Stocking options for my first saltwater tank

[Kimlafeiet]

Hi all,
I have been bitten by the saltie bug (thanks to my boss, lol) and am getting ready to set up my first saltie tank. This is going to be a FOWLR tank for now, but I might try going reef down the road.
Pleease pardon my silly questions, but I want to make sure I do this right.

I will be using a standard 20 gallon tank, and 20-25 lbs of rock. Planning to go with mostly dry base rock with just a few pieces of live rock to help cycle. WIll also use live sand.

As far as filtration, I have been reading that canister filters just end up turning into nitrate factories withour proper cleaning. For a tank this size, what is the best type of filter to go with? I have an exisiting canister, and am willing to put in the work, but I don't want to go with something that will just be trouble down the road. Can one use an hob filter on a tank this size for filtration?
Filtration suggestions for a standard 20 FOWLR tank would be greatly appreciated.

Also, protien skimmers.................do I need one on a FOWLR tank? It seems like there is so much debate on this. What are some good skimmers to look for? There are sooooo many out there, lol.

Here is what I want to stock the tank with, PLEASE be honest and tell me if this is too much for the tank, or not compatible, etc. I have nothing set in stone yet, so I am open to ideas for stocking.

1 Ocelleris Clown (tank bred orange)
1 Firefish
1 Yellow Clown Goby
1 Halloween Hermit Crab
1 Coral Banded Shrimp
If I am not too overtocked already, and could swing it, I would love to add a Royal Gramma Basslet to the list.

Also, I know I will probably need more of a clean up crew, what critters should I add to this list for clean up?

And lastly, after cycle and stocking, what is a decent water change schedule? I do weekly 50% water changes on my freshwater tanks. Would that be too much at one time in a saltwater tank? What schedule do most of you with a smaller saltie tank keep?

Thanks in advance for all of your help!

 

[Jolee0722]

Your stocking list is definitely not overstocked, thoug you might want to consider getting 2 ocellaris clownfish instead of one. Also, royal gramma are pretty aggressive and will most likely beat up on the other fish in your stocking list. For that size tank, you could use a hob filter. I have heard many people that use aqueon filters for smaller saltwater tanks.

 

[Jolee0722]

Sorry, but it is a aquaclear filter not aqueon.

 

[Mebbid]

On my 20g high tank I use 2 hydor koralia 240s for flow. I also have a 10g refugium growing chaeto and grape caulerpa. With that I haven't had a positive nitrate reading in 4 months.

As for your stocking level I would agree with 2 clowns. and everything else should work out as well. It's not a bad plan so far. For a CUC a few hermits, astrea snails, and 1 turbo snail wouldn't be a bad idea. Stock up your CUC as your tank needs more and you won't go wrong. Otherwise you will end up losing some due to starvation.

 

[woody390]

CUC are not essential if you do not over feed the tank so it's kind of a case of putting what you want in the tank in. As for a skimmer i personall would recommend it as it is part of the berlin method and will help remove a lot of waste from the tank that canister filters would not pick up. as for canister and hob filters if you have live rock and a skimmer you wouldnt need one as the live rock and skimmer will do all the filtering you need.

 

[Jolee0722]

I agree with getting a skimmer. They really are a major source of mechanical filtration and they can stop nitrate, nitrite, and ammonia spikes before they begin. There are many hang on back models or you can also use an external skimmer. If you are not thinking about getting a mandarin or pipefish, then it doesnt really matter if you have a refuguium. If you want pristine filtration, then you could also use go and carbon reactors. If you get a protein skimmer, you really don't need a hob filter.

 

[Big Tex]

Your stocking list is definitely not overstocked, thoug you might want to consider getting 2 ocellaris clownfish instead of one. Also, royal gramma are pretty aggressive and will most likely beat up on the other fish in your stocking list. For that size tank, you could use a hob filter. I have heard many people that use aqueon filters for smaller saltwater tanks.

i agree with a pair of clowns, a 20g is perfect for them, you can also get a candy hogfish and hes very active as well, just like the clowns they will wont hide all the time.

