What do I need for a 40 gallon FOWLR

[Angelajean]

Hello to all,
Haven't been here in awhile due to life I guess. Things are settling down now and I want to set up a 40 gallon FOWLR for my 15 yr old son's room. I know I need live rock, sand, saltwater obviously. We have our Biocube 14 that we now use as a quarantine and hospital tank. It has a filter in it so I thought maybe we could run a hang on back filter.

My questions are do we need a power filter or a protein skimmer and do we need power heads. He wants to put a pair of maroon clowns, snails, hermit crabs, not sure what other fish, but it will be minimal.

Fish ideas to go with a pair of maroons is welcome too.

Thanks,
Angie

 

[Aquarian]

If your setting up a 40 FOWLR a hob filter will be fine. You shouldn't need a protein skimmer regular water changes should be enough. I would use power heads or a wave maker for water current simply because these fish live in a ocean not a pond and to keep fish waste from building up in the sand bed and rocks.

Maroons are mean and I have never been able to keep them in any kind of community tank. Maybe with other Damsels but the maroons will RULE the tank.

 

[kbuser92]

+1. You can use whatever lighting you want, but I would recommend something a little brighter and bluer to help with color pop. A HOB would be fine and you won't need a protein skimmer since there are no corals. And powerheads are still useful, but maybe a couple Koralia 750's or something just tokeep good flow around the rockwork for detritus. No wavemaker necessary.

And just like with a reef, ddon't buy live rock or sand, just seed some dead stuff with a piece of live rock. It will all get colonized with bacteria soon enough.

Good luck and have fun!

 

[Angelajean]

If your setting up a 40 FOWLR a hob filter will be fine. You shouldn't need a protein skimmer regular water changes should be enough. I would use power heads or a wave maker for water current simply because these fish live in a ocean not a pond and to keep fish waste from building up in the sand bed and rocks.

Maroons are mean and I have never been able to keep them in any kind of community tank. Maybe with other Damsels but the maroons will RULE the tank.

The maroons will be the last thing to go in the tank. I have a pretty mean YWG in my 90, who woulda thunk it.

 

[kbuser92]

I'm not sure if I would add anything else in there. You'll need something really mean to hold their own.

 

[Aquarian]

I'm not sure if I would add anything else in there. You'll need something really mean to hold their own.

A shark they won't mess with a shark!:D

The maroons will be the last thing to go in the tank. I have a pretty mean YWG in my 90, who woulda thunk it.

I had a YWG in a nanocube that my cat loved to watch and chase, it would sit just in sight and make her go nuts. Every once in a while it would charge the cat and spook her :ROFLMAO: Funniest thing ever to watch a cat run from a tiny fish.