Help setting up an FOWLR

[xfactor]

Hi guys. Great forum being run here - days of reading available. I have read all the FAQs and a multitude of threads, but I still have a few questions I can't find already asked...

I am a beginner starting a FOWLR featuring a pair of clowns and a couple of other fishes. Hopefully one day I can develope it to have some corals and invertebrates.

The area the tank can go is 900mm x 300mm (edit: 36 x 12 ). If I go with a default 300mm high, that's just over 20 gallons. I can go taller if its a good idea.

So these are the questions I currently have:

- What is the least filtration equipment I can buy that will do the job inititially and not need upgrading further down the track? eg. would a HOB skimmer and some heads be ok to start with? do I need a sump straight up? do I need a cannister filter ever?

- Similarly, are there any ways to build up lighting progressively, without spending megabux or having to replace stuff?

 

[cindre2000]

First of all:
:welcome:

Secondly, a lot of other posters would find it easier if you used inches rather than mm for measurements, less confusing for us Americans (but cm are fine).

The least filtration would consist of plenty of live rock, powerheads, and constant water changes. This is usually the best option on such a small tank. A sump is also (usually) not practical on a nano tank. Check out the nano forum!

As for lighting, progressive lighting can be expensive. However, T5 HO's could be "progressive" in the sense that you can always buy more. When it comes to lighting it is best to buy what you plan to finish with, rather than replace it over time. This could mean getting two fluorescents/PC, and then switching them to Actinic once your get metal halide. This does mean some DIY work in the form of retrofits.

Definetly check out the nano tank forum.

 

[xfactor]

Thanks. Yeah - I wondered about the other forum. Should I be posting this in there?

Well it's not been a long time, but I've made a few purchases. I bought a full system second hand, so as to at the least have a working system. It cost about $200 US for the tank, stand, skimmer, sump, plumbing, pump and heater. I paid the same again to buy his metal halide combo light.

I think it was a good deal as a package, but I am unsure about the low quality of a lot of the equipment. But its a start...

Brands include Atman (which I think may be a rebrand of Aqua One, which I understand is the new Brand name for Via Aqua around here), Weipro, Jebao, Seio. The skimmer is Weipro. I've seen second hand Tunze and Deltec potential replacements I could get.

Thoughts?

 

[snapper1]

lots of live rock it is natural better then anything man made.anything else is only a enhancement good water changes and do not over feed.

 

[mr_X]

i never heard of alot of those brand names, but plug the stuff in, run it for a while, and see if it does the job. if so, it's good equiptment. i happen to like toyota, but if a hyundai gets you to work for 5 years straight, i guess it is a decent car. :wink:

 

[danmhippo]

Thanks. Yeah - I wondered about the other forum. Should I be posting this in there?

Well it's not been a long time, but I've made a few purchases. I bought a full system second hand, so as to at the least have a working system. It cost about $200 US for the tank, stand, skimmer, sump, plumbing, pump and heater. I paid the same again to buy his metal halide combo light.

I think it was a good deal as a package, but I am unsure about the low quality of a lot of the equipment. But its a start...

Brands include Atman (which I think may be a rebrand of Aqua One, which I understand is the new Brand name for Via Aqua around here), Weipro, Jebao, Seio. The skimmer is Weipro. I've seen second hand Tunze and Deltec potential replacements I could get.

Thoughts?

Xfactor, are you in Taiwan or HK? Because I think these are the brands more commonly seen in these two area.

Whatever you intend to end up with, I would suggest you buy the equipment suitable for your final setup. I would strongly suggest you to drop Weipro, Jebao, Atman and Seio brands. These are really not what I would consider as quality product, and you will end up pay much more to replace them.

Two of the most important equipment to me is the skimmer and the light. For a 20G tank, I think Tunze nano or AquaC is pretty good for skimmer.

 

[mr_X]

i would not suggest to anyone that you discard equiptment that is not a good brand name simply because it's not a good brand name. THAT IS A WASTE OF MONEY. if the stuff works, use it till it doesn't. go buy an expensive backup if you like, but why get rid of working equiptment.
again- if the equiptment you have DOES A SUITABLE JOB, it's ok to continue using it.
i am starting to think that most people in this hobby are wealthy.
i simply have to be a minority. :?

 

[xfactor]

Thanks for the advice guys.

I was a little dubious about most of the equipment, even including the tank - which is obviously a difficult thing to replace down the track. Selling items indivually would have lost money I'm sure. But I sold the whole package and made $4 Woohooo!

I kept the light for the time being, since its a convenitent unit and to an extent an MH light is an MH light.

So I've ordered a new tank about the same size but taller. I bought the Deltec MC500 skimmer second hand. I've lined up some live rock.

Progress I think.

 

[danmhippo]

X is right that if money is already spent, we might as well use it. But since the stuffs were already sold, then it is irrelevant.

Anyhow, I would still stay away from those brand names in the future, not that I don't support my home town products..............