Here is a plan for a 55g FOWLR (Fish Only With Live Rock) tank. This set
up includes a tank, filtration, power head, light hood and a list of fish
and invertebrates which are colorful and actually get along with each other.
Start by picking out the tank, stand/cabinet and lighting hood. For
those who like the money saving aspects, as well as the pride in building
something rather than buying it, DIY is probably the ticket for you.
Using 4 48" 40 watt bulbs (160 watts total) allows you to keep fish, Live
Rock and a number of corals, if you wish in the future. Using 2 48" 40
watt bulbs is adequate for keeping fish, invertebrates and Live Rock. A
combination of 50/50 Actinic and 10K fluorescent lamps provides the correct
spectrum for most applications.
This 55g tank uses the
Berlin
Live Rock filtration system, utilizing a
Red
Sea Prizm Protein Skimmer or a
Red
Sea Berlin Air-Lift Protein Skimmer to remove most of the DOC's, thereby
reducing the load on the Live Rock, which houses a majority of the nitrifying
bacteria in the system. If you wish to go the Do It Yourself route, a simple
Under Gravel Filter or Wet/Dry filter will also work.
A single powerhead is used for water circulation and to fascilitate gas
exchange through vertical water movement.
For this set up, crushed coral was used for the substrate, but Aragonite
or sand may also be used.
The most economical method of populating your tank with Live Rock is to
use 50% Base Rock and 50% Live Rock. Put the Base Rock on the bottom and
the Live Rock on the top. The Base Rock should populate with critters from
the Live Rock in a few months.
Stocking your tank with fish and invertebrates can be a risky venture if
the critters aren't going to get along. The suggested livestock list below
actually works in a tank.
Once you have chosen your tank equipment, setting it all up is fairly straight
forward.
How
To Set Up an Aquarium in 10 Easy Steps will walk you through the set
up procedure.
