I only want fish, no corals.

[IOB]

Howdy, y'all!

 

I would like to start a 20 gallon tall saltwater tank. However, I don't want corals at all. Just a couple fish. Maybe some decorations? Is there anything that would prevent me from doing this?

 

Also, can sponge filters be used in saltwater tanks?

 

Thanks for any and all replies!

 

Regards ..

[patback]

51 minutes ago, IOB said:

Howdy, y'all!

 

I would like to start a 20 gallon tall saltwater tank. However, I don't want corals at all. Just a couple fish. Maybe some decorations? Is there anything that would prevent me from doing this?

 

Also, can sponge filters be used in saltwater tanks?

 

Thanks for any and all replies!

 

Regards ..

You are looking for a fowlr system. I personally recomend making it larger. A nano sized fowler is very restricted in fish choices. 

[IOB]

14 minutes ago, patback said:

You are looking for a fowlr system. I personally recomend making it larger. A nano sized fowler is very restricted in fish choices. 

Thanks for the reply!

I will research a fowler system.

 

Any advice on the sponge filter, by chance?

[patback]

32 minutes ago, IOB said:

Thanks for the reply!

I will research a fowler system.

 

Any advice on the sponge filter, by chance?

Sponge filters are as good as the care you give them. If kept clean they will do their jobs, However there are much better options. If you are trying to keep costs down, I would recomend skipping any actual sponge media and going for disposable filter floss in an aquaclear70 or 120. 

[IOB]

12 minutes ago, patback said:

Sponge filters are as good as the care you give them. If kept clean they will do their jobs, However there are much better options. If you are trying to keep costs down, I would recomend skipping any actual sponge media and going for disposable filter floss in an aquaclear70 or 120. 

Ok. So, yes, a fowlr sounds like what I want. Can I use any rock I choose (Lace, Texas Holey, Dragon, etc)?

As for fish, I would like two Ocellaris. Period. Nothing else. No crabs, shrimp, snails. Can I do that?

 

I see the filter is rated for 40-70 gallon tanks. That wouldnt be overkill for a 20 tall?

 

Thanks for all your help.

I appreciate it!

 

P.S.

Yes, I'm trying to keep the costs down...🤷‍♂️

 

[growsomething]

The simplest systems I know of that people have successfuly run have just live rock and plenty of circulation.  There were several on here who do that with coral, and a fowler should be easier.  Here is one:

 

 

[IOB]

17 minutes ago, growsomething said:

The simplest systems I know of that people have successfuly run have just live rock and plenty of circulation.  There were several on here who do that with coral, and a fowler should be easier.  Here is one:

 

 

WoW! That's pretty cool!!!

I'm not sure I have that type of confidence, though. LoL.

 

[patback]

1 hour ago, IOB said:

Ok. So, yes, a fowlr sounds like what I want. Can I use any rock I choose (Lace, Texas Holey, Dragon, etc)?

As for fish, I would like two Ocellaris. Period. Nothing else. No crabs, shrimp, snails. Can I do that?

 

I see the filter is rated for 40-70 gallon tanks. That wouldnt be overkill for a 20 tall?

 

Thanks for all your help.

I appreciate it!

 

P.S.

Yes, I'm trying to keep the costs down...🤷‍♂️

 

You sure can. I still stand by a fowler should still have a mechanical filter as fish are messy, but it isn't actually NEEDED. Our hobby tends to oversell the realistic capabilities of the equipment. I used an ac70 on my 10 gallon and felt that it did not do nearly enough. The same skimmer I used on my 40 gallon is now being used on my 125 as it's rated for 180, but I don't think I'd use it on anything larger than my system, and it is currently very lightly stocked. 

I don't see a problem with using other rocks, however the reef rock we use does buffer the waters ph and I am not knowledgeable if a fish only set up really requires as stable of ph as a reef system. Someone else can answer on the rock question.  

It is also in my opinion that snails at the very least are needed to keep algae down and help breakdown waste. I also like crabs as well.  

