This is actually my first post on the forums, so hello :D

Ok basically I have been looking into getting a marine aquarium up and running when I buy my new house (within 3 months). I am looking to set up a FOWLR tank mainly with semi-aggressive fish...I haven't completely decided yet.
I can find plenty of info on fish and what not but nothing that is THAT informative about the equipment needed. I was wondering if someone could help me with the equipment I’m going to use, so far what I have come up with after shopping around and listening to what the employees at the shops say I have come to the conclusion I need, a Protein skimmer, wet-dry filtration system, lighting system and they mentioned a pump but I’m not sure what kind.
I have read a few topics on here and noticed that most people have a sump system rather than a wet-dry and I am wondering why? Every salesman I have talked to has suggest a wet-dry system.
I am going to buy a 120 gallon All-Glass Aquarium brand aquarium and the salesman is selling me all the equipment needed (so he says) for around $1100. So far this is the cheapest of the stores I have check, but I’m not sure if he is selling me lame brands or not though.

Also one salesman told me there is really no need to buy a heater...from my past experiences in FW tanks it was always needed, is it different with SW? because the second salesman I spoke to said I would need a heater....so I’m kind of confused, the first guy seems more knowledgeable and friendlier overall, the other guy just acted like it was his job, so from my past experience in other fields it seems as though the one who makes his job more personal seems to know more.

Neither salesman mentioned anything about an under-gravel filter, but I read in two different books that I should put them in...what do you all think?
Any other helpful tips on the aquarium itself or the equipment would be awesome.


Ok this part of my post is what I'm considering on doing once I get my house so if you don't want to answer the question now that’s fine lol.

So I have read that it is good to put gravel at the bottom of the tank then a small plastic mesh barrier and then something like crushed coral or live sand on top of that. What do you suggest? because i have seem numerous notes on live sand but never on anything being under the
live sand.

Also I was looking at different versions of live rock, but all that i have come to find out is that its very expensive. So far I have considered buying Fiji Live Rock when it comes down to it but I have seen some cheaper kinds that appeared to be more colorful.
I also read that curing the rocks are very important so I was curious as to how to cure them and what type of rock you suggest for building hiding places and what not for the fish.

Thanks for your help
-Dustin

Hi welcome to the saltwater hobby. If your thinking about a FOWLR then you won't need any kind of special lighting. Maybe just NO fluorescent will be enough. A wet/dry filter is also a good thing if your running such a big tank, as it will be much easier to maintain. The pump is just to circulate the water so junks dont just sit everywhere, but its mostly needed in a reef tank more. A heater will depend on where you live at. Both can be right and wrong. If you location is cold then you need a heater if it's warm then you might not.

I have never heard of this so i wont be that helpful to you on this. A saltwater tank could used gravel but live sand and crushed corals are prefer as they will buffer you PH for you. So its best to just use one, dont mix it.
An undergravel filter isnt a very good idea for a SW tank. It will suck out the benificial bacteria from the ground, and most SW have substrate with sand so a UGF (under gravel filter) is not a so good idiea.

Fiji liverocks are good. I use them only in my tank as other live rock seems more costly. If you dont have money just buy5-6 lbs of live rock and like 100+lbs of base rock. You will soon not notice the difference. Curing rock is just putting them into a container and adding a powerhead so the die offs will come. A LR without curing can raise the ammonia and nitrate of the tank. I'm not really good at curing rocks as i buy ones that are already all clear.

If i missed out anything plz feel free to add PB or any other moderater.

A NO Florescent lighting system will be enough even for the live rock grow/spread? Also is there a specific wet/dry you suggest, bio-balls or the sock version?

Thank you for your response

Yes, a NO fluorescent will be good enough for LR. There are some who dont even use light for LR when they are curing. It takes time for LR to spread as there is living organism on it. So this will take a process. To me all wet/dry filter seems the same.So it actually depends on the person. I have never had a wet/dry filter so i wont know. I really like tidepools wet/dry. But it actually depends on the person who is buying it.

is there any specific brand of lighting you suggest from personal experience? i mean i dont want to go and get a cheap peice but i dont feel like paying as much for the lighting as i did everything else.

Hello Dustin, welcome to the forum. Starting your first saltwater aquarium is very exciting but can also be very frustrating. I would like to share my opinions with you regarding the questions you asked. Here is my article about items that are needed for a saltwater tank: http://aquatopiaforum.com/index.php?showtopic=772 It should help you get a understanding of each item.

Most of those items I would suggest purchasing however a wet-dry system isn't really needed and can cause problems with water quality. The problem with wet-dry systems is they use different types of media(bioballs, biowheels, sponges, etc.) which can trap uneaten food, waste, etc. This is dangerous because overtime it can become a nitrate producing engine especially if not maintained properly. The main filtration for your tank should be plenty of live rock and a good quality protein skimmer.

I agree with R33f-boy about lighting. Normal Output fluorescent lighting is perfectly fine to use on a FOWLR tank. However if you wish to have brighter lighting than PowerCompact is your best bet and is reasonably priced. When choosing bulbs look for a kelvin rating of 10,000 as well as actinic. With this mix of spectrums it should produce a very nice overall apearance. Deciding on which brand of lighting to use is personal preference. However All-Glass, Perfecto, Coralife, and Current USA are all well known brands. You really can't go wrong with any of these brands.

