Hello FOWLR. Please welcome me.

[Miami Reef]

Hello. My name is Miami Reef.

I had a 250 gallon reef tank. I’m currently changing it into a FOWLR.


1. Would you recommend me to maintain my 2 part dosing so coralline algae can grow on the rocks?

2. Do you think adding “fake corals” is needed? Or will rocks and fish be fine?

I plan to keep my reef filtration (socks, skimmer) running for my FOWLR. I’m treating this tank like a reef tank by maintaining lower nutrients, but I will not have any corals nor inverts because I will also keep non reef safe fish.

I plan to keep my lighting for 8-10 hours a day for the natural daylight cycle, and because I always want to be able to view my fish. Tank is pitch black without lighting.

Anything else I should know?

 

[Miami Reef]

This is a photo before I took out corals. it was basically a FOWLR at this point haha

After removing corals and messing with rocks a bit, the tank looks pretty cloudy and dingy. I have a brand new UV sterilizer for this tank. The first picture is so clear because I ran a diatom filter right before I took it. The UV should have the same clarity effect without daily filter changes.

 

[Jeffcb]

Hello. My name is Miami Reef.

I had a 250 gallon reef tank. I’m currently changing it into a FOWLR.


1. Would you recommend me to maintain my 2 part dosing so coralline algae can grow on the rocks?

2. Do you think adding “fake corals” is needed? Or will rocks and fish be fine?

I plan to keep my reef filtration (socks, skimmer) running for my FOWLR. I’m treating this tank like a reef tank by maintaining lower nutrients, but I will not have any corals nor inverts because I will also keep non reef safe fish.

I plan to keep my lighting for 8-10 hours a day for the natural daylight cycle, and because I always want to be able to view my fish. Tank is pitch black without lighting.

Anything else I should know?

Fowlr tanks are fun. I dose TM All for Reef and RS NoPo-X. I was using Red Sea KH Coraline Gro but is a little expensive so I switch to All for Reef. I have been hand dosing. Have a 2 Head ReefDose otw.

 

[Miami Reef]

Fowlr tanks are fun. I dose TM All for Reef and RS NoPo-X. I was using Red Sea KH Coraline Gro but is a little expensive so I switch to All for Reef.

What was the purpose of all for reef? What were you trying to grow?

 

[Jeffcb]

This is a photo before I took out corals. it was basically a FOWLR at this point haha

After removing corals and messing with rocks a bit, the tank looks pretty cloudy and dingy. I have a brand new UV sterilizer for this tank. The first picture is so clear because I ran a diatom filter right before I took it. The UV should have the same clarity effect without daily filter changes.

Nice tank! Fish should be very happy!

 

[Miami Reef]

I’m thinking of keeping some GSP, Xenia, and toadstool leathers in this tank. They are cheap, easy to frag, hardy, and resistant to coral eating fish.

I think it will also cover surface area to prevent nuisance algae from growing.

 

[Jeffcb]

What was the purpose of all for reef? What were you trying to grow?

I have 200 ponds of KP live rock. Lots of coralline so I think the AFR helps that. I had a lot of zoas and zenias. When I added my blue face he wiped them all in a couple of days. I did just frag a few Green Simmers and Red Monte caps from my reef tank and he doesn't like those lol.

 

[JumboShrimp]

Welcome, Welcome, Welcome! That is already one nice FOWLR.

I am temped from time to time add some GSP, Xenia, a few softies, just like you... but then I remind myself the *Ultimate* reason to go 100% FOWLR: To be able to 'Nuke' the tank with Copper at a moment's notice. Lol. (I have no inverts-- they would only be expensive fish-snacks.)

As for Coralline, I have none in either FOWLR, despite them being up about a year. I would say if I wanted to start doing some basic testing and try to create the right environment for Coralline, I would start adding T.M. All in One, just to shotgun all my bases, although it might be overkill (beyond two-part).

Glad you joined us here.

 

[Miami Reef]

Welcome, Welcome, Welcome! That is already one nice FOWLR.

I am temped from time to time add some GSP, Xenia, a few softies, just like you... but then I remind myself the *Ultimate* reason to go 100% FOWLR: To be able to 'Nuke' the tank with Copper at a moment's notice. Lol. (I have no inverts-- they would only be expensive fish-snacks.)