[IOB]

54 minutes ago, patback said:

You sure can. I still stand by a fowler should still have a mechanical filter as fish are messy, but it isn't actually NEEDED. Our hobby tends to oversell the realistic capabilities of the equipment. I used an ac70 on my 10 gallon and felt that it did not do nearly enough. The same skimmer I used on my 40 gallon is now being used on my 125 as it's rated for 180, but I don't think I'd use it on anything larger than my system, and it is currently very lightly stocked. 

I don't see a problem with using other rocks, however the reef rock we use does buffer the waters ph and I am not knowledgeable if a fish only set up really requires as stable of ph as a reef system. Someone else can answer on the rock question.  

It is also in my opinion that snails at the very least are needed to keep algae down and help breakdown waste. I also like crabs as well.  

Ok.

So, what I should do is get a hanging type filter that is oversized, because a sponge isn't viable. I should get rock of virtually any type, but how much?

I should get some snails (how many for 20g?) And maybe a couple crabs (what type)?

Next up...

I'm sure I'll need a heater and lights?

 

Thanks for all this info, Pat!

I appreciate it.

[mcarroll]

12 hours ago, IOB said:

hanging type filter

These are better than a canister filter since they're easier to maintain.  But a protein skimmer is cheaper and better in the long run as there are no consumables.  Buy used if economy is important.  👍

 

12 hours ago, IOB said:

I should get rock of virtually any type, but how much?

Something to consider is why you're using live rock (FOWLR = Fish Only With Live Rock) instead of just a filter.

 

Is it a decoration?

 

Is it a filter?

 

Something more?

 

To begin with, live rock is not just a decoration like rock is considered in regular fish tanks. 😉 

 

A more serious and common misunderstanding these days is thinking that live rock is similar to a power filter or under gravel filter or canister filter.  

 

Live rock will process ammonia like a filter.  But it does way more than that.

 

Many folks start a tank with dead rock and cycle it just like it was a plain old fish tank.....using their rock as a simple bio-filter.

 

That is just a bio-filter that uses rocks as media.  

 

Live rock is not just a filter.  Dead rock is not live rock – not even after it has cycled.

 

The reason live rock became popular was the special benefits it brings to the tank vs "just bio filtration".  These benefits are a result of the wide range of organisms that come into the tank on live rock.

 

The reason the FOWLR was developed later on is because a plain saltwater fish tank (ie fish + bio filter) has some serious drawbacks.  (Read old posts from the 1990's and old books for reference.)

 

If you aren't familiar with the benefits of a tank with live rock, then that is a subject that deserves some research all to itself.  Get one or two reef books – check out what your library has for starters.  Martin Moe, Julian Sprung, Robert Fenner, John Tullock are just a few authors to check out.  (Tampa Bay Saltwater has a nice post on the topic.)

 

13 hours ago, IOB said:

I'm sure I'll need a heater and lights?

Yes, but a good general reference type fish keeping book (or reef keeping book) should be your next purchase IMO.  👍 

[IOB]

3 hours ago, mcarroll said:

These are better than a canister filter since they're easier to maintain.  But a protein skimmer is cheaper and better in the long run as there are no consumables.  Buy used if economy is important.  👍

 

Something to consider is why you're using live rock (FOWLR = Fish Only With Live Rock) instead of just a filter.

 

Is it a decoration?

 

Is it a filter?

 

Something more?

 

To begin with, live rock is not just a decoration like rock is considered in regular fish tanks. 😉 

 

A more serious and common misunderstanding these days is thinking that live rock is similar to a power filter or under gravel filter or canister filter.  

 

Live rock will process ammonia like a filter.  But it does way more than that.

 

Many folks start a tank with dead rock and cycle it just like it was a plain old fish tank.....using their rock as a simple bio-filter.

 

That is just a bio-filter that uses rocks as media.  

 

Live rock is not just a filter.  Dead rock is not live rock – not even after it has cycled.

 

The reason live rock became popular was the special benefits it brings to the tank vs "just bio filtration".  These benefits are a result of the wide range of organisms that come into the tank on live rock.

