Friend And A Fish Only Tank

[nativecollector]

Ok I was reading the post by a couple of people here asking about a fish only tank, each one of the responses was get LR. Well that doesn't constitute a fish only tank. I too have a friend that has come to me for help with his new tank, thinking that I have the knowledge of helping. I know enough about saltwater tanks to get me in trouble. So with that in mind here is what he is wanting to put in his tank which is a 45 gal btw. Angels (flame, pygmy, and maybe a couple others) and maybe some other small fish damsels or something. So what kind of filter should he use with his tank, I was thinking a good HOT Wet/Dry filter would work. If there is something better let me know so that we dont get the wrong thing for him.

One other question is since angels and LR dont go together what about angels and live sand?

 

[Jeff20147]

Ok I was reading the post by a couple of people here asking about a fish only tank, each one of the responses was get LR. Well that doesn't constitute a fish only tank. I too have a friend that has come to me for help with his new tank, thinking that I have the knowledge of helping. I know enough about saltwater tanks to get me in trouble. So with that in mind here is what he is wanting to put in his tank which is a 45 gal btw. Angels (flame, pygmy, and maybe a couple others) and maybe some other small fish damsels or something. So what kind of filter should he use with his tank, I was thinking a good HOT Wet/Dry filter would work. If there is something better let me know so that we dont get the wrong thing for him.

One other question is since angels and LR dont go together what about angels and live sand?

Wow, you better do some more reading. Only one angelfish per tank, they will fight if you put more than 1. You will need LR with a angel and it will not hurt it, you will need atleast 1 pound per gallon to provide adequate filtration. A protein skimmer could be used to grab organic matter before they become nitrates. A good heater. Live sand would work but I would just suggest getting aragonite sand its better looking. Then the tank would have to be cycled before any fish are added. Live Rock that is uncured and maybe even some cured kinds will cycle the tank with out putting stress on a fish and killing it possibly. Please read some how-to before you dive in saltwater is easy to mess up. I'll let some of the older members chime in also.

 

[nativecollector]

Like I said I know enough to get me into trouble. I breed bettas and one day will set up my own salt water tank but for now I have my hands full with the bettas everwhere.

Ok as far as fish then only one angel per tank and they should have LR in the tank as well. Note taken down.

Next 45 pounds of live rock only or 25 LR and 20 LS with the ornamental sand mixed in. What are some of the options as far as live filters go. Is the protein skimmer a must or just a nice to have item.

I am taking him to the LFS that I go to all the time to get the salt to mix up today. What else should we be looking at getting today? Will he need a external filter at all or just use the LR/LS?

 

[saltwater]

I am saltw newb myself, but what I can tell you is no external filters, all they do is create nitrates. all of your filtration should be LR.

 

[richard t]

For a fish only tank IMO Live rock is the only way to go. It will provide a natural environment for your fish and cleaner crew. Your friend should use 45lbs+ of LR, forget any idea that LS can offset the amount of LR you will have to have.
An external filter is usful as you can place activated carbon or phosphate bag in it if the need arises. It will also add to overall flow rate, which needs to be at least 450gph. The best use of a external filter is remove all media and stuff it with LR.
As already said dwarf angels, which are the only angels you can keep in a small tank, can be very aggressive towards each other.
I am not sure what you mean by angels and LR don't go together. The word LIVE in LIVE rock refers to denitrafying bacteria. I can only presume you mean some angels may nip at corals. This is true they have been known to, but in a fish only tank you will not be keeping corals.
Make sure your friend takes it slow and steady, and looks us up on the salty part of the forum

 

[SkiFletch]

Dont bother with live sand, its a waste of money, as are mechanical filters. your friend should be spending his money on LR and thats about it for a fish only. no need for fancy lighting or salt. Stay away from damsels as they get VERY territorial and will fight even the angels. and as a general rule of thumb, with few exceptions only stock one of a certain species of fish, as multiples very often fight in saltwater. the common exceptions to that rule are clowns and chromis. 2 clowns and 4 chromis can be acceptable in a tank that size. what are the dimensions of the 45?

 

[nativecollector]

He has gone home from work already, but if I remember correctly he said it was 36x12x12 or 36x12x18 (LxWxH)

He has also changed his mind and is going to go with Africans in stead of saltwater. He also signed up here, user name ripcurl1998, says he is still validating so he should be able to answer any of the questions now.

I am headed back to my little betta world on the forums now.


PS. Thanks for your inputs btw they will be helpful for when I decide to put up a saltwater tank.

 

[SkiFletch]

If its 36x12 for sure then the height is 24, I have that tank myself

 

[Jeff20147]

4 chromis

Bad Idea!!!

Chromis have been known to kill a even number of the school, rule of thumb is to stick to odd numbers 1,3,5,7,9,11,13,15, so on. Weird but I read it everywhere.
Heres one thing from my LFS http/www.marinescene.com/detail2.asp?id=914

 

[steelhealr]

Just for clarity :

FO - stands for fish only tank. This is the old style tank that usually has plastic ornaments, bleached dead coral and an undergravel filter (UGF). This method is a Ford Gremlin compared to a Nissan 350Z. More difficult to upgrade to a reef system once set up.

FOWLR - stands for fish only with live rock. The live rock provides natural biologic filtration for this type of marine tank. Lighting is not important since corals are not involved. This setup can be upgraded to a reef tank later down the line.

SH

 

[Jeff20147]

From my experience also tell your friend what his gallon goal is in the end and examine the kinds of fish he wants. I can tell you if I could go back I would have done a 150 from the getgo. I spent $2000 on a tank that is sitting empty in my basement. I wish I would have spent $5g and got the tank I wanted from the beginning. Live and learn lol.

 

[andywg]

When going FO, or FOWLR the best choice is normally to get the largest skimmer you can. Most people when going FO(WLR) will go for the more predatory fish that can't be kept in a reef. The messy eating nature of these fish tends to lead to more waste, hence a larger skimmer to get rid of said waste.

Most of the advice I have read is to (if possible) get a skimmer that is rated 2-3 times more than your system volume.

If you really didn't want to go FOWLR you could do a wetdry and keep the water changes regular as and when necessary, or go for a complete nutrient export filter, such as one that cultures a large amount of algae for you to harvest. generally it is considered wiser to just get live rock. If you don't like the cost of LR you can get base rock, or even make your own. There's plenty of guides on the 'net.