FOWLR need help!!

[kissmywrasse]

Hello all, my name is Austin and I have regained interest in this hobby after losing my last aquarium to bristleworm 3 years ago. It was a 35 gallon reef tank that I cared for with help from my father. I now want to set up a fish only with live rock for ease of care. Will this be much easier than a full reef tank? I am currently in school and cannot spend too much time caring for an aquarium daily. Also, I have a 20 gallon high tank that I plan to use. Will two flourescent bulbs be okay for this type of setup? If I use live sand and live rock will I only need a protein skimmer which I have leftover from my old aquarium? How difficult will this be to care for in comparion to a tropical aquarium? What will I need?

Thanks!

 

[Smitty]

Hello and welcome to the site...glad to have aboard.
Yes, your lighting will be adequate for a fowlr tank.
Yes, live rock is your primary biological filtration, so you'll need approx. 1-2 lbs per gallon. It'll be cheaper if you bought mostly base (dry) rock, and then a nice size piece of live rock from the lfs to turn the rest of it live. Adding a protein skimmer will also be beneficial, and will be your mechanical filtration.
It won't be more difficult than a tropical tank, as long as you do your regular water changes, the tank will take care of itself.
The only things you'll need in this hobby is patience and research. :)

 

[kissmywrasse]

I am planning put a clownfish, royal gamma, and sand sifting goby in here or a clown goby. What other active fish besides the clownfish and gamma could you recommend for this size tank that are also colorful?

 

[wontonflip]

I currently have a 125g fowlr....lights are not as important, so you'll save a lot there. Another fish to consider would be a firefish. I loved mine. Just make sure you have a lid, cuz they are known jumpers (I've had 1 jump already).

 

[little_fish]

With a 20 gal tank you arent going to be able to keep more than 2 fish, so i would suggest seeing if you can pull off a tiny reef with some softy corals. They are easier to take care of than fish IMO and dont require a ton of lights. A softie reef will require the same amount of work as a FOWLER