 

The reason the FOWLR was developed later on is because a plain saltwater fish tank (ie fish + bio filter) has some serious drawbacks.  (Read old posts from the 1990's and old books for reference.)

 

If you aren't familiar with the benefits of a tank with live rock, then that is a subject that deserves some research all to itself.  Get one or two reef books – check out what your library has for starters.  Martin Moe, Julian Sprung, Robert Fenner, John Tullock are just a few authors to check out.  (Tampa Bay Saltwater has a nice post on the topic.)

 

Yes, but a good general reference type fish keeping book (or reef keeping book) should be your next purchase IMO.  👍 

Thanks for the reply!

Whew... That is A LOT to unpack!

It sounds like you're saying live rock is a MUST? And having only fish in a tank is no bueno? So coral is needed?

Regarding live rock, I've read that uglies like to infiltrate the tank via live rock. This is something I would like to avoid, if at all possible. 

 

What size protein skimmer would you recommend for a 20 Tall?

 

I'm a reader, so books are cool! Thanks for those author suggestions.

 

Thanks for taking the time to reply.

I appreciate it!

[growsomething]

Hi again IOB, re-read your posts again and I should say I would want a mechanical filter as clowns are like saltwater goldfish, messy.  

As far as your question to Mccarroll, live rock does not mean coral.  It just is rock with a ton of biodiversity.  Might come with some macro algae, pineapple sponges, or an accidental coral, but the balance it brings to a tank is why it is used.  Your local store might have some they seeded, but I prefer to order it from KP aquatics, TB Saltwater or others, from the ocean.  Live rock is more fascinating to watch  than coral.

[IOB]

32 minutes ago, growsomething said:

Hi again IOB, re-read your posts again and I should say I would want a mechanical filter as clowns are like saltwater goldfish, messy.  

As far as your question to Mccarroll, live rock does not mean coral.  It just is rock with a ton of biodiversity.  Might come with some macro algae, pineapple sponges, or an accidental coral, but the balance it brings to a tank is why it is used.  Your local store might have some they seeded, but I prefer to order it from KP aquatics, TB Saltwater or others, from the ocean.  Live rock is more fascinating to watch  than coral.

I see. But, dry rock, eventually, over time would become live rock?

 

So much to learn...

[Tamberav]

On 1/2/2023 at 7:18 PM, IOB said:

Thanks for the reply!

I will research a fowler system.

 

Any advice on the sponge filter, by chance?

You don’t need a sponge filter.
 

You need reef rock.. dry is fine as you can seed it with a bottle of biospira to speed up the process. It’s called fish only with live rocks (FOWLR). Then you need a powerhead for flow, a heater, and any light to view the fish. You can also had a hang on back filter to catch fish poop. I like the seachem tidal one. The hob filter is optional though. 
 

Here is a link to a popular dry rock:

 

https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/brs-reef-saver-dry-aquarium-live-rock.html

 

Here is another that seems priced good, if Petco doesn’t send you the 40 LBS, contact them to make it right. Has happened before that they sent too little. 
 

https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/caribsea-south-seas-base-rock-40-lbs-3027575

 

Live is fine too but expensive and if you are not running a reef light, then the corals and maybe some algae will die off. I prefer live but I also know it isn’t always in the budget. You can always buy a small amount of live rock from the LFS to seed your tank with the dry. It should have pods, worms, etc that are beneficial to the tank. 
 

Please keep in mind a 20g tall is only going to hold (on average) about 4-5 nano sized fish because saltwater fish are territorial and often fight if cramped… so space is the limiting factor, not bioload. 

[Tamberav]

Also disease is a problem in this hobby as these fish are wild and can come with parasites. 
 

