I am starting a new 20 gal salt tank

[tamuchick02]

Hello all! I am starting a new tank 20 gal and would like to do a reef setup. For my own sake I have been calling it a nano, although I won't get into that argument here. I need your help. I have spent the past week looking at stuff all over the internet, i have read every post and article on all the reccommended websites, and have read and re-read all the books at my local library! Yet I am still confused. This is what I know- I want a 20 gal tank, saltwater reef type, some coral, quite a few inverts, and some fish. I need your help on brands and sizes of equipment, what equipment I actually need, the best place to go and get them, types of livestock and the best places to go and get them. I am a poor college student so this is going to take a couple of months to get all the equipment. I thought I would get the tank and the most important stuff to cycle it and then by the time it is cycled I will have saved up enough money to start adding other stuff. I have had tanks and ponds before, but have never tried saltwater. I love the diversity and beauty of all the tanks I have seen! All suggestions will be accepted! Tanks!

 

[liquid]

Hello tamuchick02 and

I want a 20 gal tank, saltwater reef type, some coral, quite a few inverts, and some fish. I need your help on brands and sizes of equipment, what equipment I actually need, the best place to go and get them, types of livestock and the best places to go and get them.

First off I'd point you to our newbie guide if you haven't read it already: http://www.reefs.org/library/newbieguide.htm Have you decided if you want a glass tank or acrylic? All-Glass amonst others make nice glass tanks.

From there, I would recommend you read thru http://reefs.org/library/reading/ in the respective sections of creatures you'd like to keep. Write down the stuff you'd like to keep and then check for compatibility with each of the creatures and to see if they'd do well in a 20 gal tank. If I had to recommend 2 books to reference, I'd say read:

Marine Fishes : 500+ Essential-To-Know Aquarium Species (The Pocketexpert Guide Series for Aquarists and Underwater Naturalists)
by Scott W. Michael
Publisher: Microcosm Limited; ISBN: 1890087386; (November 1999), 448 pages

and

Aquarium Corals : Selection, Husbandry, and Natural History
by Eric H. Borneman
Microcosm Limited; ISBN: 1890087475; (March 2001), 464 pages

Once you know what fish and coral you'd like to keep and have checked their compatibilities with one another, then continue designing your system. The biggest thing to decide then is your lighting as the corals you select will ultimately dictate your lighting scheme. Soft corals (mushrooms, zoanthids, etc) don't need as much light as hard corals (hydnophora, acropora, etc).

After that you'll need to decide what skimmer to get. Personally I'd recommend either the PM HOT1 hangon skimmer or the AquaC Remora or maybe the BakPak but I've had peronal problems w/ my BakPak so I'd recommend the first two skimmers first.

For a 20 gal tank I'd probably recommend a 2" to 3" deep sandbed comprised of either CaribSea Sugar Sized aragonite or else use Southdown playsand. Southdown playsand is much cheaper, but it's somewhat hard to find depending on where you live in the country.

Liverock can be purchased from any of our sponsors (link at the top of the page). My personal preference is Harbor Aquatics as I've been impressed with the amount of life on their rock. Hardware can be purchased from any number of our sponsors.

Sorry to be so long winded. I hope all of this helps and welcome to our community!

Shane

 

[Anonymous]

Once you know what fish and coral you'd like to keep and have checked their compatibilities with one another, then continue designing your system. The biggest thing to decide then is your lighting as the corals you select will ultimately dictate your lighting scheme. Soft corals (mushrooms, zoanthids, etc) don't need as much light as hard corals (hydnophora, acropora, etc).

I think that this is the most important part of Liquids advice. Decide what you want first. That will dictate what kind of lighting. etc you will buy. It is cheaper to spend a little extra now than having to upgrade later.

Good luck!

 

[handyman]

don't use southdown you'll be sorry....spend the extra $15 or $20 and get a bag of live sand from your lfs

 

[mkirda]

don't use southdown you'll be sorry....spend the extra $15 or $20 and get a bag of live sand from your lfs

I'll second that.
Unless you want a tankful of Vitamin D milk for a month or two.
'Cause that is what Siltdown looks like when the silt gets suspended in the water...

Regards.
Mike Kirda
P.S. The rest of the advice here was top-rate!

 

[Anonymous]

With 20 gal, the difference in the cost of sand should not be too big of a deal.

However, keep in mind that there is bad experience with virtually every product in this hobby. Both Southdown and live sand from LFS are such examples. When you heard something like handyman's comment, do you own research and decide which of the alternative is most appropriate instead of following advice blindly.

 

[handyman]

don't use southdown you'll be sorry....spend the extra $15 or $20 and get a bag of live sand from your lfs

I'll second that.
Unless you want a tankful of Vitamin D milk for a month or two.
'Cause that is what Siltdown looks like when the silt gets suspended in the water...

Regards.
Mike Kirda
P.S. The rest of the advice here was top-rate!

Thanks Mike
Siltdown
I like it!

 

[handyman]

With 20 gal, the difference in the cost of sand should not be too big of a deal.

However, keep in mind that there is bad experience with virtually every product in this hobby. Both Southdown and live sand from LFS are such examples. When you heard something like handyman's comment, do you own research and decide which of the alternative is most appropriate instead of following advice blindly.

Quote"do you own research and decide which of the alternative is most appropriate instead of following advice blindly"

I agree with this!!!!!!!!