some questions...

[celloplayer]

Although I haven't edited my sig or profile yet, my 20g tank is pretty much empty, and instead of just adding more fish, I'm thinking of changing the system of the tank. (after the gourami gets outta there). I've never gotten to try saltwater, but I think I'm gonna take a stab at it... I've done a lot of research recently and I still have a few questions...
1. what is a FOWLR (letters roughly right) tank?
2. If I have a well-cycled filter, should I keep that running? will the biofilter crash anyway?
3. I've been thinking of using 20-25 pounds of live rock, with an Ehiem ECCO filter and airstones... will this be enough filtration? too much? do I need a protein skimmer?
4. what is "curing" live rock? is it the same as "cycling" a tank?
5. For a fish tank, what would my stocking capacity be... If I were to stock it with one species, such as false clowns?
6. Is it OK to interchange a little between fish and invertebrates, like if I wanted a little crab or a starfish (with clowns)? would it be too much even have inverts?
7. as far as substrate goes, how many pounds per gallon would I need? what would you perfer (dolomite, aragonite, crushed coral, ect.)
8. what salt mixes are preferable?
9.How often should I do water changes? how do I prep the water, and how much should I take out (percentage wise)?
10. also, do you think it would be a waste for me to use a 20 gal and I should wait until I own a bigger tank for this use?
and 11. how do I tell what my target salinity should be?
Thanks for reading, and I look forward to your responses!

[travie]

Although I haven't edited my sig or profile yet, my 20g tank is pretty much empty, and instead of just adding more fish, I'm thinking of changing the system of the tank. (after the gourami gets outta there). I've never gotten to try saltwater, but I think I'm gonna take a stab at it... I've done a lot of research recently and I still have a few questions...
1. what is a FOWLR (letters roughly right) tank? Fish Only With Live Rock
2. If I have a well-cycled filter, should I keep that running? will the biofilter crash anyway? FW bacteria will crash in a SW tank
3. I've been thinking of using 20-25 pounds of live rock, with an Ehiem ECCO filter and airstones... will this be enough filtration? too much? do I need a protein skimmer? Won't need the Ehiem or airstones. I would highly recommend a protein skimmer. Then a powerhead for water circulation within the tank.
4. what is "curing" live rock? is it the same as "cycling" a tank? Pretty much the same. Curing live rock just biologically filters all the die from the live rock while in transit.
5. For a fish tank, what would my stocking capacity be... If I were to stock it with one species, such as false clowns? I would recommend only two smaller fish.
6. Is it OK to interchange a little between fish and invertebrates, like if I wanted a little crab or a starfish (with clowns)? would it be too much even have inverts? You will not want a starfish with such a small tank. Hermit crabs, and most shrimp will be okay for your tank.
7. as far as substrate goes, how many pounds per gallon would I need? what would you perfer (dolomite, aragonite, crushed coral, ect.) You will want to use aragonite but regular play sand works just as well. How much is up to you. If you get Nassarius snails, you will want to have a good 3 to 4 inches.
8. what salt mixes are preferable? I use Reef Crystals. All the brands have their pros and cons.
9.How often should I do water changes? how do I prep the water, and how much should I take out (percentage wise)? 10% weekly is a good amount. Mix salt in water with a powerhead for 24 hours(my method) before the planned water change.
10. also, do you think it would be a waste for me to use a 20 gal and I should wait until I own a bigger tank for this use? You will be very limited in a 20g, but it can be done. You will probably want to upgrade almost right away once you know how limited you are stocking wise.
and 11. how do I tell what my target salinity should be? 1.023 to about 1.025
Thanks for reading, and I look forward to your responses!

Answers are in red, but I highly recommend that you start with reading one or both of these books before you even start thinking about buying equipment or setting up a tank: The New Marine Aquarium; Step-by-Step Setup and Stocking Guide, by Michael S. Paletta or The Conscientious Marine Aquarist: A Commonsense Handbook for Successful Saltwater Hobbyists, by Bob Fenner are about the best two books to buy on how to setup and maintain saltwater tanks. They will teach you a lot.

[celloplayer]

Ok, just wondering if anyone had any suggestions as far as protien skimmers go. 100$ price range is preferable, a little over is ok, under always is better though, lol. Probably will buy used anyhow, but I want your opinions
I was wondering if anyone knows if this ([Only Registered Users Can See Links.]) is a good place to buy live rock. It seems a little cheap.
I'm going to the library tomorrow to look for those books...
:thankyouyellow: travie for your great answers