Setting up a quarantine tank is possible but often a bit more then a beginner want to take on. If you want to QT, we can help with that but:

 

1. Make sure the fish is eating before you buy it, ask them to feed it. If it is not eating, don’t buy it. 
 

2. Look for any spots, any torn fins, mucus, make sure the fish does not look skinny, that it is not scratching its sides or gills on the rock/decorations (it will look like it darts at the rock and touches it’s side/gill for an instant), that is is breathing normally (as in not super fast), look for clamped fins (if it holds a fin to its side or doesn’t move it freely then this fish is damaged, sick, or stressed), and that is behaving normally for that type of fish. 
 

3. if the fish has been there awhile and the first two check off, this is generally a better specimen then a brand new fish that just arrived. It has had time to show illness. 
 

Parasites are contagious and some of them very deadly (kill all your fish deadly) so don’t skip these steps hoping it will be okay. 
 

Also please know that even if they appear healthy, they can still get sick.  It happens sometimes. 
 

What I wrote sounds scary but it is better to know. The good news is nano fish are pretty hardy and more disease resistant than large fish like Tangs. 

[IOB]

31 minutes ago, Tamberav said:

You don’t need a sponge filter.
 

You need reef rock.. dry is fine as you can seed it with a bottle of biospira to speed up the process. It’s called fish only with live rocks (FOWLR). Then you need a powerhead for flow, a heater, and any light to view the fish. You can also had a hang on back filter to catch fish poop. I like the seachem tidal one. The hob filter is optional though. 
 

Here is a link to a popular dry rock:

 

https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/brs-reef-saver-dry-aquarium-live-rock.html

 

Here is another that seems priced good, if Petco doesn’t send you the 40 LBS, contact them to make it right. Has happened before that they sent too little. 
 

https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/caribsea-south-seas-base-rock-40-lbs-3027575

 

Live is fine too but expensive and if you are not running a reef light, then the corals and maybe some algae will die off. I prefer live but I also know it isn’t always in the budget. You can always buy a small amount of live rock from the LFS to seed your tank with the dry. It should have pods, worms, etc that are beneficial to the tank. 
 

Please keep in mind a 20g tall is only going to hold (on average) about 4-5 nano sized fish because saltwater fish are territorial and often fight if cramped… so space is the limiting factor, not bioload. 

Thanks for the Biospira info and the links!

I'm only planning to get a pair of Ocellaris.

But, I know "chicken math" very well and I assume it's the same with fish.

[IOB]

16 minutes ago, Tamberav said:

Also disease is a problem in this hobby as these fish are wild and can come with parasites. 
 

Setting up a quarantine tank is possible but often a bit more then a beginner want to take on. If you want to QT, we can help with that but:

 

1. Make sure the fish is eating before you buy it, ask them to feed it. If it is not eating, don’t buy it. 
 

2. Look for any spots, any torn fins, mucus, make sure the fish does not look skinny, that it is not scratching its sides or gills on the rock/decorations (it will look like it darts at the rock and touches it’s side/gill for an instant), that is is breathing normally (as in not super fast), look for clamped fins (if it holds a fin to its side or doesn’t move it freely then this fish is damaged, sick, or stressed), and that is behaving normally for that type of fish. 
 

3. if the fish has been there awhile and the first two check off, this is generally a better specimen then a brand new fish that just arrived. It has had time to show illness. 
 

Parasites are contagious and some of them very deadly (kill all your fish deadly) so don’t skip these steps hoping it will be okay. 
 

Also please know that even if they appear healthy, they can still get sick.  It happens sometimes. 
 

What I wrote sounds scary but it is better to know. The good news is nano fish are pretty hardy and more disease resistant than large fish like Tangs. 

Thanks for these tips.

I saw a fish at the store who looked to be swimming on his side, dude said "Naw, he's cool. They do that sometimes." Didn't sound right, and know I'm pretty sure it ain't.

 

Thanks for your time and info!

[Tamberav]

7 minutes ago, IOB said:

Thanks for these tips.

I saw a fish at the store who looked to be swimming on his side, dude said "Naw, he's cool. They do that sometimes." Didn't sound right, and know I'm pretty sure it ain't.

 

Thanks for your time and info!

Ya be carful, some stores will lie to you or it may be that they don’t even know better. They will say a fish is fine for 20g when I’m reality it grows to dinner plate size or is a really aggressive fish and so on. 
 

