Advice on Small Tank Sizes for a Newb

[stevenp]

All,
I searched around on this site and a couple others in search of advice on small tanks without a whole lot of luck. Sorry in advance if I'm beating a dead horse here...

Basically, I have a 20g high set up and am wondering what I'm going to do with it. In the past, I've had piranhas, freshwater, brackish, but now SW really intrigues me. Sooooo, I think I may give SW a try.

I've done a bit of reading and talked to a couple different aquarium stores about doing a small tank. There initial advice was "not to try SW with a 20 gallon (55 minimum)", but after talking with them a bit more, and showing my interest in what they had to say, the conversation turned around a bit in favor of the 20 gallon tank.

In addition, most websites seem to point to a minimum 55 gallon tank as well. However, I see a lot of you have tanks as small as 5 gallons.

I really don't mind investing the money required, it's not an issue. However, I'm limited to the mentioned 20 gallon tank due to space restrictions.

My only concern is that I don't want something that will turn into a fish-killing-factory and turn me off to the hobby. I don't mind spending an hour every weekend caring for the tank.

I guess what I really want to know is:

-Am I going to be fighting an uphill battle?
-How many of you have had "long term" success with a small tank?
-Honestly, do you recommend me trying it? Espescially being a Newb?

Thanks, in advance,
Steve

 

[Anonymous]

Steve,
Glad your asking questions of yourself before starting a sw tank of any size. Do alot of searching in the Advanced Aquarist online mag. and the forum. A good sw tank, will require specialized equipment and lighting, which is all highly confusing, don't give up.

Weekly maintainance is a must. READ READ and RESEARCH before you start and you won't have to worry so much about killing anything in your tank. Be willing to ask questions and listen to the good advice you will recieve here.

There a folks here with 3/4 gal. tanks that are successful. Good luck.

 

[Anonymous]

Could you go with a tank 30 inches long? I had a 29 gallon that did very well before I moved up to a 100 gallon. I would love to help you do this. You caould also use a 20 long instead of the 20 high if you can go to 30 inches long. Tanks and stands are about the cheapes part of your investment. You want to try and go with more surface area. You probably already know that from your Fresh and Brackish experience. I like the fact that you are doing your homework. There are a lot of people that can help you here. It also depends on how handy you are. If you are you could purchase a Retro Lighting Kit. I myself prefer the Power Compacts. I like Hamilton's Light Fixtures. What do you plan on keeping? I highly recommend you start with a fish only but set it up as a reef tank. You will need very good filtration with a tank of that size however I have seen many Nano Tanks with Liverock and Skimmers only....while doing weekly waterchanges of at least 15 percent. My 100 gllon needs little maintenance....however my 50 gallon needs "help" every two to three days. Evaporation is the biggest problem in my 50. My skmimer won't work unless I maintain a specific water level. Purchase the best skimmer you can afford. I have the cheapest but we won't go there. :lol: This is a very heated issue here. do you have enough money to purchase cultured liverock. I prefer that to cured liverock but is much more expensive. I pay about 7 bucks a pound or more for mine and hand pick it. If not get cultured liverock. I also use a mechanical filter but most people don't. Check this site out to choose your substrate. I would go with a 3 inch sandbed if you go with the tall tank. Otherwise 1.5 inches is plenty.

http://www.carib-sea.com/Carib1.htm

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[stevenp]

Thanks for the advice, you can bet I'll be sure to invest in a couple books.

I would like to stick with the 20 high since I already have a new stand in place, along with a hood. Also, bringing home a new tank/ stand may send a red flag to my fiance, while I can get away with putting whatever I want into the current tank

Mentioning the hood brings up lighting... I do want to start out with fish only, but the assistant at the LFS said that I could find a bulb for my hood that would be capable of supporting an anemone?

I would like to put two clown fish and ? in the tank (Finding Nemo must have increased Clown Fish sales 300%).

I was planning on using my 170 filter and adding two power heads.

Why do you recommend double the layer of sand for a high VS a long?

I know I'll end up answering a lot of these questions after doing some more research on my own, but, as long as I'm not boring you with Newb stuff, I'll keep asking!

Cheers,
Steve

 

[Anonymous]

Why do you recommend double the layer of sand for a high VS a long?

Cheers,
Steve

With a shallow tank you are giving up valuable space when using a deep sand bed. You may increase it with a tall tank. I don't like any sandbed deeper than 2 inches. It just does not look natural to me.

 

[stevenp]

I just picked up "The Conscientious Marine Aquarist" by Robert M. Fenner.

Time to read up on this hobby..... for a while.....

I'll be back with some questions shortly...

Cheers,
Steve

 

[Anonymous]

Cool...you are on your way to Victory!

 

[Anonymous]

Hey Steve,
Stock light that comes with most hoods are just plain crap. Go ahead and invest in a good set of lights. Anemone's like a lot more light than what flouresent's can produce, even if the guy at the lfs says they will do fine with them. Another thing, don't put an anenome in your tank until it has matured for a good long while, like 6 mos. or longer.

Most lfs will try to sell you what they have in stock and most don't even carry what we really need. Find out where the reefer's in your area are going to purchase live stock, that's your best bet for an lfs of quality.