As for Coralline, I have none in either FOWLR, despite them being up about a year. I would say if I wanted to start doing some basic testing and try to create the right environment for Coralline, I would start adding T.M. All in One, just to shotgun all my bases, although it might be overkill (beyond two-part).

Glad you joined us here.

I agree with you. The reason I went FOWLR is because my ich treatment and fallow failed. Cost and time maintaining my corals, and the anxiety that the corals (and money!!) will one day die to an eventual equipment mishap made me long for the simpler times.

Family only cared about fish. Nobody batted an eye at corals. And my main reason for loving fish keeping is seeing my family’s reaction to the tank.

And my fish selection is WEAK due to them needing to be reef safe. My favorite fish is my moorish idol which decimated my LPS corals.

And to top it all off, the fish got ich. So instead of risking getting ich again with all the variables of a copper treatment, fallow, and cross contamination: it’s going right in the DT! I have 2.50 copper right now.

FOWLR is the best!! I plan to pack it with beautiful fish. Thank you @JumboShrimp I will not add any corals!

 

[JumboShrimp]

(I have a small 20-gallon IM AIO, a small 16-gallon BioCube, and a small 24-gallon Aquatop AIO whenever I need to ‘dabble’ in softies or get a fix— but the beautiful ‘pets’ in a FOWLR make me smile the most.)

 

[Miami Reef]

(I have a small 20-gallon IM AIO, a small 16-gallon BioCube, and a small 24-gallon Aquatop AIO whenever I need to ‘dabble’ in softies or get a fix— but the beautiful ‘pets’ in a FOWLR make me smile the most.)

I do have a 20 gallon tank where the corals and inverts are residing!

I do like corals, but filling a 250 gallon with SPS is EXPENSIVE and just makes anxiety worse. I think I can definitely pull off an SPS and clam 20 gallon tank! That would definitely be fun for me.

 

[Miami Reef]

Here’s pics of all my corals that I “rescued” I personally got really attached to the bright green sps on the top left. I grew many new branches on it!

I’m rehoming the leathers because they are releasing toxins when I do water changes. I am running extra activated carbon to account for this.

Would you keep the coral QT in living room next to the FOWLR? I would definitely like to have both tanks together instead of the coral tank hidden in a different room.

 

[JumboShrimp]

This was my ‘starter’ FOWLR— a 6’ (but only 10” to the overflow) Frankenstein frag tank I had in the past. A bit unusual to say the least. Lol. I remember being on the learning curve and having to go fallow THREE times in that tank— and I went 80 days at a time. Uggg!

 

[Miami Reef]

This was my ‘starter’ FOWLR— a 6’ (but only 10” to the overflow) Frankenstein frag tank I had in the past. A bit unusual to say the least. Lol. I remember being on the learning curve and having to go fallow THREE times in that tank— and I went 80 days at a time. Uggg!

Why did you keep “failing” the parasite control? Did you ever end up beating it?

 

[Jeffcb]

I had ich in my fowlr tank about 8 months ago. Purple tang was covered and Gem got a little. I am a garlic believer and with that they shook it after about 4 weeks. I couldn't of caught them if I had to. Haven't seen ich since. I guess its still there. I could pull the few corals if I need cooper. I just think there is a lot of stuff on my Caribbean live rock that would die. idk

 

[JumboShrimp]

I did beat it— I finally perfected CopperSafe + a Hanna Checker. Lol.

 

[Miami Reef]

I did beat it— I finally perfected CopperSafe + a Hanna Checker. Lol.

How long did you do copper safe for?

Im planning to do copper in my FOWLR for 45 days with higher temps.

 

[i cant think]

This is a photo before I took out corals. it was basically a FOWLR at this point haha

After removing corals and messing with rocks a bit, the tank looks pretty cloudy and dingy. I have a brand new UV sterilizer for this tank. The first picture is so clear because I ran a diatom filter right before I took it. The UV should have the same clarity effect without daily filter changes.

Even without coral, your tank looks beautiful!!

 

[Miami Reef]

Even without coral, your tank looks beautiful!!

Thank you!

 

[JumboShrimp]

I usually do CopperSafe at least 30 days at full therapeutic strength, then I kind of let it linger— meaning I’m not too quick to water-change it out or anything; I let absorption into the rocks take its own path and start gradual dilution through water changes over time. (So there is probably trace Copper months down the road; but that’s just my way of going about it.)