I had one tell me after admitting the fish had ich (and they had internal parasites) that it was fine to add to my tank and it would go away. Sometimes this is true but I am not taking the chance of adding the plague to my existing fish. There will always be more fish to buy a different day that are healthy. 
 

It’s best to do your own research. 

[mcarroll]

4 hours ago, IOB said:

Thanks for the reply!

Whew... That is A LOT to unpack!

It sounds like you're saying live rock is a MUST? And having only fish in a tank is no bueno? So coral is needed?

In a nutshell, yes.   But I'd put it more this way...

 

Fish tanks are fine, but have a known set of weaknesses.

 

Live rock based tanks have qualities that address those weaknesses.

 

Dead rock tanks have most of the weaknesses of fish tanks.  Even after adding special ingredients like bottled bacteria.

 

A dead rock based tank should be called a FOWDR instead of FOWLR.

 

A FOWDR isn't that much different than a plain old fish tank that uses (eg) Seachem Matrix in its filter compartment.

 

A FOWLR is more than that.  👍

 

 

4 hours ago, IOB said:

Regarding live rock, I've read that uglies like to infiltrate the tank via live rock. This is something I would like to avoid, if at all possible. 

It is not possible to completely avoid the uglies.   I'd say the view that they are somehow completely avoidable or that it's possible to keep them out is common, but not realistic.  It is also therefore not that helpful.

 

What is possible is to take an informed approach rather than a fear based approach.

 

Firstly and mostly:  Pests from algae to fish disease are a reality.  

 

They all (yes I mean pests in general – all of them) rely on disturbed/stressed conditions to create the right circumstances to spread.

 

For example, adding sick fish to a population of new fish that are still recovering from (at minimum) being transported long distances and from being netted out of the water multiple times.....which takes weeks.  This is a predictably bad situation in the making...all of the fish are stressed and at greater risk of being unable to fight off pathogens.

 

Knowing this about stress and their environment means you can takes steps to reduce the frequency and magnitude of pests.  (Eg Avoid introducing sick fish.  Run strong UV and/or micron filtration to kill or remove pest spores BEFORE they can do their job.  Etc.)  When you can do that, pests cease to be problems worth worrying about as they tend to take care of themselves.

 

New fish in new tanks make a terrible combination.  Reef tanks with live rock (and FOWLR's) give us a perfect workaround to that problem if we appreciate and make use of real, actual live rock.  Doing so does take some time.  But then Nothing Good Happens Fast In A Reef Tank.

 

Here is a good place in the discussion to differentiate between pests and "uninvited guests"...aka hitchhikers.  

 

Hitchhikers need to be welcomed and energy needs to be expended to understand them in almost all cases.  In some cases you might want to re-home some of them (including selling or giving away some).  

 

There are a few hitchhikers that literally nobody loves to have in a reef tank, but those are very rare....worry about them ONLY if one actually shows up in your tank.  And if one does, it might be something cool like a worm or shrimp....those and "pods" are the most common hitchhikers.  But algae, coral and other critters are all somewhat likely.

 

Getting back to the fish and why live rock (not undead rock) is better...

 

In a new tank with mature/healthy live rock (not undead rock!) the extent of disturbed/stressed conditions is almost infinitely less vs a tank based on new (un)dead rock.  

 

Mostly that is thanks to a near-complete covering over the actual rock surface of all kinds of life from bacterial on up the food chain.

 

That live covering translates to pests being less likely to appear, and less intense when they do.  

 

When you look at folks that have wild-nasty disease or algae outbreaks, there is always a big disturbance of some kind that has made conditions ripe for it.  Bad outbreaks are mostly avoidable.  

 

For one example of avoidable stress, did you know that netting a fish causes stress to the fish that stays in its body for around a month?  Avoidable.  Instead, catch fish in a transparent container along with their tank water...it's still not stress-free, but you've eliminated one stress entirely.  This is important because all stress is cumulative.  Lots of aquarists inflict stresses that are unnecessary...often with good intentions...and usually without considering the cumulative effect.

