6. Marine Fish Tank Ultimate Setup Guide “Fowlr” Fish only with live rock
The following Ultimate Setup Guide and product selections will help you successfully create a “fish only” FOWLR (fish only with live rock) or fish and non-light-sensitive invertebrate aquarium. These guidelines and product selections are applicable to tanks from 29 gallons up to 75 gallons and recommend the best equipment for a successful outcome. When considering a saltwater aquarium, always remember the price of added filtration will easily pay for itself in fewer fish losses and less labor to keep the aquarium clean. In some cases, the recommendations include a second or third option. Since every aquarium is placed in a unique location and physical space limitations may be a factor, other viable choices appear for specific purposes where applicable. These type of aquariums are also suitable for invertebrates that do not have high light requirements as long as they are compatible with the fish chosen.
Hoods and Lights
Purchase an aquarium with a glass top or a rimless aquarium. Plastic hoods are not acceptable for saltwater setups. Plastic hoods limit the ability to add extra lighting and do not prevent “saltwater creep” from causing you extra cleaning time. Standard T8 fluorescent lighting fixtures are acceptable, but opt for higher quality LED fixtures. Hydra Aquatics, Rainbow Lifegard, UP Aqua and Hagen make nice LED fixtures that are good for this application. The lighting choice for a FOWLR or fish only aquarium is not as important as a reef aquarium. Making the fish colors and your aquarium “pop” is what is important.
Stand or Cabinet
Make sure the cabinet is properly constructed for handling up to 10lbs per gallon of water. If something other than an aquarium stand is used, it should be able to support the weight and hold the entire rim of the aquarium bottom level with no spaces between the aquarium and the support. Plywood or solid wood construction is preferred to press or chip board materials. They will last longer and not swell from the humidity from sumps or cleaning the aquarium.
Filtration and Flow
Sumps and Built-in Filtration (Best)
The best types of filtration for tanks of this type are sump-style or built-in type filters, such as those available on the Madeira 43 Gallon aquarium by Hydra Aquatics. Built-in back filters and sumps accommodate a large amount of aquaLife Biomatrix biological media, provide surface skimming, better aeration, as well as mechanical, sponge, and chemical filter capacity. Red Sea also makes all inclusive tanks in this range that include cabinets.
Sumps, such as those by Eshopps, expand the overall capacity of the system, accommodate even more aquaLife Biomatrix, refugiums, protein skimmers, and other forms of add-on filtration reactors.
Tanks must be drilled or have overflows built into them to use sump-style filters. Kits for drilling tanks are available. They are called “ghost overflows.” Prodigy is the best version Eshopps has and Eclipse is the “good” model. These overflows come with a drill bit and template to drill the holes along with the overflow assembly. Make sure the tank is not made from tempered glass. Tempered glass cannot be drilled. All of the Hydra Aquatics, Mr Aqua, and UP Aqua tanks can be drilled.
If drilling an aquarium is not for you or not possible, Eshopps has siphon boxes or overflow boxes that work with sumps that do not require drilling the aquarium. Drilled aquariums are preferred for the ultimate system.
Return Pump
Remember, every sump needs a pump to return the water to the aquarium. Buy the best pump possible to ensure reliable operation. The Platinum Blue by ZK is the quietest pump for this application, while Sicce and Oase offer good alternatives, as well. Purchase one that is 5 times the tank size in flow rate. Use the pump along with powerheads, aka wave or stream pumps, and CaribSea Live Rock, which is seeded live rock with any pests. The rock becomes part of the biological filter and creates an active reef environment for the aquarium.
Protein Skimmers
Protein skimmers should be included on an Ultimate Setup fish-only system. Protein skimmers add aeration and remove waste before it breaks down to increase nitrate loads and cause algae problems. A wide range of models is available, but the Elite Skimmers are the best considerations. The AquaVitro Division Skimmers offer high drain protein skimmers with adjustable components making them adaptable to many sump configurations. High drain skimmers are not affected by sump water height or evaporation. These are available by phone orders or in our facility only. The manufacturer does not allow on-line sales.
UV Sterilizers
The second of the two options for the “ultimate system” is a Ultraviolet Sterilizer. These units kill unwanted bacteria and parasitic pathogens thus reducing the chances of disease outbreaks or spreads. UVs also help with water clarity and kill some types of algae. No store central filtration systems go without them and that speaks for itself. Like protein skimmers, UV’s can be added at any time. Oase Clear Tronic model is compact and well designed. The Lifegard UV Pro-Max is a true commercial level UV that is excellent as well.
Pellet Reactors and Media Reactors
Pellet Reactor
Biopellets have become a popular method of removing nitrates and phosphates from an aquarium. Made primarily of a biodegradable polymer that promotes (“feeds”) aerobic and anaerobic bacteria, biopellets are a viable method to consume undesirable nutrients (NO3 and PO4) within a reactor.
Pro Tip: Only use a pellet reactor if you are using a protein skimmer. Pellet reactors can cause bacteria blooms in heavily loaded systems but this is not an issue when used with UV sterilizers. Protein skimmers also help avoid these blooms. Bashsea makes the best reactors in the industry. Aquavitro M reactors are also great choices.
Media Reactors
Bashsea also makes media reactors that can be added to the sump. Large amounts of carbon and chemical media can be used in them. These reactors are very efficient because they do not allow any water to bi-pass the filter media. Media reactors are the best way to run carbon, phosphate removers and resin media.
Live Rock and Powerheads or Stream Pumps are part of the filtration
Use live rock along with powerheads, aka wave or stream pumps, and CaribSea Live Rock which is seeded live rock without any pests. The rock becomes part of the biological filter and creates an active reef environment for the aquarium. Powerheads, or stream pumps, create flow, gas exchange and current to keep debris from settling and bring oxygen to the pores of the live rock. Choose models from Oase, Sicce or the controllable ZK Platinum Slim Wave models are very nice.
