Fish Only, Why?

[cwa46]

Why do we seperate "Fish Only" and Reef threads. I believe the best systems will handle both. In many cases people who want fish only use DSB's, Refugiums, and skimmers. Why are fish only different than mixed or Reef tanks?

[Wind]

I guess FISH ONLY concerns just fish systems and fish only system can be a little different. They are more forgiving in terms of nitrate. and water quality. ANd the topics concern the fishies more than corals. hehe.

[Bughead]

Even though most of the fish I like to keep are reef compatable, some folks like to keep non-reef-safe fish. Also, I don't want to deal with the lighting requirements of a reef system just now. Both my saltwater tanks are FOWLR, which works well for me at this point. Since my main interest is in fish rather than corals, I plan to keep my largest tank a FOWLR.

[ww]

I keep F/O for the simple reason that I can't afford the lighting for a reef system right now. I am, however, in the "collecting parts" process of a 75 gal. reef. I'm going at it slow and as cost effective as I can.

Mayor Bughead: What lighting are you using on your FOWLRs and how is the coralline algea? I would like to go FOWLR on my established 55 F/O and deperately need to upgrade the lighting here, too!

[Bughead]

Both tanks have one flourescent NO and one actinic--actually, the 100 gal has two each of these bulbs, the 40 gal one each. Last year I upgraded the big tank's Coralife 10,000K to 20,000K. I don't know if it's appreciably brighter or if the coraline does any better. I've always had good coraline growth in that tank, but it does seem to take longer for dead tufa rocks to start getting coraline. People with reef tanks have said it only takes a couple of months to start getting coraline growth on tufa--provided you have some live rock with coraline in the tank--but it's taken mine around 6 months.

The 40 gal tank is long and shallow, 15" deep, and is a caulerpa tank. I have quite the jungle of feather, grape, and one other variety of caulerpa growing profusely. AND NO NITRATES! But there's really not much coraline started on the tufa rocks, altho there's only one small live coraline covered rock.

I'd like to upgrade to VHO on the big tank, but I really want a 200 gal tank, so I probably won't do anything. The 40 gal will become the sump-refugium and I'll keep the same lighting, only two whites and no actinic. And we'd like to start a 55 gal reef. All this is in the long future which seems to be getting more distant every day. But someday, maybe.;;

[Biomanjcs72]

Mayor Bughead, now that's funny
(sorry man, couldn't resist)

[Firefish]

WW, I used to have a 55 FOWLR (some green buttons also) and the tank thrived under 2 40 watt actinics and 2 40 watt 50/50 bulbs. I probably could've gotten away with one of each but it was so cheap I didn't care. I picked the ballast up at home-depot for about 15$ and made a diy hood. The coralline covered the back and side glass in a matter of months. fwiw

[ww]

Thanks Firefish! We don't have a HD anywhere near here, but I'll be checking out Lowes and Menards tomorrow. I've decided in the interest of funding and my marriage that I'm going to stay with the 55 and convert it to a FOWLR and maybe some easy corals (provided there is such a thing!. )

Thanks for the help. Wifey will appreciate me saving a little cash....

[organicreefer]

Originally posted by Biomanjcs72
Mayor Bughead, now that's funny
(sorry man, couldn't resist)

lol ,you can call me governor