Reef or Fowlr Aquarium

... · May 20, 2020

I need help deciding whether I should do a reef or Fowlr and I do not want to spend a fortune on equipment and if I went reef, what is the essential equipment I need and other very useful equipment I would want. Thanks in advance

Peach02 · May 20, 2020

Fowlr tends to be a lot easier to look after and you have a wider range of fish choices. However Reef tends do look better.
As for equipment differences, for reef you need better lighting, filtration, flow and more testing.

essential equipment can change, for example I have seen many FOWLR tanks run off canisters or just a sump, filter wool, media and water changes. Reef's tend to need skimmers or refugiums etc, they also need much stronger lighting as there is no coral or algae to support in a FOWLR tank.

... · May 20, 2020

Peach02 said:
Fowlr tends to be a lot easier to look after and you have a wider range of fish choices. However Reef tends do look better.
As for equipment differences, for reef you need better lighting, filtration, flow and more testing.

essential equipment can change, for example I have seen many FOWLR tanks run off canisters or just a sump, filter wool, media and water changes. Reef's tend to need skimmers or refugiums etc, they also need much stronger lighting as there is no coral or algae to support in a FOWLR tank.

Thanks for the information, I am strongly considered getting a reef aquarium but also a invertbrate and fish tank came to mind because I really love inverts, definitely urchins through.

Hugh Mann · May 20, 2020

I run a 55gal FowLR tank. I use an aquaclear 110 with the sponge, phosphate scrubber pads topped with filter floss for filtration, combined with weekly water changes and everything was great. Had a bunch of fish, inverts, and was just starting to grow green star polyp when I had to take everything apart to treat velvet.

I would highly recommend FowLR over reef, especially for your first setup.

... · May 20, 2020

Hugh Mann said:
I run a 55gal FowLR tank. I use an aquaclear 110 with the sponge, phosphate scrubber pads topped with filter floss for filtration, combined with weekly water changes and everything was great. Had a bunch of fish, inverts, and was just starting to grow green star polyp when I had to take everything apart to treat velvet.

I would highly recommend FowLR over reef, especially for your first setup.

Is there anyway I could make a Fowlr look as good as a reef tank? Maybe sea cucumbers? (I know of their toxin) but if I can get a Fowlr to look nice then I might go for it and can I have a Fowlr with anemones?

sfin52 · May 20, 2020

... said:
Is there anyway I could make a Fowlr look as good as a reef tank? Maybe sea cucumbers? (I know of their toxin) but if I can get a Fowlr to look nice then I might go for it and can I have a Fowlr with anemones?

If you go anemones you are into a reef. They need the same stuff coral needs.

It really sounds like you want a reef. Chinese black boxes or a t5ho will work for lights. Im a 90g reef with a fx4 canister, t5ho lights and a current circulation pump.
You dont need a sump but it does make life easier.
This is light I use

... · May 20, 2020

sfin52 said:
If you go anemones you are into a reef. They need the same stuff coral needs.

It really sounds like you want a reef. Chinese black boxes or a t5ho will work for lights. Im a 90g reef with a fx4 canister, t5ho lights and a current circulation pump.
You dont need a sump but it does make life easier.

I think I might go Fowlr because there are some fish I want that are not Reef safe and I do not want to pay for a bunch of things that I could easily avoid going Fowlr. (RO/DI Machines, Lighting, etc.

Copingwithpods · May 20, 2020

... said:
Is there anyway I could make a Fowlr look as good as a reef tank? Maybe sea cucumbers? (I know of their toxin) but if I can get a Fowlr to look nice then I might go for it and can I have a Fowlr with anemones?

Look into artificial reef decorations, that's as close as you'll get to "the reef look" without actually having a reef. Any photosynthetic organism you get will need reef lighting and reef parameters, no way around it.

NowGlazeIT · May 20, 2020

... said:
I need help deciding whether I should do a reef or Fowlr and I do not want to spend a fortune on equipment and if I went reef, what is the essential equipment I need and other very useful equipment I would want. Thanks in advance

What fish do you want!? So many more option with Fowlr vs reef

... · May 20, 2020

Copingwithpods said:
Look into artificial reef decorations, that's as close as you'll get to "the reef look" without actually having a reef. Any photosynthetic organism you get will need reef lighting and reef parameters, no way around it.

NowGlazeIT said:
What fish do you want!? So many more option with Fowlr vs reef
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Sorry for being unrelated but can I keep a coral banded shrimp with a cleaner shrimp, Fire Shrimp and 4 peppermint shrimp in a 40 Gallon?

... · May 20, 2020

Oops I think I changed someone's post

Copingwithpods · May 20, 2020

Unlikely, fighting and cannibalism will ensue, too many shrimp and not enough space.

NowGlazeIT · May 20, 2020

... said:
Oops I think I changed someone's post

No worries it happens hah. Yea most corals are photosynthetic. Their are a few non photosynthetic but a fish only is a great way to get started in saltwater

... · May 20, 2020

Copingwithpods said:
Unlikely, fighting and cannibalism will ensue, too many shrimp and not enough space.

Thanks.

... · May 20, 2020

sfin52 said:
If you go anemones you are into a reef. They need the same stuff coral needs.

It really sounds like you want a reef. Chinese black boxes or a t5ho will work for lights. Im a 90g reef with a fx4 canister, t5ho lights and a current circulation pump.
You dont need a sump but it does make
life easier.
This is light I use

What about aptasia. Will my ocellaris host aptasia