I agree with getting a skimmer. They really are a major source of mechanical filtration and they can stop nitrate, nitrite, and ammonia spikes before they begin. There are many hang on back models or you can also use an external skimmer. If you are not thinking about getting a mandarin or pipefish, then it doesnt really matter if you have a refuguium. If you want pristine filtration, then you could also use go and carbon reactors. If you get a protein skimmer, you really don't need a hob filter.

i beg to differ on the skimmer part, you really dont need it for a fish only tank, a good hob with high turn (as in 30-40g rated) and a pair of koralia nano 240's and your set, you can always add a skimmer later on if you want a nano reef, otherwise the hob is great for mechanical filtration and will really polish the water and keep your tank very clear.

 

[Mebbid]

I don't have a mandarin and I wouldn't trade my refugium in for anything. They allow you to keep equipment out of tanks, increase the water volume giving you more stable parameters, allows you to add additional live rock, and gives you a place to grow macro algae.

Also, a skimmer would help on a 20g but they are definitely not necessary on a tank that size.

A carbon reactor would be nice, but they are also unnecessary to have clear tank water.

 

[Kimlafeiet]

Mebbid, what fish do you have in your tank? Are you doing a reef tank, or just fish?

I like the idea of a refugium, I have seen a lot of DIY info on using an AC hob as a refugium, think I might go that route. As far as a skimmer goes, I think it is something I would like to invest in, but if I can run a while without it, it sure would help with initial cost, lol. That is one thing I don't want to skimp on when I do buy one. I already know I will want to upgrade to a larger tank down the road, but, right now, I don't have the wall space or money to really go much bigger.

 

[Mebbid]

Mebbid, what fish do you have in your tank? Are you doing a reef tank, or just fish?

I like the idea of a refugium, I have seen a lot of DIY info on using an AC hob as a refugium, think I might go that route. As far as a skimmer goes, I think it is something I would like to invest in, but if I can run a while without it, it sure would help with initial cost, lol. That is one thing I don't want to skimp on when I do buy one. I already know I will want to upgrade to a larger tank down the road, but, right now, I don't have the wall space or money to really go much bigger.

I have a reef tank with 2 occ clowns, 1 snowflake blenny, I had a firefish until last week when he jumped out, and I also have a skunk cleaner shrimp, flame scallop, and porcelain crab.

I'm growing everything from mushrooms to acropora in my tank atm.

 

[Jolee0722]

If you want to have a refuguium on this specific tank, it might be a good idea to decide before you setup the tank. Many people think about getting one after the setup but don't want to infill the tank with all the fish in it to drill a hole and there are many complains about external overflows. Also, what lights do you plan on using. If you are trying to save money now, don't spend on expensive lights as you are not getting coral.

 

[Kimlafeiet]

So, here's my plan.........I think.
Im going to go with live sand and live rock for bio filtration
An HOB filter (Aquaclear) with sponge and filter floss for mechanical. What do people think about purigen? Does that help with anything in a saltie tank?
A DIY AC HOB refugium with live rock rubble and macroalgae

Will this setup work ok for a 20g? What size hob should I go with? I have an existing AC 30, and and AC 50. Was thinking to use the 50 for the refugium, and the 30 for the filter, or can upgrade to a different filter if needed.

 

[Big Tex]

So, here's my plan.........I think.
Im going to go with live sand and live rock for bio filtration
An HOB filter (Aquaclear) with sponge and filter floss for mechanical. What do people think about purigen? Does that help with anything in a saltie tank?
A DIY AC HOB refugium with live rock rubble and macroalgae

Will this setup work ok for a 20g? What size hob should I go with? I have an existing AC 30, and and AC 50. Was thinking to use the 50 for the refugium, and the 30 for the filter, or can upgrade to a different filter if needed.

i would go with 30lbs of reef grade caribsea arragalive sand to get a nice 1.5"-2" sand bed, just my personal favorite sand its a nice sized grain and doesnt stir easy, and to save some cash if youd like get about 5lbs of live rock and 25lbs dry rock, if not get all 30lbs live and go with pukani rock, no base rock as its a 20g and your not going to be building high enough to need it, the AC30 will be a great hob filter for mechanical, and the AC50 will be a good fuge as well. for lighting i would go with a toatronics dimmable led fixture so later on if you want corals you'll be set, if not its still a sweet light for $120 shipped, other than that, your right on track

 

[Kimlafeiet]

If you want to have a refuguium on this specific tank, it might be a good idea to decide before you setup the tank. Many people think about getting one after the setup but don't want to infill the tank with all the fish in it to drill a hole and there are many complains about external overflows. Also, what lights do you plan on using. If you are trying to save money now, don't spend on expensive lights as you are not getting coral.

