Going from FOWLR to my first reef tank? lots of questions!

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NicoleIsStoked

Aquarium Advice Freak
Joined
Sep 14, 2012
Messages
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Location
Ontario, Canada
Almost a year ago I set up my first ever SW tank. 50gal FOWLR. I now have the desire to set up a nano reef but know nothing about keeping coral.
I would ideally be using a spare 20gal tank that I have lying around the house. Actually it's this exact kit that I have http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0035H366U/ref=redir_mdp_mobile
So I would be replacing that filter with a AC50 most likely. And I have that light fixture with a colormax bulb in it. But I have a feeling that its far from sufficient.
Ideally I'd like my stock list to be
2 ocellaris clowns
1 bicolor dotty back
1 goby of some sort
2 snails
And maybe a fire shrimp

Is this too much?

What are the different kinds of coral? And which are the easiest to keep for beginners?
And what kind of lighting would I need for them?
Aside from lighting are there any other parameters I need to be concerned with? With my 50gal I am only mindful of ammonia, NO2, NO3, chlorine/chloramine, and SG.
Which reminds me that I do not use RO water. I use tap water treated with prime. Is that a problem for a reef?
Thanks!
 
well the light is very far from what yoy will need to keep corals. whats your budget for a light. the stock sounds good. andyour corals will be based on the light you choose
 
Hmm. I really don't know what kind of budget would be reasonable. If possible, lets say $100 or less? I hear people raving about LEDs all the time. Are there different types of LED? I ask because I work at Petsmart and we have a small variety of them which would be great because I get a discount. We have marine and LEDs I believe. Are those useful?
 
yes leds would be best but leds that can support a reef are ver expensive. if 100 dollars is the light budget i would suggest the zoomed aquasun. the light is 90 dollars and it fits 2 bulbs and each bulb is 15 dollars.
 
actualy that is true but for a 55 gallon i think you would need 2 of them
 
ok then one would be ok. i just orderd one for my 29 gallon. so what ither equipment do you have so far?
 
Congrats! You're joining the dark..uhm..I mean the reef side. I remember posting on your thread when you were starting out. I can't believe it's been a year already. Anyway, I've seen used LEDs w/ no brand names go for $90 on my local reef forum. Maybe you have a forum for you area that you can find some deals. Otherwise $130 is going to be the "damage". These are the ones recommended by lots of reefers on here and elsewhere. They're also dimmable which is really handy. I have something similar that works fine.

New Dimmable 120W Aquarium Coral Reef Fish Tank White Blue LED Light Black US | eBay


As far as corals, the easiest corals are mushrooms, xenia, and green star polyps. It's pretty hard to kill them. They can take over so maybe putting them on their own rock to grow would be best. It's really easy to trim back xenia though if it overgrew. Duncans are hardy and grow fast when fed. Zoas are pretty hardy too. A torch coral was one of my first corals and it's always done well. As long as you have stable, ideal conditions, and sufficient lighting, the corals will most likely do well.
 
Yes obscurereef, I remember you helping me immensely when I set up my big tank last year. Thank you again.
Just to clarify, if going LED, how many watts would I need for a 20gal high?
And would it be possible to keep a flame angel in this tank?
 
First, don't use tap water on a reef. That will cause problems down the road.

Your stocking list looks fine. 20 is a bit small for a flame.

You will need a good light or pair of lights to grow any corals. We suggest LED. But all LEDs are not equal. Several threads here discuss this continuously. For softies, 30-40 watts of LEDs on a 20 gallon would probably do. Double it for hard corals.

You need a set of good tests to monitor water quality and several pumps to have a lot of flow.
 
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edit: i also found a quad fixture which would equal to 96W instead of 48W. i assume this is much better? what kind of corals could i keep with each of these?
 
I think the leds might be overkill to be honest. I have a taotronics unit over my 60g which is 2 feet deep.

i also use Aquatraders - Guaranteed Best Prices on Aquarium Lightings + Free Shipping! light units. For that tank I believe you can get a 4 bulb t5 system with timer for around $100. I think the 24" model is only $89 on ebay as well.

You could always get the adjustable led's but then theres the issue of how to mount them over the tank. You cant just drop the fixture on a glass cover, I have mine hanging over my 60g with two large bars attached to the back of the stand. Also, with a sw tank you would want to skip the glass tops as well to aid in the gas exchange.

I have tried every single lighting setup and still fallback to t5's alot, they can be a tad more expensive over the long run as you have to replace bulbs every year or so and they cost a bit more to run electricity wise. You can't beat the shimmer you get from led's tho, but I'm thinking it';s a personal preference
 
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