first saltwater tank

[tnice17]

With a 20 gal fowlr tank you should be good. If you ever want to add coral, which is a hardthingto resist with salt water, you need about 30 lbs of LR. I would go 35 for good measure. I would get rid of those two hang on power filters and get a canister. This will help with the water quality while your away if you fill it with the right stuff. They need cleaning as well and are no excuse for not doing water changes. You can either do more rapid partial water changes, or you can do large monthly changes. In your case you should go with
monthly.

Sounds like your off to a good start hope everything continues to go well.

i would not try overstocking the tank. just learn with this one, and then move up to a larger system once you've got it down.

algae is hard to kill. during the cycle, you don't need to run your lights, and in many cases, it could be detrimental running the lights, since the nutrient level during the cycle is high. it's a perfect environment for algae to thrive.

a cannister might be better than what you have. what HOB filters are you using currently?

Kelso - yes monthly would be fantastic! i got used to the PWC with my freshwater setup, but if i can set my tank up to help prolong from one PWC to the next than i will. it will just be more practical for my current schedule.

Mr_x - all of my live rock and substrate is starting to gain color, including green on certain rocks close to the water surface. is it really a bad thing now? . i also just reorganized rocks so that some parts that werent getting light are now getting light.

my water test results:
Ammonia - 0-.25
Nitrate - 20
Nitrite - .1

would a Fluval 305 or 405 be a good idea? is there such thing as too much filtering with the 405? from looking on craigslist i will get either one of those, depending on how good the deal is for each.

for the GPH/price, its just the best bang for you buck. i couldnt resist not getting them when i first started.
i have two of these

 

[mr_X]

i would want a decent cannister over those HOBs. i had good service out of rena products. i like the rena xp2.

 

[tnice17]

rena xp2 is rated at 300 GPH! that would be a nice amount of current flow, i will look into this over the fluval because of the price/GPH and has great reviews online.

i wonder if petco will price match if i bring in a printed piece of paper from another online store ( works at my subaru dealership i go to, worth a shot)

 

[Kelso]

Yes go with a canister. Most likly if you get it from creigs list its going to come empty with some sort of trays, or mesh cups to fill. Give it a good cleaning, don't use soap as I'm sure you know. If there's a really dirty spot I have used vinigar before. Just make sure you rince really well.

My fluval 303 has 3 trays inside. I have seachem matrix in one, seachem de-nitrate in another (which needs a really slow flow so I'm not sure if its working properly but nitrates remain at 0 so its not hurting anything) , and the last has a little carbon for good measure. I had a filter pad on the top when I fist got it but i took it out because all it did was clog up the system.

Reacherch and figure out what is the best for you to fill yours with. Or just find one new, filled and ready to go. Rena i prefer over fluval but both are good.

 

[tnice17]

i am leading towards the XP2 currently. has anyone had any problems with their Rena? ( XP2 to be specific) leaks? pump problems?

i am thinking about just buying it at the store to keep the warrently/return simple if something happens in the future. just plug and play vs piecing it together.

can i have the canister directly next to my tank? i have my tank on a really nice granite top shelving unit and my mother wont allow me to drill holes in the back, lol.

 

[mr_X]

i used an xp3 for a couple years and it worked fine. yes, you can have a cannister next to your tank or on the floor next to the shelving unit.

 

[tnice17]

I picked up a 305 from Petco today for a few reasons.

1- they dont carry any Rena products
2- i had xmas gift cards, haha
3- a friend gave me 20% off
5- it has 3 seperate areas for filtering, vs the XP2 has two.
4- if something happened in the future, i wanted to have the ability to walk in the store with the receipt and get a new one. i also heard Rena customer service was poor so i didnt want to take the risk.

after i am done installing it i will try to take a few pics to show you guys my setup , couldnt have done it with out your help!

 

[tnice17]

here are some updated pics, sorry for the poor quality

 

[mr_X]

looks nice. what is that substrate? shells?

 

[tnice17]

i have also been looking into corals as well. particularity ones that need low light so i dont have to change my light set up, and are hearty/easy to care for.

from what i was reading, maybe some mushrooms will be a good start.
Saltwater Aquarium Corals for Marine Reef Aquariums: Nano Mushroom Pack

 

[tnice17]

looks nice. what is that substrate? shells?

yes, from this. ( Mr_x, take a look at my last post on the previous page about the corals if you missed it with all the quick posting)

 

[mr_X]

you could keep mushrooms if you wanted. look for kenya tree coral too. that should do ok under that single bulb. i have a few pieces in the sump that have been living there for about a year now, under 2 curly-Q energy saver bulbs. they are not thriving, but they are living.
just watch the shrooms. if they start to lose color, you'll have to upgrade.

worst case scenario, all you would need is something like this to keep shrooms, and probably some other lower light corals easily-
Current USA Nova Extreme T5 X2 Aquarium Lighting Fixture, 2X24 Watt, 30 inch

 

[tnice17]

since i have a shallow tank light penetration is on my side, i was going to place them medium to high level in the tank.

how long should my tank be established in order to start with corals?

 

[mr_X]

mushrooms? kenya trees? you can put them in as soon as the cycle is complete.

 

[tnice17]

well thats good to hear. im going to wait atleast a month to add fish, so i would like to make as live like as possible to help with stress when i add fish. idk if thats necessary but sounds good to me if i was a fish! haha

 

[mr_X]

you should look for locals with reef tanks. it should be quite easy for you to find someone who is willing to sell you mushrooms and the like very cheap, or possibly even free.
CTARS

 

[tnice17]

^^ thats awesome! i had no idea, thank you!

 

[tnice17]

man there is a lot to learn with reefs! im not to fond of worrying about who will be good with who. just need to find something simple that can multiply to give some color to the tank.

 

[mr_X]

then you are heading in the right direction with mushrooms. they pretty much cover the rock and need little in the way of care. just do your regular water changes and they will be fine.

 

[tnice17]

maybe a week after my cycle ill order some mushrooms than. see how they do close to the surface with my T8 50/50

so i fixed my dilemma with current flow in the tank, i took the motor off my HOB filter and im using it as a power head! haha 100gph does nice at the bottom of the tank, i rearranged the rocks so the water flow goes between all of them.

little tacky now but function over form for right now.