Finally going saltwater!!!!

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Convict2161

Convict2161

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Well at a buck a gallon my wife agreed on a 20 gallon tank in my 4 month old sons room, Picking it up Monday!

Not sure what I need or what I can safely stock. I've been browsing the saltwater threads but would like to hear opinions in my own.

20 gallon tank. I have filters can I use them? I have a bunch of AC's and I have heaters. No protein skimmer or hydrometer either. I wanna start with live rock and sand and then let it cycle. Can I have a pair of clown fish? Or too small?

What about bottom dwellers? Crabs,shrimp etc...
 
Haha finally? Youve only been in the hobby for a couple months it seems! Good for you man, this is going to be fun!

Well for your shopping list youll need
Refractometer (no hydrometer)
Rodi water (unit, or buy it every week)
Salt (this going to be a reef?)
White sand
Id say 25lbs base rock
5lbs live rock
I think an AC110 is good enough
Skimmer is optional
Powerheads (id go for 2 korolia 550's)
Sw test kit (or email api for the sw test chart)

Stock list:
2 ocerellis clowns would be good
Another small fish like a yellow watchman?
Shrimp:
1 Cleaner shrimp
1 Peppermit shrimp
1 fire Shrimp?? (google these..very cool)
Crabs:
Id go for an emerald crab
20 nassasarius snails
10 blue leg and 10 red leg hermits

Convict, im also on this sw journey, so heres to both of us being sucessful!!
 
haha I was wondering when you were gonna make the jump!
yes you can use your HOB filters. just change the filter before hand. the BB in SW isn't the same as FW so you're gong to need to cycle it. you're going to need a powerhead(I like the hydro korlia nano 240 or 480).

a 20 should be big enough for 2 true or false percs. but no tomatoes(you'll see what I mean.)
Checkout this nano fish section for a list of fish you can keep in the 20.
also with a CuC(clean up crew aka crabs, shrimp, snails) start it smaller than you think you'll need. at first your tank will algae bloom like crazy but will die off.

If you need anything buddy you know I'll help you out where I can. I have a piece of cycled LR that I'm looking to get rid of as it's ugly and not very porous. you can use it to seed some dry rock and save yourself some $$. It's about 2-3lbs & still covered in algea as my CUC hasn't plowed through it yet lol.
 
Oh man that stock list sounds awesome!! I'm so pumped!! And yes reef. Everything at petco is 15% off so I'll try to get what I can there otherwise I'll order on line.

And yeah man!! Good luck to you as well!!
 
that CUC looks to be pretty huge for a 20G. 21 crabs and 20 snails? plus the 3 shrimp? I'm assuming you man one of the shrimp, not all of them.
 
NyteGTI said:
haha I was wondering when you were gonna make the jump!
yes you can use your HOB filters. just change the filter before hand. the BB in SW isn't the same as FW so you're gong to need to cycle it. you're going to need a powerhead(I like the hydro korlia nano 240 or 480).

a 20 should be big enough for 2 true or false percs. but no tomatoes(you'll see what I mean.)
Checkout this nano fish section for a list of fish you can keep in the 20.
also with a CuC(clean up crew aka crabs, shrimp, snails) start it smaller than you think you'll need. at first your tank will algae bloom like crazy but will die off.

If you need anything buddy you know I'll help you out where I can. I have a piece of cycled LR that I'm looking to get rid of as it's ugly and not very porous. you can use it to seed some dry rock and save yourself some $$. It's about 2-3lbs & still covered in algea as my CUC hasn't plowed through it yet lol.
Click to expand...

Oh man thanks!! I'll definitely be in touch!! I'm gonna start to research more over the next few days. So I need new filters. What about the sponge and bio media, stuff like that. What does my filter need? And the heater is for up to a 55. Too much for a 20?
 
NyteGTI said:
that CUC looks to be pretty huge for a 20G. 21 crabs and 20 snails? plus the 3 shrimp? I'm assuming you man one of the shrimp, not all of them.
Click to expand...

Ya, overkill on the CUC, so add very slowly and stop once you think that they are not starving, but your tank is clean.

Id say 1 cleaner, and 1 of the other two options for shrimp
 
your AC110 is fine for a filter. just take our the filter pad, etc. you're not going to want your bio media. think of it like this: your live rock is replacing that area in HOB filters or canister filters where the bacteria grows in a freshwater tank. your "live rock" is only called live because of the living bacteria on it. it's your bio filter, not that brown stuff on your filter pads.

heater I cant answer on.
 
NyteGTI said:
your AC110 is fine for a filter. just take our the filter pad, etc. you're not going to want your bio media. think of it like this: your live rock is replacing that area in HOB filters or canister filters where the bacteria grows in a freshwater tank. your "live rock" is only called live because of the living bacteria on it. it's your bio filter, not that brown stuff on your filter pads.

heater I cant answer on.
Click to expand...

Ok I got it so far. Pretty straight forward.
 
Convict2161 said:
Ok I got it so far. Pretty straight forward.
Click to expand...

Ya, definatly

Only thing is, dont have a set budget. My brother and i tried, and it just doesnt work. You have to get the best.

Check out our build thread if youd like. I bet it might help you a bit:)
 
Gboy66 said:
Ya, definatly

Only thing is, dont have a set budget. My brother and i tried, and it just doesnt work. You have to get the best.

Check out our build thread if youd like. I bet it might help you a bit:)
Click to expand...

I'll check it out and thanks again!! It's about to begin very very soon!!
 
Warning: you will become more addicted to the salt side than you did fresh. Also instead of 4 tests.. there's 7 lol so your ocd can go into overdrive if you get really into it. Pick out the corals you like FIRST. Then you can pickup the lights and powerheads you'll need... since you're going reef I wouldn't recommend putting this in your kids room because you'll need to ocd this one pretty badly because of the size of the tank.
 
NyteGTI said:
Warning: you will become more addicted to the salt side than you did fresh. Also instead of 4 tests.. there's 7 lol so your ocd can go into overdrive if you get really into it. Pick out the corals you like FIRST. Then you can pickup the lights and powerheads you'll need... since you're going reef I wouldn't recommend putting this in your kids room because you'll need to ocd this one pretty badly because of the size of the tank.
Click to expand...

Are the tests
Ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, salinity, calcium, phosphate, anddd whats the last one? Lol
 
NyteGTI said:
Warning: you will become more addicted to the salt side than you did fresh. Also instead of 4 tests.. there's 7 lol so your ocd can go into overdrive if you get really into it. Pick out the corals you like FIRST. Then you can pickup the lights and powerheads you'll need... since you're going reef I wouldn't recommend putting this in your kids room because you'll need to ocd this one pretty badly because of the size of the tank.
Click to expand...

Ok lol maybe my bedroom with this one. So I can stare at it all night lol :(
 
Refractometer

Salt
White sand I have some with coral bits in it, makes a little more organic
Some live rock, though if you haven't started to place anything in, cycling for live rock works as well, protein skimmers are nice to get rid of some garbage but I only bought it for my seahorses, and testing kit, as well as maybe a thermometer to place in the tank to watch the regulated temperature.

For fish I think green chromis would be a nice fish...they're small, peaceful and omnivores and like tanks temperatures anywhere from 72-78 degrees Fahrenheit and salinity of 1.020-1.025 and are very friendly with clownfish and butterflies (may be too big for the tank though)
Peppermint shrimp, glass shrimp, nassarius, bumblebee snails, and agree with gboy, that the fire shrimp would be cool and safe! The fan worm is also a nice friend of the tank

Good luck, and I hope everything goes well!
 
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