FOWLR or Reef?

[HurricaneCaleb]

I have a 75 g with about 80lbs of rock, basic lights, a wet/dry with bio balls, and skimmer. The initial plan was FOWLR, wife wanted more color, so we changed to reef. If we keep with reef, I'm looking at another $500 in lights and a refug. before even put a piece of coral or fish in the tank. If I go FOWLR, I can start now. I have read that it is not recommended to put mushrooms and other similar things to a FO, but is it possible? Is it dumb/ unethical to start with FOWLR, save some money for lights and other reef accessories, learn more about salt water tanks, then trade my fish in when/if I decide to go reef?
My tank is almost done cycling, I have 3 chromis in qt, what should I do? I was originally attracted to sw tanks from watching puffers, groupers and other aggressive fish.

[thegrun]

There is no problem starting with easy to care for corals. You will need to maintain higher quality water than you would with a purely fish only tank by making more water changes and keeping a lower fish quantity, but other than that, no problems. Here is a link to a good website for basic easy to care for corals:
http://saltaquarium.about.com/od/coralcare/ig/15-Easy-Corals/

[HurricaneCaleb]

Is ok to start with some more aggressive fish and trade them in once I go reef?

[Sugar Magnolia]

You can, but catching them once they've been in the tank a while can be a PITA.

[sqwat]

+1 with not being able to catchem.you might be able to buy good lights used and same with refugium.you can put shrooms ,zoa,zena,leathersand palys in a fowler with decent lights.if the fowler has good lighting i have even seen some with carpet anenome 's.

[HurricaneCaleb]

I think that might be a happy median, some colorful things for the wife, and more aggressive fish for me? No to search for lights and develop a stock list. 12 more posts after this and I can look at the classifieds section...happy day

[jason2459]

You may get attached to one of those aggressive none reefsafe fish. You could start stocking coral safe fish now and save up for the equipment needed later then add in the corals you want with out having to give up any fish.

[Sk8r]

If you want a reef, definitely ditch the bioballs. They produce too much nitrate. Live rock takes it out.

Personally, I consider a fish-only just way more work than I want to invest. My lps reef is self-tending, self-feeding, my fish are largely foragers and my sole duty is to add kalk powder once every couple of months, empty the skimmer collection now and again, test my magnesium level every couple of weeks, keep the topoff reservoir full of ro/di, and feed the fish what they don't get from foraging.

If I had a fish-only, I'd be cleaning filters at least once a week, and I really, really, really hate being elbowdeep in fish poo.

[HurricaneCaleb]

Just wish there were reef safe triggers and puffers

[jason2459]

Just wish there were reef safe triggers and puffers

You're in luck. Blue throat (Awesome as single or Pairs) and CrossHatch($$$) triggers are coral safe. You can check out the "non"-reefsafe wrasses too. Some are really awesome and are completely coral and clam safe. Just not shrimp or crab safe.

[HurricaneCaleb]

Doesn't the blue throat need at least 90gal?

[jason2459]

Sorry, for some reason I thought you had a 180. Time for an upgrade :D

[HurricaneCaleb]

Upgrade...my cycle hasn't even finished on my first sw tank. I am looking at a 125 or 150 though. I figure I'll spend another $400 on lights and a big DIY refug, why not spend another $800. Makes perfect sense to me.

[xCry0x]

You can always buy fake corals.

Problem I have with puffers is they eat all your inverts...they are cool fish but you are unable to have any sort of CUC with them. I was thinking about going that direction but then decided to go with smaller fish so I could add more down the road. If you get 1 aggressive puffer or trigger right off the bat it will kill everything else you want to add later.