I'm running a 29 and a 20l both with 130 watts pc lights, skimmers and a refugium on the 29. Both tanks are doing well, I do weekly water changes of 10% and daily top offs.

Another piece of equipment that shouldn't be over looked is an ro/di filter. Very important and is essential IMO.

 

[Anonymous]

....

-How many of you have had "long term" success with a small tank?
-Honestly, do you recommend me trying it? Espescially being a Newb?

Thanks, in advance,
Steve

I'de go for it. I had a simple UGF FO system in a 10g set up and running for 8 years with 6 years in one location. Three stripe damsels spawned in it and lived for over 4 years.

And I have seen several nanos that look very nice. So a lot can be done with a small system. the smallest I saw was a 4" diameter (sealed?) globe with a clown gobie and a coral in it. They said it have been setup for 6 months.

 

[stevenp]

Knowse,
How do you have your lights mounted over the tank? Did you make a hood for them? I read that it's sometimes recommended not to put your lights in a hood on small tanks due to the possibility of overheating the water.

I'm definately planning on waiting until later to try an anenome.

Wow, a 4" diameter tank eh?

Steve

 

[Anonymous]

Flourescent lighting will not over heat your tank. Metal Halides will. They should be placed at least 12 inches or more above the tank.

 

[ChrisRD]

I've always put my halides closer than 12" to the water - usually about 7" - 8". No chiller. No overheating problems.

 

[stevenp]

Ok, equipment so far:

-Filter: 170 filter
-Heater: 100 Watt Ebo Jager
-Lighting: 24" Corallife 65x2 watt with moon light
-Protein Skimmer: CPR Aquatic BAK PAK Bio-Filter

The skimmer was a tough decision. I know a lot of people don't like the bak paks... Still not sure if I made the right choice..

Aside from a couple power heads, I think I'm pretty much there... How am I doing?


Steve

 

[Anonymous]

I would scratch the 170 filter off the list. You won't need it with the bak pak. Is that the Penguin 170 with Bio-Wheels? I tried a Penguin once in salt. I gave it away because it generated so much salt creep.

 

[stevenp]

Yep, the 170 with a bio wheel...

The LFS said not to run the protein skimmer until the tank has cycled?

 

[Anonymous]

That is because skimmers interfer with the tank building up the means (aerobic bacteria) to reduce the wastes. I just use plant life and skip the skimmer althgether.

I do use a filter box which does mechanical filtering. the mechanical part just helps the looks. I use crushed oyster shells as filter media to provide my system with calcium.

My tanks where I do not have the mechanical filter do not have corals and some ugly stuff build up at the bottom. but parameters are fine otherwise. Well except calcium is low.

 

[cdeakle]

-Am I going to be fighting an uphill battle?
-How many of you have had "long term" success with a small tank?
-Honestly, do you recommend me trying it? Espescially being a Newb?

It will be a little bit of a battle but with constant water testing and care of your tank you can do it. Your main concern with having such a small tank is making sure your water parameters stay in check. With such a small tank it can be hard because it's so easy for things to change so quickly. The reason bigger tanks are highly recommended for newbies is because there more stable and it takes longer for the paramters to change then in a smaller tank giving you more time to make sure your little buddies stay healthy and happy.

I have had a nano tank running succesfully close to 3 years now. As long as you read and study and prepare and take your time then you would have a good start and I'm confident you can do it as long as you stay steady with your maintenance and keep water quality high.

I say go for it as long as you research, study, read and learn all you can to prepare ahead of time but don't stop there. We are all noobs in this hobby and learning new information and techniques all the time, so soak up as much knowledge as you can and asking questions here can be very valuable as long as you take lighlty certain statement from certain people like Beaslbob :wink: .

That is because skimmers interfer with the tank building up the means (aerobic bacteria) to reduce the wastes. I just use plant life and skip the skimmer althgether.

Please take this statement and similars ones lightly. Beaslbob please stop giving misinformation to noobs.

In fact having macroalgeas in a nano tank can have very negative effects from going sexual and releasing toxins back into a very small tank to completely overunning the tank in no time.

I would say just the opposite, a skimmer on a nano could be very beneficial and especially so in the case of a newb. This would help you control your water chemistry a little better but on such a small tank it would be just as easy to perform small water changes daily to achieve awesome results. I currently have a 5.5 gallon mantis tank with live rock and sand with various hermits and snails etc and small water changes often for me have worked the best.

 

[stevenp]

Thanks everyone,
She's up n' running with all the hardware. Next step is to do some water testing and pick up a couple power heads.

Does anyone have any advice on power heads? I'll be out and about tomorrow and would like to pick up a couple. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Steve

 

[SnowManSnow]

I think you can do it. I've been in the process of settin up a small 37 gallon reef tank myself over the last few months. So far so good.

We are attempting very similar tanks..

My set up so far is as follows
1 Maxijet 900 PH
AquaC Remora skimmer powered by MJ1200
Hopefully will upgrade to 4x65 PC in a few weeks
about 30 lbs of LR
3 small damsels
3 small hermits
3 Margarita snails

YOU CAN DO IT!!!

 

[stevenp]

I'm too far into it not to succeed!!!

How do you compare the AquaC Remora skimmer to the Bak Pak?

Cheers,
Steve