Not so helpful LFS?

[PSims113]

After reading a bunch, I recently took the plunge into collecting what I need for a FOWLR tank. I've had freshwater tanks, but this will be my first SW tank. Some day I might upgrade to a reef tank, but for now I want to focus on the basics of keeping fish alive.

I have a 37-gallon column tank (20x18x24). I started reading various articles & forums, quickly got overwhelmed, so decided to go to a LFS and ask for help. I told them the tank I have, and they piled up "everything I need" to get the tank started and cycling. I have no intention of getting fish until early July (assuming the tank is ready for them) at the earliest, but I want to get the tank up and running and cycling.

I walked in there ready with questions about water & equipment, but I feel like what they said I need/could do was not in line with what I've read, so now I'm just completed lost.

Here is what they sold me:
Fluval 307 Canister Filter
Marineland Precision Submersible Heater 150 watt for up to 40 gallons
A 15 lb bag of Instant Ocean Sea Salt
40 lbs of CaribSea Arag-Alive Fiji Pink Sand
Seachem Marine Buffer
Seachem Prime
API High Range pH test kit

According to them 1. That's all I need to get started, and 2. Using tap water with the buffer/prime is totally fine for FOWLR tanks. From the reading I did, nothing mentioned canister filters and everything said no tap water. Since then I'm seeing that you CAN use canister filters, but they aren't ideal? Still a little uncomfortable with the tap water, but they were pretty adamant that it would work so went with it.

I realized after I drove off that I didn't buy any rock, but I would assume it is best to start the cycling with that already in there? I'd love some advice on what else I definitely need to start, do I need to return some of this, etc. As I'm sure every one of you knows, start-up is expensive, so I'd like to keep costs down whenever possible, but not at the expense of significantly impacting my chances for success. There are SO MANY products and SO MANY options I'm totally lost and I haven't even put water in a tank yet! Help please!

 

[Benjammin]

Welcome aboard!
You are right, there is a tone of conflicting info about this hobby. What I did was pick one YouTube channel that was successful and stick with it.
I would stay away from tap water. I got a good rodi system on Amazon for less than $200 ca.
Yes, you “can” use a canister but they get dirty VERY quickly and cause nitrates. I have 0 sponge filters on my tank. Most people will tell you to stay away.
salifert test kits are better than api and pretty cheap.
If rock is in your budget, then grab some, they are a huge part of your filtration.
Here is a vid from the channel I follow about cycling a tank, hope this helps:

 

[Pistondog]

Good advice

 

[blasterman]

Even with fish only tap water is bad idea. My tap is garbage and full of silicate and other crap and causes so many nuisance blooms it's scary. Just because you have fish only doesn't mean you want a junky looking tank, right?

Yeah...some cities have very good water. Others like mine don't. Not worth taking a chance if you ask me.

Not sure why they sold you a pH test kit....about as much sense with fish only as a calcium test. Stepping away from that one.

Not a fan of cannisters either....but....if it's fish only they do provide function *if* you keep them clean.

I don't see a power head on there. Need water movement other than the cannister.

 

[Poof No Eyebrows]

I would focus on the rock. The majority of nitrifying bacteria is gonna be ther and not the sand.

 

[PSims113]

Even with fish only tap water is bad idea. My tap is garbage and full of silicate and other crap and causes so many nuisance blooms it's scary. Just because you have fish only doesn't mean you want a junky looking tank, right?

Yeah...some cities have very good water. Others like mine don't. Not worth taking a chance if you ask me.

Not sure why they sold you a pH test kit....about as much sense with fish only as a calcium test. Stepping away from that one.

Not a fan of cannisters either....but....if it's fish only they do provide function *if* you keep them clean.

I don't see a power head on there. Need water movement other than the cannister.

They told me I might not need a powerhead & the canister would be enough?

 

[CanuckReefer]

Even with fish only tap water is bad idea. My tap is garbage and full of silicate and other crap and causes so many nuisance blooms it's scary. Just because you have fish only doesn't mean you want a junky looking tank, right?

Yeah...some cities have very good water. Others like mine don't. Not worth taking a chance if you ask me.

Not sure why they sold you a pH test kit....about as much sense with fish only as a calcium test. Stepping away from that one.

Not a fan of cannisters either....but....if it's fish only they do provide function *if* you keep them clean.

I don't see a power head on there. Need water movement other than the cannister.

After reading a bunch, I recently took the plunge into collecting what I need for a FOWLR tank. I've had freshwater tanks, but this will be my first SW tank. Some day I might upgrade to a reef tank, but for now I want to focus on the basics of keeping fish alive.