 

Check out the Fish and Coral sections of my blog (mostly an index of journal articles) for some good info on this.  One good starting point over there might be The Fish Guide that I wrote up back in 2016 or so.

 

4 hours ago, IOB said:

What size protein skimmer would you recommend for a 20 Tall?

Something no bigger than a Tunze 9001 should do the trick on a tank that size.  If you wanted to go "extra" then I don't think the 9001DC is too much overkill.   There are lots of great skimmers out there....anything in that class ought to work.  The Tunze is a sweet skimmer though. 🙂 

 

4 hours ago, IOB said:

I'm a reader, so books are cool! Thanks for those author suggestions.

Then you'll really like this thread:  Your Reef Aquarium-Oriented Reading List! 

 

4 hours ago, IOB said:

Thanks for taking the time to reply.

I appreciate it!

👍

 

1 hour ago, IOB said:

I see. But, dry rock, eventually, over time would become live rock?

In the ocean, yes.  It takes a few years for the folks to aquaculture dead rock into REAL live rock.

 

It is unclear how much of this process (if any) could happen in a captive system that's only seeded with bottled bacteria and maybe some pods or something.  That's still basically a mono-crop vs the reef tank's jungle of microbes.

 

FOWDR ≠ FOWLR

 

😉 

 

1 hour ago, IOB said:

So much to learn...

Indeed.....could be my favorite part of the hobby. 😉 

 

 

10 minutes ago, IOB said:

Thanks for these tips.

I saw a fish at the store who looked to be swimming on his side, dude said "Naw, he's cool. They do that sometimes." Didn't sound right, and know I'm pretty sure it ain't.

It's totally normal for a few common fish.....but you'd have to judge it on a case by case basis, especially if the fish is in a retail setting and not at home in a display tank.  

 

Clownfish are notorious for it, to state the most common example though.

 

Fish store dude might have been 100% correct.

 

 

[InAtTheDeepEnd]

Something that's not been covered - you can totally get captive bred Ocellaris clowns. They're one of the most commonly bred saltwater fish and if you're new to marine livestock captive bred is definitely the way to go. Hell you could probably find a hobbyist breeding clowns pretty easily and get fish whose hatch date you know. It's certainly pretty easy to pick up mature live rock from other hobbyists as well.....if you were anywhere near me (You're not) I'd give you some tbh.

 

IMO bottled bacteria is a waste of ££ though. And don't worry if it seems complicated and like information overload at first. It kind of is, but six months down the line you'll be doing a water change, wondering 'what was I so stressed about? this is great!' 🙂

[IOB]

Thank you everyone for your help!

This is quite a wild journey so far, and I haven't even set anything up!

 

It looks like I'm gonna do some research based on all y'all's tips, tricks, info, etc. 

 

I do believe I WILL go with live rock.

It seems to make the most sense according to your replies and the limited about of research I did last night and this morning. 

 

It sounds like I may be able to forgo a "filter" if I get a protein skimmer. So, I'm gonna look into that.

 

As for lights and a heater, that seems pretty easy if I don't have corals.

 

Lastly...

Do I need an air pump to make the bubbles I see in a lot of freshwater tanks?

 

Also, would I need a power head/wavemaker thingy in a tank of this size?

 

Thanks again, everyone!

Y'all got me on the right track!!!

[growsomething]

No bubbles!  Salt creep is real.

Good circulation is key though.

[IOB]

Ok, y'all, here's what I'm thinking...

 

I'm thinking of getting some CaribSea live sand with 10 lbs of Reef Saver Dry Rock. I'll add some Biospira, plus grab 5 lbs of live rock from my neighborhood fish store. I'll let the thing run for a few months. I'll obviously have a heater and lights.

How's that sound for a start?

 

Also...

Would I need a filter to just have the tank running as I've suggested!

 

That's for all your help, everyone!