Other Essentials
Refractometers
For saltwater enthusiasts with an interest in a more precise and sophisticated instrument to measure salinity, the AquaLife Refractometer with automatic temperature compensation is a consideration. Hydrometers are less expensive alternatives but are far less accurate and must be calibrated by a store with a refractometer.
• Heater
Oase Electronic Heater 100-200 Watt only use a high quality submersible heater. This is one of the best we have tested. The Fluval heater with digital read out is also very nice.
• Synthetic Sea Salt
Fritz RPM or Aquavitro Salinity are highly concentrated blends of salt formulated for marine and reef aquariums that contain all essential major, minor, and trace components found in natural sea waters. Plus, RPM has the added advantage of enhanced magnesium levels. There formulations are ideal for the reef environment and provide accurate seawater concentrations of magnesium, calcium, and strontium with proper alkalinity and pH for closed reef aquarium systems. Water can be purchased from our local store pre-mixed with reverse osmosis water and Aquavitro Salinity. We also have 2.5 and 5 gallon containers and R/O freshwater available for purchase. These are the only two salts we use at this time with Aquavitro Salinity getting our top rating and RPM as a runner up. RPM is used by our maintenance crews when they need to mix salt quickly on location as it mixes quickly compared to other brands without sacrificing ingredients.
• Substrate
Choose a CaribSea product. Natural, calcium based substrates are best for saltwater aquariums. A good rule of thumb is 1lb of substrate per gallon of water.
See All Saltwater Substrates
• Dechlorinator or Water Conditioner
Always add a high quality dechlorinator or water conditioner anytime tap water is added to the tank. AquaLife Complete is an excellent product that not only dechlorinates but adds important elements to maintain slime coat integrity and reduce stress. In addition, AquaLife Complete also detoxifies chloramines and ammonia if they are present. This is the best and safest water conditioner on the market. We use hundreds of gallons a year in our facilities.
• Starting Bacteria Culture Cycling
Use aquaLife Activate Saltwater. Seeded biological media is available as well to speed up the cycling process at our local facility. aquaLife Biomatrix is an excellent media for this purpose. aqualife Activate should be used weekly after the cycling process to reduce waste and algae.
The tank can be cycled with hardy livestock or by the fish-less cycling with aquaLife Ammo. See the Video Here.
• Thermometer
Hagen Thermometer, Floating You will need a thermometer to check water you are making with synthetic sea salt for water changes and to make sure the tank is at the correct temperature.
• Algae Scrubber and cleaning tools
There are many cleaning pads on the market and we use some of all of what we sell. However, we use more of the aquaLife and Hydra Aquatics pads than anything followed by the Seachem 3 in 1 and the Continuum Cleaners.
MagFloat 30 or UP Aqua Magnet Cleaners for glass are also great choices for quick cleaning without getting wet.
• Fish Net
Aquatop
Good Habits to Follow
• Water Testing
Never underestimate the importance of water testing. Fish trapped in water with even small amounts of ammonia and nitrite can die within hours. Water test on a regular basis and be prepared to act quickly is something goes wrong. A Saltwater Master Test Kit by API contains accurate testing supplies for pH, ammonia and nitrite. The Sera Kits are very accurate and easier to read. If you prefer digital precision use the Hanna Kits.
See All Test Kits
• Fish Food
Nutrition is second only to filtration in importance. Saltwater fish should be fed 80% frozen foods since these foods most closely match their natural diet.
See All Frozen Foods
• Do not overfeed the fish. Feed fish only what they will eat in two to three minutes 1-2 times per day. Vary the diet. Different types of frozen foods from Ocean Nutrition and San Francisco Bay with Vita-Chem and HyperGarlic dripped on them combined with occasional feedings of aquaLife CSPro food will ensure the health, longevity and color of your fish. It is important to try and duplicate the foods eaten in the wild. Freeze dried krill, Mysis Shrimp and brine shrimp are also great supplement and delivery systems when soaked in Bio Pro Plus, Vita-Chem and or HyperGarlic.
AquaLife CSPro Flake and Stick Foods
Formulated from the best ingredients, and fortified with vitamins and probiotics, CS PRO foods offer a rich source of omega-3 fatty acids [eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)] together with astaxanthin, for healthy growth and maximum coloration. Plus, every batch is packed with a triple dose of immune-boosting vitamins.
• All-in-one formulation: complete nutrition, omega-3s, and vitamins
• Great for all fish, both freshwater and saltwater
• Rich in color-enhancing astaxanthin
• Scientifically formulated in line with the latest research
• Highly digestible, all-natural ingredients with NO preservatives
• Will not cloud water
Use quality chemical media to reduce organics and increase water quality
The filters shown above have room for placement of two revolutionary chemical media, Chemi-Pure and Poly Filters – both of these media should be used in a saltwater tank of this size to ensure success. Chemi-Pure Elite is excellent as well if algae is a problem or aquaLife Phosphate remover.
• Do a 25% water change monthly or a 10% water change twice a month. Remember to dechlorinate the water and adjust it to the same temperature as the aquarium water.
• The pH should be 8.2 High quality salt such as Fritz RPM has added buffers and with proper water changes, pH should be stable. Aquavitro Salinity is sold only at local authorized dealers, like our local store. However, if water changes are being done and pH is a problem, use Marine Buffer by SeaChem. Further information is available on water parameters in the Log Sheet section.
Further Reading:
9. Mixing Saltwater
11. Supplements & Additives
12. Understanding the Nitrogen Cycle