125 reef ready for FOWLR

[smy168]

Hey all,

i'm having a Reef Ready 125 gallon (48X24X24) built with a 35 gallon sump. I initially wanted to do a Reef but lately I've seen some really nice FO tanks. I have done reef tanks in the past and currently helped a friend build his 54 gallon corner unit. Anyways....

Can I see some FOWLR pictures so that I can get a better idea of what type of aqua-scaping options I may have.

Also, what type of filtration are you guys using? I wanted to try a "Fluidized Sandbed" to run with a LR/LS/Culpera sump.

Lighting, I'm having the canopy built at 16 inches, I will have 2X96watts with 2X250 watt MH

Is there a specific amount of water circulation that would be good...better...or bad?

Thanks guys

[Sea Wraith]

you can see pics of my 75 and 58 gallon FO tanks here

http://community.webshots.com/user/dalosiman

Ill have updated pics of the 75 FO with all my new additions instead of the damsels as soon as i get my cam out of the shop!

If your going with fish only you can do away with the MH's and PC's and go with standard flourescent fixtures and corallife bulbs. Youll save a ton of cash this way which you can put towards filtration and fish!!!!!!

Believe it or not I am only using an undergravel filter with crush coral and 2 lift tubes and 2 802 powerheads and an emporer 400 with bio wheels. Thats it!!!!!!! NO sump, NO refugium, no trickle filters. I have a deep sand bed and CPR Aquafuge on my 58 show as well as a Fluidized Sand Bed Filter. I have a deep sand bed and Fluidized Bed Filter in my 20 Hospital tank.

The one with Undergravel Filtration and Emporer has better water parems than both of the deep sand bed tanks and the ph never changes! (i think its due to the crush coral over the undergravel filter!) My water parems are absolutely perfect and my fish are all happy and healthy! I have a snowflake eel, a picasso trigger, a coral beauty, a gold damsel and a warty frogfish for now with 3 more fish to add to my list and my 75 will be complete and as I want it!

The 58 show has a coral beauty and 3 damsels in it with a small warty frogfish on the way. I keep 2 damsels between the 58 show and the hospital tank to keep the bacterial bed up and running in it at all times.

[matrixnyc]

Sea Wraith, great looking eel :)

How does the Eel like the tank?

I always thought that eels need LiveRock to kinda hide and hang out in

[smy168]

Love the tanks, great eel! I'm only getting a sump in because I got a great deal on the tank plus I may want to do a light reef and fish tank. I have 2 MH units and I figure I can start off with PC for now. I assume that light isn't all that important to a FO tank huh?

Anyways, thanks for the great info, I will take it into consideration as my tank develops.

[Sea Wraith]

The eel absolutely loves the 75 gallon! They only need 1 hiding place to be happy. It seems they are more active at night when Im asleep cause during the day he is always sleeping and hiding out in his cave but at night he is all over the tank!

Live rock is ok but I dont have any in my 75 because I keep a small ammount of copper in it at all times just to keep my fish healthy, It doesnt seem to bother the eel at all!

I do have a lot of live rock in the 58 show but its a pain in the arse when a fish gets sick cause I cant dose the tank with copper to cure any diseases cause hte copper kills invertibrates and the live rock organisms. I always have to end up taking all the fish out and putting them in the hospital tank to recouperate and leave the darn tank fishless for 8 weeks to get rid of any ich or other parasites! (MAJOR PAIN IN THE ARSE)

Lighting is nominally important in a FO tank. With live rock youll need some good lights to promote coraline growth! The coralllife bulbs seem to do well on my 58 show for keeping enough coraline and other algae growing to accomidate the coral beauty! He is constantly nibbling off the rocks and still eats like a pig when its time for his OSI spirulina.

The coral beauty in my 75 is finicky as H E double L!!! He is just the opposite of the coral beauty in the 75! I cant wait to get my cam out of the shop so I can take some more pics and post them! Hope this has helped you guys out! Best wishes with your new tank and Merry Christmas! Jon