[mcarroll]

On 1/5/2023 at 6:34 PM, IOB said:

I'm thinking of getting some CaribSea live sand

Sand is common but also optional, depending on what you're doing. I think "bare bottom" would be a nice fit with a fish-only tank since it's easier to clean when it's needed.

 

On 1/5/2023 at 6:34 PM, IOB said:

10 lbs of Reef Saver Dry Rock. I'll add some Biospira, plus grab 5 lbs of live rock from my neighborhood fish store.

I think you should save your money on the dry rock and bottled bacteria (not the correct use for it anyway).

 

Instead, only get 10 pounds of (real?) live rock from the store – shooting for 10 pounds total rather than 15. (Saving some money AND swimming space at the same time.)

 

How good is the live rock from the store?

 

On 1/5/2023 at 6:34 PM, IOB said:

I'll let the thing run for a few months.

The point being just to watch/enjoy your live rock for a while? (Definitely an honorable objective!)

 

That's also a good schedule to begin adding fish. But you might want to begin stocking other things like CUC from Day 1.  Start small...small herbivorous snails, and not very many of them....one would be fine for the first week+.  Hermits are more scavengers...try to avoid adding them, at least until the fish go in.

 

Unless...

 

On 1/5/2023 at 6:34 PM, IOB said:

I'll obviously have a heater and lights.

...

 

Unless you are planning NOT to have reef-intensity lights on the tank.  In that case, the light level should be the minimum intensity that makes the fish look good to you.  More than 5K-10K lux will potentially grow a lot of algae.  (Some algae will probably still grow <5K lux, but not much.)

 

Heater is needed unless you keep your house like the tropics. 👍😉

 

On 1/5/2023 at 6:34 PM, IOB said:

Would I need a filter to just have the tank running as I've suggested!

Your live rock is most of your filtration, so "no" to the filter.  That does beg the question of whether you know what you're going to be using for water flow?

 

Protein skimmer is possible, but not totally called for until the fish go in.  You might end up deciding based on the condition of the rock you get though – if it has any die-off a skimmer can help a lot.

 

Spend some time reading any/all of those authors before you kick everything off..  You might decide to change some things along your reading!  🙂 

[IOB]

16 hours ago, mcarroll said:

Sand is common but also optional, depending on what you're doing. I think "bare bottom" would be a nice fit with a fish-only tank since it's easier to clean when it's needed.

 

I think you should save your money on the dry rock and bottled bacteria (not the correct use for it anyway).

 

Instead, only get 10 pounds of (real?) live rock from the store – shooting for 10 pounds total rather than 15. (Saving some money AND swimming space at the same time.)

 

How good is the live rock from the store?

 

The point being just to watch/enjoy your live rock for a while? (Definitely an honorable objective!)

 

That's also a good schedule to begin adding fish. But you might want to begin stocking other things like CUC from Day 1.  Start small...small herbivorous snails, and not very many of them....one would be fine for the first week+.  Hermits are more scavengers...try to avoid adding them, at least until the fish go in.

 

Unless...

 

...

 

Unless you are planning NOT to have reef-intensity lights on the tank.  In that case, the light level should be the minimum intensity that makes the fish look good to you.  More than 5K-10K lux will potentially grow a lot of algae.  (Some algae will probably still grow <5K lux, but not much.)

 

Heater is needed unless you keep your house like the tropics. 👍😉

 

Your live rock is most of your filtration, so "no" to the filter.  That does beg the question of whether you know what you're going to be using for water flow?

 

Protein skimmer is possible, but not totally called for until the fish go in.  You might end up deciding based on the condition of the rock you get though – if it has any die-off a skimmer can help a lot.

 

Spend some time reading any/all of those authors before you kick everything off..  You might decide to change some things along your reading!  🙂 

Thanks for the reply!

 

Questions...

Would I still need a CUC with bare bottom?

I'll go with the 10 of live rock!

 

As for waiting, just to keep it cycle and grow some baacteria.

 

I was gonna get a small wavemaker thingy for the tanks water flow.

 

what size skimmer?

 

And I'm still reading!!!

 

thanks for all the advice!!!