I have a few questions. I currently have a mixed reef with a small sailfin, 2 clownfish, 1 damsel, 1 royal gramma, 1 mandarin, 1 coral beauty, and 1 watchman goby. All corals are frags not very large. I'm seriously considering going FOWLR because the fish I really like aren't reef compatible. I have a 125 display and an eshopps R-200 sump about 140 total volume. The fish I want are a snowflake eel, Picasso trigger, blue spot puffer, and a Koran angel. I would start them small and obviously my tank isn't large enough for full grown but that's okay I like change and would sell them for different specimens or smaller specimens. Would this work? I've decided the reef angle is not for me as I'm in the military and deploy often. Any inputs and advice would be great.
Going FOWLR from mixed reef
- Thread starter vvjosh06
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Waters
"...in perfect isolation, here behind my wall."
I am not quite sure what the question is? Yes, you can use your tank as a FOWLR....all you would be doing is removing the coral. If you are asking if those existing fish would work with the ones that you want....most likely not 
You would have to remove most of the fish that you currently have in there.
You would have to remove most of the fish that you currently have in there.
eatbreakfast
Fish Nerd
Yes they would work together. In fact most of the fish you currently have would mix with your suggested new fish, with the exception of perhaps the mandarin and gramma.
eatbreakfast
Fish Nerd
Not necassary, but does help keep the water cleaner as most FOWLR produce a lot of waste.
eatbreakfast
Fish Nerd
I would argue a skimmer is more important on a tank with larger messier eaters than on a reef. Nitrates will sky rocket with larger fish and no skimmer. Just my opinion
While true that NO3 and PO4 will be elevated without an adequately sized skimmer, neither of those compounds affect fish like they do corals, so elevated levels are acceptable in a fish only system.