If I do a DIY refugium out of an hob filter, will I have to drill a hole in the tank? I might be misunderstanding the concept, but I think it circulates the water without having to drill any holes, right...............

Definitely not looking to drill holes in the tank, unfortunately I don't have the equipment or skills to do that.

 

[Big Tex]

If I do a DIY refugium out of an hob filter, will I have to drill a hole in the tank? I might be misunderstanding the concept, but I think it circulates the water without having to drill any holes, right...............

Definitely not looking to drill holes in the tank, unfortunately I don't have the equipment or skills to do that.

If you do a diy fuge out of the ac50 it will be a hang on back, no drilling required.

 

[erichm20]

Your plan looks good! I have never seen or heard of a gramma being aggressive. They are the ones that get picked on ime. Now dotty backs are another story lol. The skimmer def wouldn't hurt I guess for a 20 might be overkill but reef octopus makes a good hob, the bh line i think. I would just do water changes- 2 gallons every week. I would get a refractometer salinity swings can happen fast with smaller setups. Good call on doing the fuge also. Will you be making or buying the water?

 

[Rmckoy]

Hi all, I have been bitten by the saltie bug (thanks to my boss, lol) and am getting ready to set up my first saltie tank. This is going to be a FOWLR tank for now, but I might try going reef down the road. Pleease pardon my silly questions, but I want to make sure I do this right. I will be using a standard 20 gallon tank, and 20-25 lbs of rock. Planning to go with mostly dry base rock with just a few pieces of live rock to help cycle. WIll also use live sand. As far as filtration, I have been reading that canister filters just end up turning into nitrate factories withour proper cleaning. For a tank this size, what is the best type of filter to go with? I have an exisiting canister, and am willing to put in the work, but I don't want to go with something that will just be trouble down the road. Can one use an hob filter on a tank this size for filtration? Filtration suggestions for a standard 20 FOWLR tank would be greatly appreciated. Also, protien skimmers.................do I need one on a FOWLR tank? It seems like there is so much debate on this. What are some good skimmers to look for? There are sooooo many out there, lol. Here is what I want to stock the tank with, PLEASE be honest and tell me if this is too much for the tank, or not compatible, etc. I have nothing set in stone yet, so I am open to ideas for stocking. 1 Ocelleris Clown (tank bred orange) 1 Firefish 1 Yellow Clown Goby 1 Halloween Hermit Crab 1 Coral Banded Shrimp If I am not too overtocked already, and could swing it, I would love to add a Royal Gramma Basslet to the list. Also, I know I will probably need more of a clean up crew, what critters should I add to this list for clean up? And lastly, after cycle and stocking, what is a decent water change schedule? I do weekly 50% water changes on my freshwater tanks. Would that be too much at one time in a saltwater tank? What schedule do most of you with a smaller saltie tank keep? Thanks in advance for all of your help!

Why not a pair of clowns instead of only 1?
For my 75 I have a canister and with regular maintenance I haven't had any problem with nitrates .
As for PWC ( partial water changes )
I change about 20% weekly depending on nitrates .
If the nitrates are testing high I sometimes change more .
25%
I'm working towards no filter at all and trying to depend on live rock and skimmer . ( Berlin method )
Have you bought your rocks and sand yet ?

 

[Kimlafeiet]

It seems that is the direction everyone is steering me in, so I think I will probably get a pair of clowns. I have nothing against 2 clowns....just that this is such a small tank I dont want to have 2 clowns and nothing else, lol
I would like to order my base rock this weekend. Found some I really like on ebay, but not sure if I want to take that chance. Does anyone have any reputable sites online I could look at? My lfs has live rock and sand which I will pick up when my base rock arrives. I plan to use premixed saltwater from my lfs. Since it is such a small tank, it is easier than trying to mix it myself for now. Eventually I will invest in a decent ro/di unit and mix my own saltwater, but for now, his prices are good, so I will stick to hauling 5 gallon jugs. . Also going to order a refractometer. I have a hydrometer, but I know they arent the most reliable things out there.

 

[Mebbid]

I bought dry rock from bulk reef supply and was very happy with what I got.

 

[Jolee0722]

+1 for brs dry rock. They are also really cheap. I would recommend getting the reef saver rock as it is pretty cheap (only 2.39 per lb) and they are really easy to aqua scape and require minimal work like sawing and epoxy.