|  |  | 
December 21st, 2008
|
| | Fish Bum
| Saltwater aquascaping suggestions for 55g tall tank.
My mom gave my dad and I the okay to setup a saltwater (FOWLR) aquarium in the living room, but we only have 2 weeks to accomplish this project before winter break is over and I have go back to school.
My dad has more experience with saltwater aquariums than I do, and rather than filling me in he wants me to do the research on my own. Now, there are two things that we’re stuck on, such as whether we should go out and buy a canister filter, and
aquascaping ideas that is suitable for the tank’s inhabitants, rather than the likes of humans.
The hardest problem that my dad and I are facing is figuring how to do this with only $300. | 
| | |
December 21st, 2008
|
| | Fish Keeper
| save your self a lot of problems and purchase a skimmer instead of a power filter ,, as your live rock with a good flow from power heads will act as your filteration combined with the skimmer ,,as for aquascaping this is a personal choice and rock purchased,,
as for the budget look on ebay as there are many tank closeures due to ressesion and hicking living costs ,,, | |
| | |
December 21st, 2008
|
| | Fish Bum
| Okay so i've a 55g tall tank; is there a certain size skimmer i should buy? If so, how much would it cost, and what brand would be best? | |
| | |
December 21st, 2008
|
| | Fish Keeper
| a deltec mce300 is a very good skimmer i have one that i use over night as a power saver and turn on otherone during the day and out of the 2 the smaler one being the mce300 pulls out more skimmate then the larger skimmer | |
| | |
December 21st, 2008
|
| | Fish Bum
| If i were interested in setting up an FOWLR aquarium for the first time, what all would i need? | |
| | |
December 21st, 2008
|
| | Fish Keeper
| skimmer , powerheads , test kits , tank (obviously) , lighting , live rock , live sand , aquascape putty , or a drill and cable ties  , refractometer, salt , RO/di water (or a RO/DI unit) , heater rated to size of tank,
how big are you thinking  is it to include a sump there is more depending on how much you want to spend and the size of tank,,, | |
| | |
December 21st, 2008
|
| | Fish Bum
| The size of the tank is 55g and its tall. | |
| | |
December 22nd, 2008
|
| | Moderator
| 55 lbs. of cured (I would cook the live rock first) live rock, some sugar sized sand (doesn't have to be live) two Koralia 3's and a 3 ounce packet of BIO-Spira. After the tank cycles 2-3 days if you use BIO-Spira, you can add a fish. I would also recommend a protein skimmer and a sump later on. It's a big plus. Without a protein skimmer you will need to do 10-20% weekly water changes to keep your nitrates down. | |
| | |
December 22nd, 2008
|
| | Fish Keeper
| Quote:
Originally Posted by agsansoo  55 lbs. of cured (I would cook the live rock first) live rock, . | why would you do this as you would kill it and then it would be reef bones | |
| | |
December 22nd, 2008
|
| | Moderator
| Also test kits are a must. ammonia, nitrite and nitrate. Good luck and keep us posted. | |
| | |
December 22nd, 2008
|
| | Moderator
| Quote:
Originally Posted by nemo addict why would you do this as you would kill it and then it would be reef bones | Cooking will kill all nuisance algae that might be present in the live rock. Preserving all beneficial bacteria (actually will thrive). | |
| | |
December 22nd, 2008
|
| | Fish Bum
| whats an ro/di? | |
| | |
December 22nd, 2008
|
| | Fish Keeper
| Quote:
Originally Posted by Jermaine Watson whats an ro/di? | reverse osmosis/deionisation unit. Used for cleaning up tap water. It's a good long term goal as they do cost a bit. You could always do what I did to start with and just buy your SW from your local LFS and then upgrade later on. | |
| | |
December 23rd, 2008
|
| | Moderator
| Also can use bottle water for your top-off (fresh) water. I recommend Sparketts distilled water. | |
| | | |
Similar Aquarium Fish Forum Threads 
