starting a 20 gal reef

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To cycle the tank? Nope. BUT you can take some of the established rock out of it and transfer. I do it all the time when I setup a new tank.
 
Yep. The water doesnt contain much of the beneficial bacteria, it's mainnly on the surface of objects, like the live rock.

What I usually do is add a few lbs from an established tank and then add alot of base rock. i also start with all new sand too, mucking up an established sand bed isnt a good thing to do. Then I cycle, I happen to like dosing with pure ammonia over the dead shrimp method, to me it gives more control over the ammonia source.

Then you just wait it out. Can take a week or more depending on the live rock. I've been really lucky in my tanks and usually get a small ammonia spike and thats about it.

I dose up to 4ppm ammonia and wait for it to be turned into nitrites and then nitrates. When the ammonia and trites hit 0, without doing water changes btw, youa ready for a water change to knock the trates down and then it's fish time.

here's an article on cycling a sw tank

, Cycle your salt tank
 
I'm gonna use a canister filter on my 20g setup I was wondering what do I need to put in there for the filtration
 
I use a fluval canister on my 55g and use biomeida, carbon and floss or pads. As long as you keep on top of it a canister can work for saltwater just fine.
 
you can use live rock, or biomedia pellet things. They are like little stones like matrix brand that the beneficial bacteria live in. You never ever replace this stuff when you clean your filter.
 
If the water flows from top to bomm you want the water to hit the polyfil first, then your carbon or you can use another basket of biomedia, and then the final biomedia tray. You want the cleanest water on you biomedia.

This is just how I would perceive it to be though, I run all fluvals and aquaclears so I;m not toally sure on how the rena works, but it should be similar.
 
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