Help a FOWLR aquascape! Pics!

[street fish]

Hey guys!

So let me begin by thanking you guys for all the help and information that has led me to my current setup. I joined this forum when I started the change from FW (cichlids), into a SW FOWLR tank.

Now, I feel the urge to add a bit of easy-to-care-for corals.

My tank is ~240 gallons and I use Tap Water and do a 15% WC weekly.

I run low salinity, around 1.019...and my lighting is a 6 bulb ATI fixture, propped up on boxes... long story, will elaborate later.

My question is, are there any corals or macro (that could withstand the tangs) that could help aquascape my tank.

I LOVE how hammers and frogspawn look, but doubt they could withstand my setup...

Thanks guys - any feedback or advice would be much appreciated.

Here are some iphone pics below...

 

[street fish]

 

[fishman1069]

Nice looking FOWLR! I love the tangs! If you want to go the coral route your gonna have to bring your SG up to 1.026. I would also start using RO/DI water. You have to find out what your params are like calc, alk and mag and get them to reasonable levels. Once you do that, you can start off with some run of the mill zoas and some softies like gsp and shrooms. Good luck!

 

[46nBliss]

Nice setup! +1 about RO not tap. might what to think about a hanging kit for your light if its not sturdy.

 

[street fish]

Nice looking FOWLR! I love the tangs! If you want to go the coral route your gonna have to bring your SG up to 1.026. I would also start using RO/DI water. You have to find out what your params are like calc, alk and mag and get them to reasonable levels. Once you do that, you can start off with some run of the mill zoas and some softies like gsp and shrooms. Good luck!

Thanks Fishman, very helpful! As for RO/DI water, given the sheer volume and limited apt space, I don't think this is actually feasible for me.

Do all Softies require RO/DI, or are there some hardy types that can withstand tap?

Much appreciate the help Fishman:goldfish2

 

[street fish]

Nice setup! +1 about RO not tap. might what to think about a hanging kit for your light if its not sturdy.

Thanks Bliss!

As for the light, they are sitting on boxes temporarily. I went to drill on the hanging kit last night, but the ceiling seems to be made out of concrete or some other hard material.

My drill bit snapped in half while trying to drill into the ceiling (altho the bits were standard drywall/wood bits)...

Kinda at a loss for how to mount from the ceiling now...

 

[street fish]

Nice looking FOWLR! I love the tangs! If you want to go the coral route your gonna have to bring your SG up to 1.026. I would also start using RO/DI water. You have to find out what your params are like calc, alk and mag and get them to reasonable levels. Once you do that, you can start off with some run of the mill zoas and some softies like gsp and shrooms. Good luck!

Also, I keep my salinity low to combat ich and other parasites...

Do all corals, even softies, require SG at 1.026? Or are some found in lower salt levels?

 

[kenny2064]

city tap water has alot of phosphates and silicates among other things which are not good for corals while i dont know the science behind all of it..im sure there are people out there that have kept corals using tap water but it is not advised to do so.....found these articles that may help gl
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-09/rhf/index.php
http://saltaquarium.about.com/cs/phosphatescare/a/aa060398.htm

 

[KathyC]

Also, I keep my salinity low to combat ich and other parasites...

Do all corals, even softies, require SG at 1.026? Or are some found in lower salt levels?

Salinity of 1.019 won't do anything to prevent ich.

Yes you need to raise your salinity to keep coral in the tank.. As someone mentioned you should test all of your parameters & try and get those parameters necessary to keep coral in line. You biggest issue will be all of the phosphates the rock has already absorbed due to using tap water. I know of no long term healthy reef tanks that use tap water

 

[fishman1069]

Salinity of 1.019 won't do anything to prevent ich.

Yes you need to raise your salinity to keep coral in the tank.. As someone mentioned you should test all of your parameters & try and get those parameters necessary to keep coral in line. You biggest issue will be all of the phosphates the rock has already absorbed due to using tap water. I know of no long term healthy reef tanks that use tap water

+1 to everything Kathy said. There are many hardy corals but they still need the correct conditions to survive. Theres alot of info on here and the web that will tell you the same thing. Even in the past, before the RO units, people collected water from the ocean and the sound to try and stay away from the tap. You want to, at the very least, use distilled water.

 

[street fish]

city tap water has alot of phosphates and silicates among other things which are not good for corals while i dont know the science behind all of it..im sure there are people out there that have kept corals using tap water but it is not advised to do so.....found these articles that may help gl
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-09/rhf/index.php
http://saltaquarium.about.com/cs/phosphatescare/a/aa060398.htm

Thanks for the links man!

 

[street fish]

Salinity of 1.019 won't do anything to prevent ich.

Yes you need to raise your salinity to keep coral in the tank.. As someone mentioned you should test all of your parameters & try and get those parameters necessary to keep coral in line. You biggest issue will be all of the phosphates the rock has already absorbed due to using tap water. I know of no long term healthy reef tanks that use tap water

It was my understanding the low salinity resulted in stronger immune systems?

As for the phosphates already existing in the rock, you are prob right... Looks like Coral will be difficult to say the least!

Thank you for the insight!