Proper circulation in a saltwater tank is very important for not only the inhabitants but for reducing dead spots which can be overrun with nuisance algae. In a none drilled tank there are two methods to which you can provide circulation. The first method is placing 3-4 powerheads in the tank directing flow at various locations. The second method is hooking up a closed loop system which is basically a pump outside the tank draining water in though the pump and pushing it back into the tank. Each method will work fine.

Other items that are needed include test kits, heater, thermometer, marine salt mix, hydrometer/refractometer(prefered), cleaning supplies, food, etc. If you have any questions about specific items just ask.

A sump can provide many more benefits than a wet-dry system can. Sumps are usually a seperate glass tank that sits underneath the main tank where equipment such as heaters, thermometers, protein skimmers, etc can be housed. This helps eliminate all the unsightly clutter in the main tank. A refugium can be constructed inside a sump which serves many benefits. Live rock is usually added which provides additional biological filtration. Macro algae is very popular for use in refugiums because it is great for nutrient absorption/export. Live organisms(pods, worms, etc.) can live and reproduce without the threat of predation. These live organisms help with water quality and are food for the tanks inhabitants.

If you have the time, and money to invest in a sump/refugium it would help out greatly. However it is not necessary for a marine tank.

It depends in the location but that seems like a pretty good price for the tank. Ask him what equipment comes with the aquarium. You will also want to know the brands and specific model of each item.

Yes having a reliable heater is definitely a must have especially for a saltwater tank. The key is maintaining the temperature at the adequate range(78-82F) and stable. Do not let the temperature fluctuate too much.

Undergravel filters can trap uneaten food, waste, etc. which could lead to high NitrAtes. I wouldn't personally run one in any marine tank.

I would just go with a 1-1.5" layer of sand. Live sand is collected from the ocean and contains tiny organisms and bacteria. Live sand is a great biological filtration base and the organisms help with consuming excess detritus(uneaten food, waste, etc.). Although using regular sand is fine as overtime the live rock will seed the sand making it "live".

Deciding what type of rock to use in the aquarium is personal preference. There are many types including Fiji, Marshall Island, Tonga, Bali, etc. I personally like Fiji live rock mostly because it isn't too expensive and the shapes as well as the colors are very nice. When purchasing live rock always search around to find the best price per pound. The method R33f-boy is referring to where you use a mixture of live rock and base rock. This is less expensive than purchasing only live rock and overtime the live rock will seed the base rock. I used this method in my 55g FOWLR and it worked out quite well. If you go with all live rock I would get about 1 pound of live rock per gallon of water.

Cured live rock is basically rock that has been in a retailer's tank for a while. During this time dying or dead organisms are scrubbed off the rock using a brush. There is usually a high amount of circulation in the tank which also helps remove dead organisms and even unwanted invertebrates, algae, etc. Uncured live rock is the opposite, as the rock only get a small cleaning where only sand is removed. If you are adding the rock to a uncycled tank than uncured is fine. However you could cure the rock in a seperate container. To cure the rock in a seperate container you: First you scrub off all dying and dead organisms and place it in the container with a thermometer, protein skimmer, and powerhead. Fill the container with newly mixed saltwater and start the process. During the curing process you need to monitor the water parameters and perform frequent water changes. When ammonia and NitrIte are undetectable and there is no foul smell than the curing is complete. If you don't want to go through this whole process than just purchase cured.


Hopefully I helped you with the questions you had. If you have any more questions feel free to ask us and we will be happy to answer them. :)

Very nice imformation PB.

Ok so that aquarium place was having their sale today and I ended up getting a 150 gallon 6 foot All-Glass Aquarium with a stand a CoralLife protein skimmer (which i have to return because he gave me a 125 gallon one by mistake), a 1800 GPH pump, and a bio-ball wet/dry system (had some guys that have been running them for year suggest it to me, and didnt have a chance to see your response before i left the house). Also the tank it predrilled for everything and i just have to go get the protein skimmer switched and the free pvc piping from them sometime this week.

I'm going to build a 1 1/2 to 2 foot canopy and possible make my own lighting system, i have looked into it and although there are kits to buy online and stuff they are still around $100 per strip of lighting so i'm going to stop by Home Depot to see if i can find all the pieces there.

I have also considered buying a fiberglass sheet and some hinges to act as a cover, although after the canopy is made there isnt really a big reason to make a cover i suppose...

Anyways if you have any comments or concerns on what I purchased I would like to hear them, even if they are bad lol. Also if you have any personal tips or whatever on DIY lighting they would be appreciated. Thanks

EDIT: Ok after reading what you typed about a sumpwet-dry system i think i may be confused on what you are talking about. The reason i say this is when i thought of wet-dry i thought of the tank that is seperated from the actual aquarium that consists of bio-balls a filter or 2 and a pump, and a sump as a seperate tank under the aquarium that consists of a sock like system. Am i thinking correctly or what?

Just a quick question about FO tanks. When they call it FO does that mean there is really only sand and fish? if not what else is generally in there, i would assume no LR since that would make it a FOWLR tank....

FO means fish only. Usually there is substrate, along with rocks(not live), fake coral, etc for decorations. Sumps and protein skimmers are what most people use for filtration on FO setups.