Sample 55g FOWLR Saltwater Tank

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.

• 55g Tank Photos
• DIY 55g Tank or
• Compare Prices on Manufactured 55 Gallon Tanks
• Choosing the Right Aquarium Stand/Cabinet
• DIY Stand & Cabinets
• Compare Prices of Manufactured Stands & Cabinets

• Hood/Lighting

Back when the only lighting available for saltwater aquariums was fluorescent fixtures (Compare Prices), the choices were pretty slim. Now days, you can also choose from T-5 (Compare Prices), Power Compact (Compare Prices), Metal Halide (Compare Prices), or the newest on the market LED (Compare Prices) light fixtures. While the LED's are presently a bit more expensive to purchase than their lighting cousins, the savings received from their long bulb life (50,000 hours) and low energy consumption make them an excellent investment.

• DIY Fluorescent Hood
• Compare Prices on Manufactured Hoods

This sample 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.

• Filtration
  • DIY UGF
  • DIY Wet/Dry
  • Red Sea Prizm Protein Skimmer or
  • Red Sea Berlin Air-Lift

A single powerhead is used for water circulation and to facilitate gas exchange through vertical water movement.

• Powerhead
  • Aqua Clear Power Head

For this set up, crushed coral was used for the substrate, but Aragonite or sand may also be used.

• Substrate

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.

• Live Rock
• Base Rock

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.

• Fish
  • Naso Tang
  • Yellow Tang
  • Mated Pair Percs
  • Flame Angel

• Invertebrates
  • Mated Pair Coral Banded Shrimp or one Pacific Cleaner Shrimp
  • Tank Janitors
  • Brittle Star

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.