquarium life support system i picked it up used and i had a seaclone befor so anything but a skilter is better than that. as for flow ill probly use a modded mj and put 2 k4's and 1 mj mod in the 75

 

[oceanparadise1]

What will you be using for flow in the 55?

 

[Garth Schafluetzel]

trust me i agree i was just pointing that out lol but totaly agree on the wpg rule ive seen amazing things done with t5's locally and online and honestly i can go either way with pc's never realy seen amazing pics with them maybe im just not looking lol but ill definitly replace the pc bulbs befor they meet ther new home on the 55 any aquascape ideas it will be seen through both front and back glass and side piece

 

[Garth Schafluetzel]

i was thinking the mj mod the 1200 because it destroyies my sand (and keep the modded 400 in the 75 and add the k4's) and i mag 6 for a return and maybe a k2

 

[oceanparadise1]

i would make caves. Lion like to hang out under caves so theres going to be plenty of them in my tank

 

[Garth Schafluetzel]

yeah i have 3 big caves in my 75 few other as well but hes always hanging upside down watching things lol ( also one of the main reasons i cant get rid of him) he's so interesting and girls love him lol

 

[oceanparadise1]

hahah sounds like a plan i like the flow options as well

 

[Garth Schafluetzel]

its going in a very uniquspot lol the side pnale that wont be seen through is were the over flow has to go so it will be a tricky plumbing job its going to make a type of hallway so to say every one will have to wait for pics if they dont understand sorry

 

[oceanparadise1]

Cool man,im def looking forward to seeing the pics!

 

[Garth Schafluetzel]

as soon as i get a camera after this new build and upgrad so a couple months for real pics but some will come here and there when some one brings a camera over

 

[oceanparadise1]

Nice man, i could just send ya my camera LOL

 

[Garth Schafluetzel]

yeah lol