Johnny Reefer's FOWLR

[goby1]

Hey Johnny,

I went FOWLR when I started my tank 2 years ago though I went a lot smaller, 46 g. I run a Remora C skimmer (that I have had a love/hate relationship with over the years) and I have 50 lbs of live rock. I ran a filstar canister filter on it for the first year and a half until it leaked and I disconnected it. I did order the part I needed but I never did get around to connecting it up again. I don't have the messy eaters you have (2 clowns, a royal gamma, a bi-colour angel, keyhole angel, goby) but man I have to say I love running that tank without that canister. I routinely do a 10% water change every two weeks and at first there was a bit of brown stuff on the glass (cyno I guess) but after the initial adjustment, the tank is way easier to maintain. My nitrates are down, the sandbed is white and the tank well, looks as good as it ever has - even better. I do have a good clean up crew that includes 2 shrimp, a sandsifting starfish and various crabs/snails that you may be can't have with your fish.

As a note, I did clean out the filter every two weeks. I would empty, rinse the foam pads and clean it out every time I did a water change. It grew to be a real PITA and I'll be keeping my fingers crossed that I don't have to hook it up again.