I have a 37-gallon column tank (20x18x24). I started reading various articles & forums, quickly got overwhelmed, so decided to go to a LFS and ask for help. I told them the tank I have, and they piled up "everything I need" to get the tank started and cycling. I have no intention of getting fish until early July (assuming the tank is ready for them) at the earliest, but I want to get the tank up and running and cycling.

I walked in there ready with questions about water & equipment, but I feel like what they said I need/could do was not in line with what I've read, so now I'm just completed lost.

Here is what they sold me:
Fluval 307 Canister Filter
Marineland Precision Submersible Heater 150 watt for up to 40 gallons
A 15 lb bag of Instant Ocean Sea Salt
40 lbs of CaribSea Arag-Alive Fiji Pink Sand
Seachem Marine Buffer
Seachem Prime
API High Range pH test kit

According to them 1. That's all I need to get started, and 2. Using tap water with the buffer/prime is totally fine for FOWLR tanks. From the reading I did, nothing mentioned canister filters and everything said no tap water. Since then I'm seeing that you CAN use canister filters, but they aren't ideal? Still a little uncomfortable with the tap water, but they were pretty adamant that it would work so went with it.

I realized after I drove off that I didn't buy any rock, but I would assume it is best to start the cycling with that already in there? I'd love some advice on what else I definitely need to start, do I need to return some of this, etc. As I'm sure every one of you knows, start-up is expensive, so I'd like to keep costs down whenever possible, but not at the expense of significantly impacting my chances for success. There are SO MANY products and SO MANY options I'm totally lost and I haven't even put water in a tank yet! Help please!

Agreed, powerhead or two is IMO a must, create some flow. I would personally go with some rock, to aid with filtration. Canisters I am not a fan of, but will work ok so long as you are diligent in cleaning it. Instant Ocean is good for a Fowlr imo. The tap water....well it MIGHT be ok if its especially low in minerals in your area, but I wouldn't risk it. If you don't want to set up a RODI ( I never have), the large self fill jugs purchased are not too bad price wise usually. If it gets too expensive, then set up a small RODI system.... is Newmarket, the one in Ontario? Just curious, if so I am assuming you went to Al's, they are usually pretty good there.

 

[CanuckReefer]

They told me I might not need a powerhead & the canister would be enough?

I disagree with that advise from them.

 

[Azedenkae]

They told me I might not need a powerhead & the canister would be enough?

You don't absolutely need a powerhead, it just helps with movement of the water in the tank if you want it. That size fowlr does not need a powerhead. It is nice, but not needed.

 

[PSims113]

If I don't use tap water,do I still use the buffer & prime? I'll look into an rodi system but might see if the other lfs sells it to get started. Not sure I'm going back to the first one unless I do need to return the cannister. I'm ok with cleaning it often, but if it's really more hassle than it's worth I'll go a different route.

 

[Azedenkae]

If I don't use tap water,do I still use the buffer & prime? I'll look into an rodi system but might see if the other lfs sells it to get started. Not sure I'm going back to the first one unless I do need to return the cannister. I'm ok with cleaning it often, but if it's really more hassle than it's worth I'll go a different route.

If you use an RODI system, you don't need Prime.

Prime is still good to have on hand though in case there's ammonia or whatever.

Tap water varies from region to region. I am in Chicago, and run tap water through a simple Pur filter, and that's good enough to have a reef tank with corals.

Canister is definitely possible, but is way more of a hassle than its worth imo. Personally, I'd rather anything than a canister. Including putting a powerhead in my tank and wrapping it with filtration media. There's so many easier routes than canisters.

Again, it's not that it is impossible, just something I'd never go for ever.

 

[PSims113]

Agreed, powerhead or two is IMO a must, create some flow. I would personally go with some rock, to aid with filtration. Canisters I am not a fan of, but will work ok so long as you are diligent in cleaning it. Instant Ocean is good for a Fowlr imo. The tap water....well it MIGHT be ok if its especially low in minerals in your area, but I wouldn't risk it. If you don't want to set up a RODI ( I never have), the large self fill jugs purchased are not too bad price wise usually. If it gets too expensive, then set up a small RODI system.... is Newmarket, the one in Ontario? Just curious, if so I am assuming you went to Al's, they are usually pretty good there.

Nope. It's in Maryland. I actually went to a store a little further away because they've been around forever, thinking they would be more helpful but there is a closer store that is only a few years old that will be my next stop.

