Wet\dry..Which one should I use?? Also sorry for posting twi

[captnpatsg3f]

If your going to have 194 watts of light why not add a few mushrooms to add some color. I'm sure there are alot of easy to care for mushrooms that would live with clowns.

 

[Darkreignn]

THANX EVERYONE..YOU GUYS ARE THE BEST!!!!!!!!!

 

[davelin315]

I still disagree that it's the best way to go to have live rock. Obviously, many think that live rock is the best way to go (I utilize it in my systems as well), however, for overall water quality with the least amount of maintenance based on a fish only set up, your water quality might actually go down through the use of live rock. Since live rock inevitably comes with the requisite invertebrate life forms, those would be using up the trace elements in the water. Not a significant chunk, but over time, they would use the ones up that the fish would also utilize in their growth. By removing these elements from the water column, wouldn't you be depriving the fish? Also, many fish live in "sterile" environments. Don't forget that reefs are generally areas of sterile water (as far as nutrients and plankton are concerned) and that the life is generally the reef itself. Many fish that we have in our tanks are reef fish in that they live in and on the reef itself, but many more do not, and in fact, prefer either open water or prefer to swim above and around the reef, not in the reef itself. As such, why is it a problem to not have live rock and coral structures? Obviously, we're talking captivity here, so needs and habits change, but wouldn't a reef tank be less friendly an environment to a fish like a powder blue or naso tang and fish with similar habits than a tank barren of live rock? Obviously this is an exaggeration, but aren't there merits to not having any live rock at all if you can supplement the biological filtration? Also, if you don't want inverts, wouldn't that mean that a DSB is out of the question since you won't have the bristle worms and pods and other inverts that typically would keep a DSB healthy? And isn't the consensus that live rock alone is not enough to serve as a denitrifying agent for your tank and that you need to supplement it with a DSB for complete waste removal? And, if this is true, then doesn't that mean that LR is not that big an improvement over a straight aerobic filter system like a trickle filter if it doesn't remove the nitrates from your system as well?

 

[Darkreignn]

Where can I find info on this southdown sand???? Thanx....

 

[Darkreignn]

OK Then this is what I want you guys to do for me. Tell me how you guys would setup a fish only tank and what I'll do is make my own tank from your suggestions. Thanx alot everybody.....

 

[Jerry Gonzales]

Hello Darkreignn,
I had South down sand shipped from there(NJ) At a local Home Depot Store. You will save so much money by using it. Very beautiful white sand. Then buy about 5pds of live sand from your LFS to go over it and some live rock. You will be happy in the end. If you ever take the challenge of keeping corals. You will already have won half the battle. By adding a skimmer, you will have the best enviorment for your eyes and most importantly for your little swimming buddies.
Jerry

 

[JohnD]

Dark,

Where are you in the state?

I bought a couple of bags of South Down at the Home Depot in Totowa. You will find them in the gardening section. The bags are red and blue on the front and are clear on the back. Mine ran $3.90 per bag. For your 38 gallon tank, 2 bags should be enough to give you a 4 inch bed. Of course, you can always get a third bag.

Clowns are great. I have false perculas in each of my 30 gallon tanks. Do yourself and the ocean a favor, get the tank raised ones.

Drop me an e-mail if you need any more help.

Regards,

JohnD