my new 20gal setup :)

[crazyaggie05]

ok well heres my new setup:

20H tank
aquaclear 50 hob filter (i had it when the tank was freshwater)
aquaclear 50 power head for circulation
about 15lbs of aragonite sand seeded with livesand
about 23 lbs of tonga and fiji live rock
coralife 50/50 light for now
2 little chromis to start the cycle

i have everything in the tank, but i was in a really big gurry today so i didnt get to aquascape it the way i want to. its till coudy so its kinda hard to tell where everything is. the fish seem to be happy which is a big plus lol. im wondering if i have enough sand though. i think i have about 17-18 lbs total (thats the aragonite plus the live sand added from the lfs) ive heard you should have anywhere from 1/2 to 1 and 1/2 inches of sand, and then ive heard you shoud have like 2 or 3 inches.... im not quite sure waht direction to go. as of right now im in the 1-1.5" range. i like the looks of thick sand beds but im not sure of the consequnces. i know in freshwater thick sand can lead to bad aneorobic gas build up.

also, im wondering waht to do about a protein skimmer... ive been told i need one by some, and that i dont by others. it looks like it depends on what you wanna put in the tank. id like some fish and inverts, and id like to start out with some easy corals and zoos. do i really need the skimmer with my a.c. 50 fliter and powerhead? i was told i should get an aquac remora. there was also some really cheap one at the lfs called the berlin airlift intank skimmer. is that worth a hoot?

sorry for all the noob questions! im doing all the research i can and soakin it up like a sponge. im reading a great book too. i cant wait till this thing is up and running and i can get my little 6 line :fish2: oh and ill gets some pics up when the water clears too! thanks for all the help yall

[mrme]

a skimmer is better then no skimmer ,but for the money , its not worth it .

you could make your own for the same price , that works 100% better

[crazyaggie05]

you got a link to the plans?

[K9]

You don't need those damsels to cycle the tank. The die-off from your liverock will be enough to do the job. If your liverock is cured already, then you may not have much of a cycle at all. Cycling with damsels is becoming an antiquated technique since it's unnecessary and often viewed as cruel to the fish because they are subjected to high levels of ammonia. IMO, you can get away with not using a skimmer on a 20g tank, but I suggest one for beginners as it assists you in keeping water quality high.

You may also want to add another powerhead for circulation such as a Maxi-Jet 600. HOB power filters are good for running carbon and things like that, but they don't really move water the way a powerhead can.

Looks like you're off to a good start so far. Just return those damsels and be patient while your water clears and goes through the cycle. I can't wait to see some pictures of your setup. Best of luck! :thumbsup:

[vanmo92]

using chromis to cycle is a great idea. I did it too. they would be happyer with 3 or four but 2 is fine to start. i would get the skimmer because it is much more difficult to maintain a tank without one. the airstone skimmers (like the berlin) are cheap and do a good job of keeping disolved organtic levels down. you need a very powerful air pump to run it. on mine i use 2 air pimps for the airstone and 1 for the output. Good luck with your tank.

[crazyaggie05]

how about a lees protein skimmer? and is that aqualcear surface skimmer worth a darn on the same website?

http://www.thatpetplace.com/Products/KW/F69/PgNo/2/Class/Fish+Supplies+Protein+Skimmers/Shopay00.aspx

[K9]

Originally posted by vanmo92
using chromis to cycle is a great idea. I did it too.Actually NO, it's NOT a great idea. It's unnecessary and cruel to the fish if nothing else. Even if they do survive the cycle, the high ammonia levels will wreak havoc on their gills. Plus, after the cycle, you've now got to find those damsels a new home or try returning them to the LFS.

Vanmo, seeing that you did it yourself, it just shows that you may need to do a little more researching on the reefkeeping hobby. Be SURE you know what you're talking about before making a suggestion to someone. Even though they shouldn't, many people on RC take what they read as religion, often being led astray by poor or misleading advice. I know your recommendation was in good faith, so that is commendable, but just be choosy when giving suggestions.
Originally posted by vanmo92
i would get the skimmer because it is much more difficult to maintain a tank without one.In a nano-reef, it is not much more difficult to maintain a skimmerless tank than it would be to maintain one with a skimmer. Weekly water changes in a nano-reef help remove wastes and keep water quality up. Yes, a skimmer would help indefinitely, but is it necessary in a nano? No, not at all. I've run nanos sucessfully without skimmers for quite some time now.

Crazyaggie, a skimmer would be a good buy for a beginner, but it's not a must-have piece of equipment for a 20g tank. If you'd like to get one, I suggest a CPR BakPak2 or an AquaC Remora. You can find the BakPak2 on sale at www.drsfostersmith.com and the Remora at www.marinedepot.com for about $160. Best of luck with your setup. :thumbsup:

[pimp2daizzo]

haha k9 is laying it out for u guys..and he is right about it all. thes days u can use bio-spired or w/e to cyc your tank if u wanted to..using fish is way over that was the old thing,and way outdated its not as good as u think it is jsut b/c so much work to get them out and after u cyc you tank u dont want to **** everthing up trying to get them out..check out my thread sometime...i have some info on it.....o and ya i use a prizm delux on my 5.5 reef, but i still ne to change 15% every week :( but its for the best lol.... i woudl do what k9 says to u..he know what he is talking about

[crazyaggie05]

hey yall here are some pics

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v363/crazyaggie05/fish/DSCF1120.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v363/crazyaggie05/fish/DSCF1124.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v363/crazyaggie05/fish/DSCF1125.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v363/crazyaggie05/fish/DSCF1126.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v363/crazyaggie05/fish/DSCF1127.jpg



what do yall think? be honest!

[K9]

Hey, not too bad of a start :thumbsup:. Now all you need to do is add some nice liverock to that base rock and it will all color up beautifully. One tip: if you want to get rid of that flared nozzle on the Maxi-Jet, just turn your powerhead sideways on the glass and point the output towards the surface. You'll get nice ripples and gas exchange and it will help the powerhead keep a lower profile. Also, swap out that conical strainer with the short, cylindrical one that comes in the box. It makes the powerhead less of an eyesore. Keep us posted on the progress. Good luck! :)

[crazyaggie05]

hey those are good tips, thanks for the advice and comments... the live rock is all from my LFS. whats a good palce to get good live rock? should it be added now or after it cycles?

[K9]

Originally posted by crazyaggie05
hey those are good tips, thanks for the advice and comments... the live rock is all from my LFS. whats a good palce to get good live rock? should it be added now or after it cycles? Well, after taking a closer look at the pics, I see you do have some small spots of coralline growing there. That will be fine. It will eventually cover all the rocks. If you have even the slightest desire to add more liverock, it's best to do it now while you're cycling. You want to have about 1-2lbs per gallon generally. I like a more open tank look though, so my 20g only has 15lbs right now, but it's totally up to you.

[crazyaggie05]

yeah the fiji i have has some coraline on it, and some other junk too. the tonga has a little bit of pink in some areas so think it should grow nicely. i have about 22 lbs in there so i think thats plenty. i also like the open look. actually, i reall ylike the dense rock formation in the middle, or going up the back wall with lost of space around it, but i dunno if i can do much with the tonga in that regard. i like the setups where you see the fish go in one side of the formation and come out some random hole on the other side lol. anyway, i am happy with my setup i think, like you said not bad for a start it cant expect it to be perfect on the 1st go around! i do like the tonga/fiji mix though