Setting up a FOWLR

[JGoslee]

Well I lost my last African cichid this weekend due to old age. He was a beautiful 8" male Nimbochromis Livingstonii. I really loved that fish. Now that he is gone I have a 75gal free. I was thinking of setting up a FOWLR. Doe's anyone here have a fish only tank setup? Whats a good basic setup for a fish only tank? I was thinking all I would need is a good skimmer and some decent lighting. Doe's this sound about right? Not sure if I should use these but I have 2 - aquaclear 110 hob filters and an eheim 2026 canister filter I could use.

 

[Absinthe]

Live rock
Skimmer
Lots of flow

Lighting isnt important

 

[Kigs!]

Lighting makes a huge difference when bringing out different colors of your fish in a FOWLR. You might not need to worry about the intensity, but you should plan out which bulbs might make your fish look the best. Problem with most FOWLR is crappy flourscent lighting, which makes it so painful and boring to watch.

 

[JGoslee]

I'll probably end up using t5's but that will be the last thing I buy. Right now I just want to get the tank setup and running. My first priority will be getting a skimmer. Absinthe do you have a fish only tank? I see you have a trigger in your avatar.

 

[Nikon_Guy]

These are my favorite lights for a FOWLER. The white to actinic balance is perfect, they use very little electricity, have built in cooling fans and if you ever decide to throw a couple of shrooms or softies or even zoa’s in the tank to spice it up a bit, you'd be good to go.

I really love the moonlights on it for nighttime viewing too!

http://www.hellolights.com/484xcoluaqde.html

 

[JGoslee]

Those lights aren't bad Nikon guy! I had a smaller version of those lights on one of my freshwater tanks before. They do put out a nice mix of light. Thanks for the link.

 

[fishes2889]

Aww man an 8inch Livingstonni, i love cichlids. Thats one of our freshwater specialities down at my shop.

What kind of fish are you going to stock the FOWLR with?

 

[JGoslee]

I definitely want some kind of an eel and one show fish. Its only a 75 so I can't go crazy. There are a few puffers and angels that I like.

 

[JGoslee]

Here's a few pics of my N. livingstonii...R.I.P.

 

[Nikon_Guy]

Beautiful fish, I can see why you are gong to miss it.

You want an eel? Here's one. Only about a thousand dollars!

Picture by Wayne of Choice Aquariums, Farmington Hills, MI

 

[JGoslee]

Thats an awesome looking eel! Is that a dragon eel?

 

[Nikon_Guy]

Thats an awesome looking eel! Is that a dragon eel?

Yes, that is a Japanese Dragon Moray. From what I understand they are rather hard to find on a regular basis. But sure are beautiful.

 

[Absinthe]

Here are the lights I decided to go with on my 72g FOWLR

http://www.marineandreef.com/shoppro/power_novaXtreme2.htm

You can also get them in 4 bulb sizes but I wanted the thin 4" fixture because I have my skimmer hanging on the side of the tank.

For the tank I am going with a 250w Stealth visitherm heater, Remora skimmer with MJ1200, (2) Koralia 3 powerheads, 60lb of live sand and 60lb of Caribbean live rock (more porous and lighter than most).

Stocking will be a Bursa or Picasso trigger and LOTS of hermits and snails (some for cleaning, others for food )

I would like to hear more about your FOWLR setup