Pros n cons?

[clown-lover]

So, I've had a tank set up for a while bow with LR/LS, corals and fish. It has gotten what I would call out of control. It started with a coral dying and the others got sickly looking because of it. I've been able to keep them alive and start to thrive again, but during that process, my water was very hard to get back to normal and it started getting green hair algea.
I'm to the point that I think it might be easier to just have a FO tank...being that my whole point was to have a fish for my daughter to enjoy. The corals were for my liking.
I'd like to start over and possibly turn my tank into a FO...and I just want to know the pros an cons...and want to know if I can get rid of my LS and LR and put in fake corals for looks. At least or now...I'll save the rock, let it die, but save it for down the road when I want to take on corals again.
Any suggestions?

 

[geoj]

What you suggest is harder to keep then what you have. To sterilize the tank so you don't get any algae. I don't think it could be kept void of algae. Some would likely come in with the fish. Reducing the bio-filter by removing the LR/LS sounds to be the wrong thing to do. If you are not going to keep corals then Blennies that eat algae would be a good choice to have if the other fish can be kept with them. Starry Blenny, Lawnmower, or a Bicolor Blenny

 

[btldreef]

What do you have for a clean up crew and how out of control were your parameters?

 

[beth]

Tanks require maintenance, daily even. What is your water source, and readings? What filters, pumps, skimmer are you using, what lighting do you have? ETC.

 

[clown-lover]

In all honestly, I don't know what my reading were. When the coral looked sick, I did water changes and about a week later, I replaced the chemipure and purigen. It never perked up and just kept dying until I noticed that the other corals in the tank weren't liking it. It was a green star polyp leather. Since taking it out, doing water changes, replacing the filter media, etc, the others came back to looking normal.
All I have for clean up is one snail and a bunch of those tiny starfish that divide...don't recall what the name is...had one as a hitchhiker and now there are about 7 of them.

 

[dsmccain]

Yea bud, i'd just stick with a Fish Only set up, no shame in that. Maybe someday I can get some pictures up of my tank someday. I actually have an artificial reef that is very pleasing to the eye, though will never be able to compete with live coral, but looks good none the less. All I have to do is worry about the fish. Why complicate your life? No need for high powered lights, no monitoring every little parameter, you can actuallly have a life away from your fish tank that way, and worry about other things.

 

[clown-lover]

I guess I thought FO meant no LR and no LS. I mean, I see tanks that have fake corals and FO and I assumed it would be easier to maintain than with corals and additives and particular testing.
I have a 29 biocube, with chemipure and purigen, a sheet that gets changed weekly of the blue n white filter media, the middle compartment has LR (which I guess I thought I'd have to get rid of).
Was just looking to house a pair of clowns. And maybe a small goby but maybe just the clowns.
Just looking for a little less headaches when it comes to maintenance...meaning I can handle water changes, and maybe monthly testing as long as things seem ok.
With FO, is there supposed to be a CUC?

 

[dsmccain]

Fish Only technically means that, Fish Only. But it wouldn't hurt to have some live rock or live sand. Personally, I don't use either, as long as you don't have a high bioload, and it sounds like you won't, with just a pair of clowns, it won't be absolutely necessary. Having a CUC doesn't mean you no longer have a FO tank, get a CUC, they help you out. Personally, I like fish only tanks because i'm in the hobby for the fish, i don't want to mess with anything else. I have hermit crabs and a starfish as well