New 20gal reef Skimmer/Stocking Question

[morairtym]

I converted my 20 gal freshwater planted tank into a saltwater aquarium and have a few questions on equipment.

Setup
Tank 20gal tall
Filter: Fluval 205 (new media)
--bioballs/BIOMAX/polishing pad/charcoal
Powerhead: Hydor 240 (for addition water movement over live rock)
UV Filter: Internal 9w (petsmart)
Heater: Hydor 300 inline
Lighting: Coralife Compact Fluorescent Lunar Aqualight 24"
--65watt 10,000°K Daylight
--65watt Actinic Blue

20 LB Live Sand
15 LB Crushed coral on top of live sand
20 LB Live Rock

I dont have a protein skimmer and not sure if i need one i have talk to many people read quite a bit about the pros and cons of protein skimmers that im not sure if i should get one or not. I like that it removes dissolved organic compounds and dont like that it removes the food that the corals need.

I plan on making this a reef tank with coral, invertebrates, and 2-3 fish.

I want to get a cleaning crew kit from live aquaria. was thinking something like this Caribbean Reef Diversity Pack i would like shrimp crabs and snails.

The tank has been cycling for about 3 weeks now adding food to tank feed live rock/sand and my ammonia is at 0 nitrites are at 0 and my nitrates are under 40. Would like to order my invertebrates soon but i dont want to be messing with my setup and would like for the nitrates to drop some more.

So the question i have is should i get a protein skimmer, and what do you think about my cleaning crew choices please just don't say that's good or you need a protein skimmer but give me a reason why.

 

[Reeferz412]

Coral Banded Shrimp are quite territorial and get pretty big, it will probably devour your peppermint shrimps. Emerald crabs also get pretty big and the only reason I have one was for my HA problem which is controlled because I found the underlying problem and now he just snips the small stuff. Everything else looks good though. Nassarius are fun to watch but only eat meaty food or flakes. You can look at Reefcleaners.org as well to see their sets. They will tell you what you need in your 20 gallon just like they did wiht me.

A protein skimmer is not a must, but I have one. Why? Because I can fit my heaters in my cpr bak pak and it is added water volume. Here are the cons: Its another pump in my DT, and you must constantly maintain a proper water level. Any skimmer will have trouble working if the water level is constantly fluctuating. My 20 gallon has no top and water evaporates pretty fast, I top off every 2-3 days. So you can imagine how inconsistent my skimmer can be sometimes if I do not stay on top of topping off the tank. Granted, it does help collect waste, but you can easily do that with weekly water changes.

Also, I suggest getting another Koralia 240 or a Koralia 3. I might be upgrading one of my 240's when I move on to sps.

 

[Reeferz412]

Oh, and remove the bioballs from your fluval. Down the road, it does more harm than good. You will have excessive nitrates collecting in the balls.

 

[morairtym]

Ill see what they have ate reefcleaners.org. I only have the one 240 because I have a spray bar on my fluvial pointed towards the top of the tank and was getting a lot of circulation with just that. and didnt want to have to much water moment if there is such a thing.

Here is a picture of it Spray bar. My tank sounds similar to yours with the need to constantly top it off. i dont have a glass on the top to help with that, because it gets in the way of my lights stand.

Is there a protein skimmer that you would recommend for a tank my size? Every thing i found is for 60+ gal tanks or internal for nano tanks less then 15 gal.

I wish i had a picture of my tank to upload ill try to add on later today.

 

[morairtym]

Still looking for a protein skimmer if anyone has a suggestion that would be helpful.

 

[Reeferz412]

CPR Bak Pak is a good one, Aqua C Remora Nano, If you go internal you can use the sleak Hydor Slim Skim. Theres a guy named Mr. Saltwater Tank who did a review on it on youtube (figure head in the reefing community), its a nice and sleak small profile skimmer. I use a CPR Bak Pak because its big, adds water volume, and I can stick my heater and media in it.

Also, the 240 is decent, but if you plan on purchasing more flow demanding corals, you will definitely need another. More flow, the better your reef tank will thrive. No flow = deadspots and your parameters will be out of whack.