2nd life for an old setup?

[reefsRcool]

in a few weeks i will be setting up a new 75 with a 30 gallon sump/refugium and top shelf trinketry. my old setup is a beginers mistake cheapo 55 with the finest equipment that $2.64 can buy. no sump, seaclone skimmer, magnum 350 canister filter for carbon. substrait is 50%cc 50% good sand full of life 5"deep. will be stealing the liverock for the new tank. could i use this as a non reef safe FO tank or is it too small/crappy. i was thinking a predator tank would be cool. if not predator i have always wanted a spiny puffer or a cowfish but they get big don't they. i could sell the tank but would much rather use it for something cool. any ideas?

 

[reefsRcool]

up

 

[Anonymous]

I would definately keep the 55 and turn it into a FOWLR. Leave the substrate just as it is. I have a 37 FOWLR. It's great. I have a snowflake ell that's about 24 long and fat, a cool huma huma trigger fish, and a lion fish (that will soon outgrow the tank.)

FO tanks are easy to maintain, especially since you have a skimmer. I do a month 50% WC and clean the glass with a magnet every couple of weeks. I have NO flouresent to make up water is not a big deal. I just a a quart of RO water every couple of days.

HTH

Louey

 

[Nancy K]

I think you should keep the tank and go on with a FOWLR. I too had a 55 laying around and ended up making a planted cichlid tank. Not as beautiful as a reef but lots of fun nevertheless.

Nancy

 

[reefsRcool]

i am a little concerned over bioload, i will not add too much rock to it probably 25# at most and most of what i was thinking about eats alot. how would a spiny puffer, humahuma trigger, spotfin lionfish get along? pages 424,400 and 73 in michael's guide to marine fishes

 

[reefsRcool]

my girlfriend keeps saying how cool cowfish are. if i didn't go predator and just went say a cowfish an angle and maybe another boxfish? i know about the toxin, but know enough people out in detroit who have been ok with them i would be willing to give it a go. how fast do they grow? biggest i have ever seen was maybe 4" and it was pretty old i cannot fathom one of those getting 18 inches long