20L beginner questions.

[Breene]

I want to set up a 20 long reef tank in a few months. I need to keep costs low because I will be buying my first car when I get my license in a month or so. I will probably wait until after I buy the car to set up the tank but am starting to plan it now.

I was thinking I could order a bit on e-bay and drill the tank so I can have a 10 gallon sump/fuge with a skimmer in it. I like the look of pvc pipe cut into a quarter and put in the corner as an overflow. I don't know how big of a hole I should drill though or what sized pump will be a good match... And also what kind of bulkhead do I need? I see there are a few different thread options you can get I have read melevsreefs page and the 3 part guide on the RC magazine but am still a bit confused in the details.

My second concern is the skimmer... since it is only a 20 gallon tank I don't want to spend 100+ dollars on a skimmer rated for a large tank. I just don't have the money. I have read the post about the fission nano skimmer and it left me unsure weather to buy it because half the people say it makes crappy wet skimmate and some say it works great. Are there any other skimmers out there for under 40-50 bucks (tops) I can get?

The last thing I needed help with is the lighting. I cant afford much but I was thinking I could use PC lighting from AHsupply and have 110 watts over my tank. Would this be enough to grow some stuff like zoas, rics, xenia, mushrooms, and other simple things?

I have about a zillion more questions but for now those are my main concerns. Thanks for the help everyone!

[aquarius77]

I would think a corner overflow would work fine, drill the tank for sure, overflow boxes are trash and nothing but a serious headache IMO.

Find a used skimmer, even if its a seaclone 100 it will skim the hell out of 30 gallons of water and you will get it alot cheaper than buying something new.

I would steer clear of PC lighting, i cannot speak for T5's, once again i would look for a used metal halide ballast and buy a cheap reflector and a new bulb and retro fit it. I ran PC and belive me, they suck. When i switched over to MH lighting my whole tank went nuts with color and growth. I would not steer you wrong because i have been through what you are going through right now and i tried PC's and overflow boxes and the whole 9. I just ended up spending more money down the line to upgrade because i was not happy with my tank at all. I am still in the process of getting the things i need together to drill mine and i plan to chance doing it with livestock in it because i cant stand the overflow box.

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c373/euchre_skillz/Zoos%20Rics%20and%20Palys/100_1083.jpg

[Breene]

Thanks for the reply. I am definatly going with the corner overflow because I don't want to mess with syphons or anything and I think it looks realy clean.

I will look around for a used skimmer. Thanks for the tip! But again if I can't find something for under 45 bucks I will have to go with one of the mini versions.

I know PC lights aren't the best choice but I realy don't think I can go down the halide path as much as I want to. The one thing that I noticed though is that they sell "hallogen" fixtures and bulbs for like 20 bucks at home depot. They are ment for security lighting I think but they look identical to what I see over aquariums. Is there any reason you cant use these if you were to order a bulb with a higher color temp?

I was originally planning using an old power filter for a fuge and having no skimmer. I also didnt think I would be having coral. I am already way over my budget as it is lol. So even though it may not be the nicest tank there is it will still be something if I don't have every 200+ dollar piece of equipment that will make it a bit better. A little bit of something is better than a whole lot of nothing.

[Breene]

So will I be able to grow zoas, shrooms, rics, xenia, GSP and stuff like that under PC's? All I want is them to live and maby grow a tiny bit... They don't have to go nuts or anything.

And what size bulkhead would you suggest for a tank this size? Also what brand is a good return pump and what size pump would be a good match for the bulkhead?

[Breene]

bump

[UntamedBreez]

Have you looked into used set ups?
I got a great deal on my first sw set,
24 gal nano cude
10 pounds live rock
one large polyp colony
and two breeding clowns
plus a whole bunch of supplies and a skimmer
for 125.00
Nano have the lights and filter built in of course..lot of people like to use differnet filter media then what is given

take a look around for a classified site thats active in your area for deals. craiges list is great here in NC it's available all over us but isnt active everywhere.
also talking with LFS people will sometimes be breaking down there system and want to sell!

used tanks are lot cheaper easy to check for crackes and if the seal has an issues it's a quick fix.
I dont have a single "new" tank in my house..
30 l gal was free
20 h gal cost 10.00
10 gal cost 5.00
65 gal FREE!!! of course it was nasty had to scrub like heck to clean it.
...thats weird I paid for the smaller tanks???

point is if you have time keep your eyes peeled for a real deal

[Breene]

Ok cool I will look for more used stuff. I bought my 55 gal tank used for my freshwater planted I have currently set up and its working out great.