Converting from FW to FOWLR

[Laura Moon]

I'm getting ready to move in 2 weeks and have decided to convert my 46g bow FW community tank to a FOWLR. I'll be doing a 3-4" DSB and hope to have 1-2 clowns, a pigmy angel, a few chromis, a goby and maybe 2-3 other small fish, once everything is said and done. Plus the normal cleanup crew of snails, herm, maybe a cleaner shrimp. I currently have an Eheim cannister filter and was planning on modifying the spray bar so that it will sit deeper in the tank and blow on the rock. I'll supplement with 1-2 PH's. I'd like to get an anemone for the clowns, and maybe 2-3 corals later on. If I get good growth on the LR I won't need to supplement with much.

Here are a few questions I have:

1. How much LR (minimum) would you suggest for a FOWLR?

2. How much lighting would I need for an anemone plus a few easy corals (shrooms, elegance, frogspawn) (96w, 182w - PC or VHO)?

3. Would a cuke or SS Star be a significant benefit for my DSB, and is my tank big enough?

4. Should I remove all/some of the media from my Eheim (efimech, efisubstrat, course pad, charcoal pad, fine pad)?

5. Is it recommended to elevate the LR on PVC rings?



I'm sure I'll think of a bunch more, but I guess that's enough to digest for now.

TIA for your help!

Laura :worried2:

[chrisp074]

I also run a 46G Bowfront for a FOWLR so hopefully I can help.

1. I have about 50 lbs of rock in may tank. I general rule is 1 to 1.5 lbs per gallon.

2. Forget the anemone, they are really not good for people not experienced in salt water. If you do decide to get one you will probably need MH lights, PCs won't cut it. Besides, clowns don't need them to be happy. 182 w PCs will let you keep many different types of corals though.

3. For my DSB I have about 12 nassarius snails, they do the job well enough. I've never had a cuke so I can't comment on them but chances are the star will eventually starve after it cleans your DSB of all life.

4. I would remove all the media, you can run carbon if you want but forget the other stuff, it will just cause a nitrate problem.

5. You could if you want, I didn't and have not seen any ill effects.

A couple of other comments, get a good skimmer, it is the most important piece of equipment you will have. I run an aqua-C with the maxijet 1200 upgrade and the overflow box. Works great on my tank. Also, stock lightly, alot less than in FW. In my tank I have 2 clowns, a pygmy wrasse, a gramma, and am going to add 1 barnicle benny then I am most likely done. I might add a couple of ballon belly mollies since I have a tankfull of babies at the moment but I think that might overload my tank. Sounds like you have a good start though. Just get lots of opinions before you start. You might want to check out www.wetwebmedia.com too for more opinions.

[n33470]

I have a question about removing all the media from the Eheim canister in this setup. If you remove all the media from the canister, what would be going on the canister? Would you leave all the mechanical filtration stuff in there?

Does the DSB and LR provide enough filtration to remove the need for the canister?

Thanks!

--steve

[DouglasTiede]

Hey n33470 from Neenah, welcome! I use to live in Oshkosh ...

[hdtran]

Your skimmer and LR are actually your filtration, not the canister media. They perform (we hope) all the biological filtration; the skimmer removes dissolved proteins, which would otherwise rot in the water; the LR harbors bacteria which eats the rest of the dissolved proteins and turns them into (a) ammonia (bad!); (b) ammonia->nitrite (bad); (c) nitrite->nitrate(not so bad); (d) nitrate to N2 & O2. (Actually the DSB performs more of (d) than the LR). I'm not sure that 3" of DSB is sufficient, please read some of Dr. Shimek's articles on that; I seem to remember that 4-6" is what is recommended. You can build a PVC ring structure to support your LR if you wish (be sure to punch some holes in the PVC to allow circulation), or you can just make sure that your LR does not occupy a huge footprint on the DSB (think vertical slabs, not horizontal slabs).

Anyway, media in the canister filter does a great job for (a)-(c) above, but can't do (d) because of the strong oxygenated water flow through the canister. So nutrients trapped in the canister filter become a generator of nitrates, which, while not (greatly) harmful to fish, cause all manners of stress to corals, etc.

Your statement about wishing to keep some corals makes your tank more of a reef tank than a FOwLR ;) . That said, your FW experience will help you greatly. Patience will take care of you. I converted a 29g from FW to FOwLR a few years ago, and had I spent the extra $$ on a skimmer and VHO lighting, I would have been able to spend $$$ on corals, etc. for that tank. (Of course, now, I'm spending $$$$ on a new tank :D )

So, for your canister: Once you give away all your FW fish, just take out all the ceramic biowidgies from the Eheim & put them away. Take your mechanical sponges and rinse them out thoroughly, and put them back in. Put activated carbon (I like it in socks; but be sure to use good activated carbon that's phosphate free) in all the other compartments of your Eheim. Get a good skimmer (I have the AquaC Remora Pro; I've heard good things about the AquaC Remora; I've also heard good things about the CPR Bakpak; the ViaAqua; and amazingly, the Red Sea Prizm) too. Be very conscientious about changing out your carbon (1/2 or 1/3 at a time, once a month) and rinsing out your canister sponges. If you can't swear to do it regularly, just get rid of the canister altogether. Investigate getting good lighting if you want to keep 'easy' corals; investigate spending $$$ if you want to keep 'harder' corals. An anemone is really pretty, but does require significant care, and moderate to strong lighting (for novices, that means strong to intense :cool: )

Lighting: For moderate light corals (strong light to you and me, moderate for experienced reefers), say between 150 and 400 W of lights. PC or VHO is fine for you; probably PC because of your tank form factor.

p.s. The only time a reefer is satisfied with his (her) lights is when they need to wear sunglasses and SPF-30 sunblock when they're watching their tank...

[cywolv]

Originally posted by hdtran

p.s. The only time a reefer is satisfied with his (her) lights is when they need to wear sunglasses and SPF-30 sunblock when they're watching their tank...

That is the truth.........

I just set up a 46g bow with 2 96w pcs 2 weeks ago waiting for the cycle to be complete. I run a cpr bakbak on each of my tanks 60g fowlr and the 46g and they seem to bo working well...