 

[CanuckReefer]

If I don't use tap water,do I still use the buffer & prime? I'll look into an rodi system but might see if the other lfs sells it to get started. Not sure I'm going back to the first one unless I do need to return the cannister. I'm ok with cleaning it often, but if it's really more hassle than it's worth I'll go a different route.

You might wanna keep the buffer to start. I did, and it helped in leveling things off. After a while once established, I found I didn't need it at all.

 

[Bribo12]

you don’t need the buffer. Salt mix, sand and rock should keep your ph levels up.
I’m in md what shop was it?

 

[CanuckReefer]

If you use an RODI system, you don't need Prime.

Prime is still good to have on hand though in case there's ammonia or whatever.

Tap water varies from region to region. I am in Chicago, and run tap water through a simple Pur filter, and that's good enough to have a reef tank with corals.

Canister is definitely possible, but is way more of a hassle than its worth imo. Personally, I'd rather anything than a canister. Including putting a powerhead in my tank and wrapping it with filtration media. There's so many easier routes than canisters.

Again, it's not that it is impossible, just something I'd never go for ever.

This^^^ filtration media either in a head accessory or wrapped around it IN tank.

 

[mdb_talon]

Agree with most of the other comments.

A canister will work. Keep it clean though. Drilled with a sump gives a lot more options, but far from necessary and likely overkill for a small FOWLR. Keep in mind a canister does not mean you have to use foam and floss in it necessarily. Could just be media(carbon, ceramic, etc)

Rock imo is essential and should be in asap. That is where the majority of the bateria you are culturing in your cycle will live.

I would ditch the buffer immediately especially if using tapwater. All it is is an alkalinity buffer of some sort. Using tap and salt mix your alk will already be quite high.

I would ditch the PH kit. Mostly irrelevant in a FOWLR.

I would get good nitrate and phosphate kits.

I would get a refractometer. Proper salinity and aeration/water movement and no reason to worry about your PH in that system.

Speaking of which a powerhead may not be absolutely essential with the canister, but nice to have the flow and more importantly in your tank surface agitation.

 

[PSims113]

you don’t need the buffer. Salt mix, sand and rock should keep your ph levels up.
I’m in md what shop was it

you don’t need the buffer. Salt mix, sand and rock should keep your ph levels up.
I’m in md what shop was it?

Congressional Aquarium in Rockville. I'm somewhat near Frederick, do you have a recommendation for somewhere else to try?

 

[homer1475]

Agree with most of the other comments.

A canister will work. Keep it clean though. Drilled with a sump gives a lot more options, but far from necessary and likely overkill for a small FOWLR. Keep in mind a canister does not mean you have to use foam and floss in it necessarily. Could just be media(carbon, ceramic, etc)

Rock imo is essential and should be in asap. That is where the majority of the bateria you are culturing in your cycle will live.

I would ditch the buffer immediately especially if using tapwater. All it is is an alkalinity buffer of some sort. Using tap and salt mix your alk will already be quite high.

I would ditch the PH kit. Mostly irrelevant in a FOWLR.

I would get good nitrate and phosphate kits.

I would get a refractometer. Proper salinity and aeration/water movement and no reason to worry about your PH in that system.

Speaking of which a powerhead may not be absolutely essential with the canister, but nice to have the flow and more importantly in your tank surface agitation.

Agree 100% with every bit of this.

If you only plan on FOWLR and never getting corals, your tap water is mostly likely fine if treated for chlorine/chloramines(thats what the prime is for). If you do plan on corals sometime down the road, you might want to start with RO/DI as it will make the transitions easier and you'll have less algae problems.

 

[homer1475]

Other then rock(the LR part of FOWLR), I honestly don't think the LFS really steered you wrong. Could they maybe have explained things a bit better, sure, but they didn't over sell you anything you really didn't need(OK maybe the buffer really isn't needed), but did exclude a few things too(rock, refractometer/hydrometer/some way to test salinity).


Overall for a FOWLR tank, I think they STEERED you in the right direction. It's up to you to do some more research to make the setup successful.

Most people around here don't think FOWLR setup and only give information regrading a reef(RO/DI, NEED powerheads, canisters don't work, etc are all true in a reef, but are absolutely fine in a FOWLR).

 

[Tcook]

Good advice. My comment on the canister, whether it works or not, is you will HATE it. I used one in the 1980s and hated cleaning that thing. If it's unused, return it and put the money into rock. You can even consider a hob skimmer.