Andrew's 20g Nano

[aadair22]

Hello!

I have been meaning to start a thread for the last couple of months on my new set up.. I never did a thread for my 55 which has been up for almost a year now and has changed very much from when I first began.. So here I am starting this so I can track my own progress, and also pick up some tips from seasoned hobbyists!

As the title says, my tank is a 20g currently FOWLR but plans to start adding some softies and maybe some LPS soon.. That is where any advice is MUCH welcome since this will be my first attempt at corals. I have about a 2" sandbed, only a little bit of live rock at the moment, probably less than 10lbs. I took the live rock from my 55g so it is fully cured. The only live stock in the tank currently are two astraea snails which hitched a ride on the rock without my knowing.

I don't have a sump on it as of right now, I may add a refugium later for some added water volume and a place to hide the heater and such. I am going to go skimmerless for the time being, I may try a DIY airstone skimmer at some point, but if that because to much of an eyesore, it may have to go.

The lighting for my tank, which probably is my biggest concern when it comes to adding corals, is two PAR30 bulbs from boostled.com From everything I have read about them (which is a lot) they should be great for getting me started with some softies, LPS and even claims to be good for SPS. If anyone has any experience in keeping corals with these, please comment or PM with your experience with them!

I want to keep the livestock to a relative minimum, probably put my two clownfish in there, 3 chromis that I have and keep it about that.. Maybe one other small fish but that would be it, aside from some CUC.

Thats about all the details I can think of for now.. After my water change yesterday, my parameters are:

Ph - 7.8-8.0
Ammo - 0
NitrIte - 0
NitrAte - 10
SG - 1.025
Dkh - 12*
Calc - 500
Phos - 0.25
Temp - 78*

These tests were done with API test kit, except for nitrAte which was done with a Red Sea kit.

Pics to come soon!

Again, any questions, compliments or smart remarks are welcome! (advice is another one I welcome!)

 

[Nu-Nu the eel]

Hello!

I have been meaning to start a thread for the last couple of months on my new set up.. I never did a thread for my 55 which has been up for almost a year now and has changed very much from when I first began.. So here I am starting this so I can track my own progress, and also pick up some tips from seasoned hobbyists!

As the title says, my tank is a 20g currently FOWLR but plans to start adding some softies and maybe some LPS soon.. That is where any advice is MUCH welcome since this will be my first attempt at corals. I have about a 2" sandbed, only a little bit of live rock at the moment, probably less than 10lbs. I took the live rock from my 55g so it is fully cured. The only live stock in the tank currently are two astraea snails which hitched a ride on the rock without my knowing.

I don't have a sump on it as of right now, I may add a refugium later for some added water volume and a place to hide the heater and such. I am going to go skimmerless for the time being, I may try a DIY airstone skimmer at some point, but if that because to much of an eyesore, it may have to go.

The lighting for my tank, which probably is my biggest concern when it comes to adding corals, is two PAR30 bulbs from boostled.com From everything I have read about them (which is a lot) they should be great for getting me started with some softies, LPS and even claims to be good for SPS. If anyone has any experience in keeping corals with these, please comment or PM with your experience with them!

I want to keep the livestock to a relative minimum, probably put my two clownfish in there, 3 chromis that I have and keep it about that.. Maybe one other small fish but that would be it, aside from some CUC.

Thats about all the details I can think of for now.. After my water change yesterday, my parameters are:

Ph - 7.8-8.0
Ammo - 0
NitrIte - 0
NitrAte - 10
SG - 1.025
Dkh - 12*
Calc - 500
Phos - 0.25
Temp - 78*

These tests were done with API test kit, except for nitrAte which was done with a Red Sea kit.

Pics to come soon!

Again, any questions, compliments or smart remarks are welcome! (advice is another one I welcome!)

I like how organized you are.. Lol. As for the protein skimmer and fuge i dont think its really important, and you definitly dont need a sump on a smaller tank like this. There is no point in wasting your money on that stuff, maybe instead spend a bit more on your lighting!

 

[aadair22]

Lol thanks... I was thinking about maybe just getting a HOB filter to convert into a smaller refugium, mainly just to hold some chaeto.. Or do you think that would be necessary ?

Any thoughts on the lights? Good for now but look to upgrade?

