So i am getting a 20 gal tank

[Anonymous]

Not sure if this belongs in the nano forum or not but here goes. Yes matt and Len I am posting topside try not to have a heart attack, if you do have one make sure you get CPR I will need your help

I have done a lot of research and know a bigger tank is better to start with but I have size limitations where I am now. I have 30lbs aragonite sand, Oceanic protein skimmer, multi directional power head, heater and test kit. Not sure yet on the depth of the sand yet til i put it in. I also have some dead coral rocks that i plan on using for the base until the tank cycles and unclouds so I can get live rock, live sand live rubble. I am planning on just doing a FOWLR for a long time, at least a year before i attempt any kind of coral. I was wondering what should I get for lighting until the tank is ready for actual corals or invertebrates?

 

[Saltlick]

A 30 lb bag of sand in that tank ought to give you a little under 2 inches on the bottom. As far as the "dead"
rock, I hear you, that's what I am doing. There is a closeout light that I think is not a terrible idea. I know
power compacts are out these days, but for 100 bucks WITH lamps, this is not too bad a deal.

http://www.premiumaquatics.com/Merchant ... =Clearance

As I pasted that in, though, I realize it is long for a 20 gallon...derh. THEY DO have sliding legs, though,
that might allow you to have three inches hang over on both ends AND have it look like you meant to do it.

 

[Len]

Are you looking for temp lights for the cycle, or permanent lights?

 

[Saltlick]

Hate to butt in again before Len gets his question answered, but man, I just got this fixture in
today, the Current USA 36" Dual Satellite compact I was telling you about. I was terrified when I turned it
on, the unit has two wavelengths of Actinic Blue and two white spectra as well, and it was NOT brighter
than my single tube beginner lite that came with the tank. And then a minute passed. Man this thing is
bright. As a closeout item for 99 bucks, now I can REALLY reccommend it. I wanted so badly to get a 6 tube
T5 unit with individual reflectors, and I know that was going to be perfect, but it was more than three times
the cost of this unit, and was a 6x39W (234W) fixture, whereas this one I got is a 2x96W (192W).
That extra 42W is certainly nothing to sneeze at, but for 220 dollars more? Nah. But I am not looking to keep
Maxima or crocea clams or a field of SPS coral, so I figure I did very well. I made sure to get a few extra sets of
lamps, also on sale, cause I know T5 is going to eradicate Power compact pretty soon. 2 more sets of lamp
changes for 40 bucks. That was the normal cost of one 36" lamp. And all of it shipped free.
Good luck with whatever you choose.

 

[Anonymous]

Are you looking for temp lights for the cycle, or permanent lights?

Permanent, at least for the next year. The research i have done says fluorescent is ok for what i want to do right now(FOWLR) but want to make sure from the experienced group here that is alright. I know I don't need a metal halide for a long while.

 

[Len]

For a 20g, you really just need two 23" Powercompacts or 4 T5s. That'll be enough for almost anything. I like Sunlight's Tek T5s.

 

[Len]

If you never plan on keeping corals, I'd consider this:
http://www.premiumaquatics.com/Merchant ... ode=ma-led

It's cheap and you'll never have to replace bulbs.

 

[Anonymous]

If you never plan on keeping corals, I'd consider this:
http://www.premiumaquatics.com/Merchant ... ode=ma-led

It's cheap and you'll never have to replace bulbs.

Thanks Len. I hope to someday graduate to corals but this is my learnin tank

 

[Anonymous]

Well looks like I have some coralline algae started, the purple kind. Not seen anything else on my live rock yet. Tried to keep some space under and trough the rocks. if you seem something majorly wrong in this setup please let me know here are some pics.

 

[Anonymous]

 

[Anonymous]

Its been a bit over 2 weeks and the purple coraline algae seems o be taking off, also have some algae growing on the sand. Was wanting to get a cleaner crew, a few turbo's, few Nas and a brittle star, is it too soon right now? All my parameters seem to be doing ok.

 

[Petsolutions]

Well, everyone sort of has their own way of doing things, so you're likely to get a lot of different input on adding your clean up crew now. Me personally, I tend to wait on adding inverts until after I've got the tank populated with fish and the system has had time to go through the usual cycle spikes it tends to go through. I've found inverts to be more sensitive to that sort of thing, and since I'd prefer to not lose them during a cycle if possible, I hold off until the fish are settled. I generally don't add snails and such until 6 or 8 weeks in.

Best of luck,
John

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks PS, trying to be patient but its a bit annoying just seeing rock in there

 

[Petsolutions]

LOL, Njord, that feeling never changes no matter how many years go by. I've been keeping fish as a hobby for more years than I care to count, and working in the industry for about 15 years now and every new tank I have set up always gives me the "gosh I wish there were something to look at other than rock" feeling.

Your patience will be rewarded! When I first started keeping aquariums at home, I was told "nothing good ever happens quickly in an aquarium" and that has always held true.

 

[Anonymous]

Everything was testing on the low side as far as nitrates,nitrites and my ammonia was 0 so I got some astera snails and 5 red legged crabs because i was starting to have an algae problem. That was a few days ago and everything is still testing ok.

 

[Anonymous]

1 crab bit the dust but everything else seems to be doing what it should. My specific gravity is testing a little high 1.028 and was wondering what i can do to lower that? Siphon out some water and just replace it with unsalted water?

 

[Anonymous]

Yup, Njord, just do it slowly and replace a bit of salt water at a time- over a few days. Use RO water if you can. SG that high is going to lead to several problems, algae being one of them.

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks

 

[Saltlick]

You are right to worry agout SG that high, and you have come to the right conclusion and been
given the best way to do it slowly and properly. But keep in mind that crustaceans tend to molt
when introduced to new conditions. If the salt is very different from the bag water they came in,
they will often molt soon after. You may see what looks like a dead crab and just be seeing the
old exoskeleton. I freaked for two seconds when I saw my new emerald crab dead one morning,
but remembered that it was likely just a molt, then I saw him the next day quite a bit larger.
Same thing happened to me years ago with cleaner shrimp and a few weeks ago with a hermit.
In a day or so I see it strutting around in the shell he took off of the snail he murdered.

 

[Anonymous]

Well got 2 Perculas since I have heard they are good fish to start with. I got them from 2 different stores just in case they decide to mate. One is much larger than the other. Aside from a few butting of heads on the first few days they are getting along. I have been feeding for about a week and my water has a very slight reddish tinge to it. All parameters are in line and fish seem to be doing well just wondering if it could be from the food since that has a lot of red in it?