Hello everyone, I just got my 20 gal tank up about a month ago. I have 4 main pieces of live rock in the tank, one already is covered in coraline algae. I waited for everything to cycle and test the parameters weekly. I use RO/DI water to prevent excess algae life in the tank. I recently purchased my first fish, a blue/green chromis. He is doing well even though i have only had him for 2 days. I was wondering what the next step is for the tank. I have seen beautiful pictures of corals, but I know that I shouldn't rush into buying them as nothing good happens fast in tanks. My plan for the tank is to add a clownfish, royal gamma, and then maybe a 6 line wrasse last. I would love yalls experience on suggestions of when to add the fish and corals. I also need advice on what kind of corals would be good for my tank.
My First Tank
- Thread starter JD9
- Start date
lilyost4290
Member
Just go slow and keep checking params. After a while you'll probably be able to notice if things are off just by looking at it, but check testing for now, especially with a new tank. You may need to shorten your fish list. I think four may be pushing it with a 20g, but I'd wait and see what some of the others have to say. As far as corals, what kind of light and filtration are you currently running?
lilyost4290
Member
Any idea what kind of leds? You could probably try some soft corals to start with and see how they do
It's a full spectrum LED light .5 watts
http://www.ebay.com/itm/262793386487?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT
http://www.ebay.com/itm/262793386487?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT
From looking around the site and other sites I have figured out that I probably need to get better lights for my tank if I want corals to flourish. What lights would y'all recommend. I'd like to get them for under $150. I looked at the ink Orion sl lights, and they looked amazing but they cost $270.
rockhead51
New member
It's all about the water. Keep your water pristine if you want to add that much bioload. Also, have you got a CUC?
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rockhead51
New member
Ok. I would add the fish first, slowly, and keep checking params. I might shoot to over filter a bit (although softies sometimes like water a little dirty). Remember mechanical, biological, and chemical all have a place. Just go slow.
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I'd get rid of the sponge part of the filter, unless you're cleaning (bleaching and de-chlorinating) it religiously. The 6 line sounds like a good idea, but they can be bullies. They're colorful fishes for sure, but just add one knowing that it could be problematic down the line.
You can use that light for a while, it's probably enough to keep some basic softies. You could start adding mushrooms or other simple corals. Just know that most simple corals will end up growing all over your tank after an extended period of time. But not the end of the world.
It sounds like you're off on a good start, recognizing the first and most important rule in the hobby, nothing good happens fast.
You can use that light for a while, it's probably enough to keep some basic softies. You could start adding mushrooms or other simple corals. Just know that most simple corals will end up growing all over your tank after an extended period of time. But not the end of the world.
It sounds like you're off on a good start, recognizing the first and most important rule in the hobby, nothing good happens fast.
"Filter" is the issue here.
In a properly set up tank, most of the filtration is done naturally, not via a filter. Fish poop, there's excess food, etc, and it blows around, until it gets picked up. A protein skimmer is the best way of removing it (IMO). If it doesn't get picked up (you don't have a skimmer), then it breaks down into nutrients (ammonia --> nitrite --> nitrate and phosphate), which get used by algae (nuisance or intentional algae like in algal turf scrubber). There are a lot of ways to "filter" a tank.
My problem with sponges is that if you don't clean the sponge filter thoroughly and frequently, whatever particles left in it will break down, causing the ammonia to nitrate cycle I mentioned above, and what you'll get out the other end is nuisance algae.
If you have an appropriate clean up crew, and/or siphon your sand bed (and rear chambers) when doing a water change, then you'll be removing that waste manually, without giving it much chance to break down. Also, waste that sits at the bottom of the tank is much less agitated and aerated than waste caught in a sponge, and since the bacteria that convert waste to ammonia and so on are aerobic, they will convert the waste much faster. This is a benefit in fish-only systems, where you have a lot of waste and don't care about nitrates (for the most part), but in a reef where all nutrients are "bad", you have to be much more careful. In a reef tank, it's better to have waste settle somewhere and sit silently than have it sit in a sponge and quickly converted into nitrate.
I hope that makes sense. Sorry it's so complex.
Floss will hold waste too, but if you buy cheap filter floss (I think people buy craft "batting" for stuffing blankets and pillows with?), you can just throw it away every 3-5 days, and know that you're starting with a clean filter again.
My recommendation would be no filter media at all. Just siphon your sand bed and rear chambers (use a gravel vac) with water changes, and you'll get all of the waste while doing good maintenance activity as well.
My recommendation would be no filter media at all. Just siphon your sand bed and rear chambers (use a gravel vac) with water changes, and you'll get all of the waste while doing good maintenance activity as well.
homer1475
New member
I like having some sort of mechanical filter(sponge, floss, sock, etc) just to catch large particles before they break down. As reefwreak pointed out though, you need to change them every couple days or they eventually become nitrate factories.
Yes cheap old poly-fill from walmart or any craft store is the same exact stuff you buy at the LFS for 10x the price. A big bag of poly-fill from walmart is like 5$.
Yes cheap old poly-fill from walmart or any craft store is the same exact stuff you buy at the LFS for 10x the price. A big bag of poly-fill from walmart is like 5$.
I am having problems with my dKH. It is at a constant 16-20. I have done 2 water changes, but it hasn't seemed to lower the level. All the other levels in the tank are spot on and the fish and snails are going strong. I don't know if this is a case of chasing numbers, but I feel that a dKH this high is very bad. Does anyone have any ideas to lower it?