 

[dmolavi]

I'm about to start up my first SW tank (alongside my 3 FW tanks from 5-56 gallons). At first, I was going to go FOWLR, but my wife wants a nano-reef. I was up in the air re: a skimmer. Being as how it's a small tank, and I'm looking at probably 2 clowns, a goby, and a cleanup crew, I'm not 100% sold on it's necessity. Any tips would be appreciated

 

[aadair22]

So I got some CUC today: 5 blue leg hermits, 5 astraea snails (plus the two that were already in there) and 5 nassarius snails. Also, I bought my first 2 coral frags! Very excited about that, even though they are beginner corals.. Still very cool for me! I got a candy cane frag with 4 heads for $15 and a button polyp with quite a few heads, 15-20 for $5. I'll post pics of them when they fully open. Excited to see how these PAR30 bulbs work.

No pics of the tank yet either.. Having a lovely diatom bloom right now and its just so ugly... Sigh.. Hopefully the crabs will help clean it up and I will have some full tank shots soon!

 

[aadair22]

I'm about to start up my first SW tank (alongside my 3 FW tanks from 5-56 gallons). At first, I was going to go FOWLR, but my wife wants a nano-reef. I was up in the air re: a skimmer. Being as how it's a small tank, and I'm looking at probably 2 clowns, a goby, and a cleanup crew, I'm not 100% sold on it's necessity. Any tips would be appreciated

How big is the tank going to be? I'm assuming with your stocking list at least 20? I'm thinking about having a similar list myself.. Instead of taking my clowns from my 55g I might splurge a bit and go for a snowflake clown or something, and then have a green clown goby.

From what I've heard, on tanks this small skimmers are not necessary, just keep up with your water changes. That is what I am going to plan on doing for now.. Although I like to DIY things so I may mess around with some stuff in the future

 

[Convict2161]

Pictures yet?

 

[aadair22]

Pictures yet?

Tomorrow hopefully! The polyps are opening up but the candy cane is still pretty deflated.. Not as bad as when I got It home but not picture worthy yet

 

[dmolavi]

How big is the tank going to be? I'm assuming with your stocking list at least 20? I'm thinking about having a similar list myself.. Instead of taking my clowns from my 55g I might splurge a bit and go for a snowflake clown or something, and then have a green clown goby.

From what I've heard, on tanks this small skimmers are not necessary, just keep up with your water changes. That is what I am going to plan on doing for now.. Although I like to DIY things so I may mess around with some stuff in the future

It's a 20 gallon tank. If the WAF is high after a year, I will upsize to a 60 - 90.

 

[aadair22]

It's a 20 gallon tank. If the WAF is high after a year, I will upsize to a 60 - 90.

WAF...?

 

[dmolavi]

WAF...?

Wife acceptance factor

She loves the tanks I have now and it was her idea for a nano reef vs FOWLR, so I have high hopes.

 

[aadair22]

Wife acceptance factor

She loves the tanks I have now and it was her idea for a nano reef vs FOWLR, so I have high hopes.

Lol I knew the 'w' was for wife and I was thinking the 'a' was for approves... So I was close.. Lol.

 

[aadair22]

BTW, if you do get her blessings, make sure you look at Craigslist.. ALOT! I could have gotten a tank more than twice the size, along with reef ready equipment, for half the price that I've put into my 55.. Live and learn though..

 

[dmolavi]

BTW, if you do get her blessings, make sure you look at Craigslist.. ALOT! I could have gotten a tank more than twice the size, along with reef ready equipment, for half the price that I've put into my 55.. Live and learn though..

I am fairly confident that she will want a bigger tank by Christmas. I have already scoped out my local Craigslist, and there are TONS of tanks and stands (and some complete setups) available, so I'm not sweating it

 

[aadair22]

Haha, I'm sure she will... A month after having the 55 my wife was looking around for bigger tanks.. Lol

 

[dmolavi]

For us, it's more a matter of where to put a bigger tank. We have a 56 gallon FW, and a 5 gallon FW, plus a spare tank for quarantine. I'm trying to see if I have space for 60, or possibly a 90 if I rearrange furniture Time shall tell.

 

[Wolfsblood]

Very interested to hear about your experiences with the Boost LEDs and also to see pics!

 

[aadair22]

Very interested to hear about your experiences with the Boost LEDs and also to see pics!

Me to! I have read a lot if great things about them, so hopefully I will have some good results.. Ill try to post some pics tomorrow

 

[aadair22]

Ok so after 24 hours under the PAR30 lamps, things are looking... Ok... Some of the plays were looking a little sad so I moved the lights down a little, from 18" to 16". I was worried about burning them, but I just looked at boostleds site and the diagram they have for the par measurements in bulbs with 40* lens, where as mine or 60* so I feel a little better about moving the, closer.

Trying to get some pictures uploaded.. The candy cane (or trumpet?... Is there a difference?) inflated nicely today, but the paly was just so so.. Maybe moving the lights down will help

 

[aadair22]

Here are the pics!