FOWLR (fish only with live rock) fish tanks allow you the unique ability to stare in delight at several of one of the most remarkable and vivid aquatic aquatic species. These typically hostile however attractive fish usually would cause chaos in a restricted coral reef system with invertebrates and live reefs, however, in a live rock fish tank you can take the time to appreciate their one-of-a-kind elegance without fear. One of the major benefits to this style of aquarium is that they require less maintenance, and less financial expense than coral aquariums!
Here is our recommendations for species and set up in your new FOWLR aquarium-
Beautiful and Dangerous
Puffer fish: Who doesn’t know or love these adorably hostile balloon like beauties? Slow moving and beak mouthed these funny little guys have the ability to inflate themselves to over twice their size when they feel threatened. Puffer fish utilize their strong jaw muscles to feed on crustaceans. They are also very personable fish and,overtime, will let their owners feed them out of hand.
Large Angelfish. Colorfully tough, angelfish have every unique swimming patterns, and offer almost neon like colors to your aquarium. They will also add to their ecosystem by maintaining algae while they graze on the rocks in their fish tank.
Wrasse: Best understood for intense and captivating shades of color, extended bodies, and long pointy noses, wrasse will captivate anyone who gaze at them. Wrasse tend to clean their larger counterparts, picking off both dead tissue and parasites. Wrasse also tend to burrow into the sand when they sleep and at the sign of nearby danger.
Tangs: Referred to in layman’s terms as either Surgeon or Doctor fish, tangs have scalpel-esque spines, small scales, and vibrant colors. Their spines are used in defense when they feel threatened, and they love places to hide and plenty of room to swim. Tangs diet consist of dried seaweed and algae.
Trigger-fish: known for their astonishing triangular form and range of various shades of color and unique patterns these guys are a great species to add to anyone’s collection. Likewise, they swim in an uncommon style, utilizing both their dorsal and rectal fins to navigate themselves through the water. In order to maintain position in a rocky environments these crazy fish use an extremely rigid bone in their first dorsal fin which can be locked into place, hence the name ‘trigger-fish.’
Set-up Tips
- Choose an appropriately sized aquarium, ideally, we recommend a 6-foot setup or larger.
- Due to the size and quantity of the fish your new FOWLR aquarium will require an efficient biological filter. We recommend a wet/dry, or a sump-style filter.
- You will also need an efficient protein skimmer along with your filter in order to control nutrient. For smaller aquariums, the SeaClone skimmer is a great choice.
- You will need a lighting system that can provide 1 to 2 watts of light per gallon. If the room is not air conditioned keep the lighting on the lower side of what is recommended.
- Your FOWLR aquarium will need to start with sand bed. Along with adding an overall aesthetic appeal, sand aids in filtration, buffering of pH, provides a habitat for burrowing fish, and help with stabilizing your live rock
- Before you add your fish you will need about 2-4 weeks for your live rock to cure with the filtration system. This will allow the ammonia and nitrate levels to zero out.
- Take time to stock up your aquarium, working your way up from least to most aggressive species one group at a time. Be patient and take several months to do this. It will let your fish adjust to their new environment at a comfortable pace. And will reduce the level of aggression as you add more and more species.
With every the various varieties readily available to the enthusiast today, a FOWLR fish tank could be an amazing and beautiful fish tank that you can be proud of and will bring years of pleasure and enjoyment..