Returning to Marine Aquariums

[gozetec2002]

Its been about 2 years since I have managed a marine aquarium.

My original tank was a All-Glass 20 Gallon Long FOWLR.

My system crashed because someone stuck a penny into the Aquarium and killed all my invertibrates and I lost all hope and converted back to a fresh water.

The fresh water tank is fine but is no where near the beauty and challenge of a marine tank.

Ok so this time I want to setup a reef system with some soft corals some inverts and maybe a couple of Firefish or something.

So here is what my planned setup is.

Equipment:
20 Gallon Long Aquarium
AquaClear Power Filter
SeaClone 100 Skimmer
2 Powerheads
I have a Hood but plan on using eggcrate to promote Air Exchange

Lighting Options:
30" 1x65W Coralife Aqualight hood w/ 50/50 - Straight Pin

30" 2x65W Coralife Aqualight CF hood, 2x 50/50 (Act/10K), -straight Pin

150W PFO Mini Pendant

Livestock I want.
Button Polyps toward the top of Aqua Scape
Some Mushroom Corals in the bottom
15-20# of Live Rock and 1-1.5" Sand base.
Group of 3 or 4 Peppermint Shrimp
Cleaning Crew of Some Dwarf Blue Leg Hermit
Some Turbo Snails to take care of rogue Alge.
Clownfish or Firefish.
A BTA or two once the tank is established and stable.

Any input or comments would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Damien

 

[Randall_James]

IMO the tank is too small to provide a stable environment for an Anemone. Not that it can not be done but you are at least a year away from this animal all the same.

Lighting for the Anemone is the only reason from your list to use any type of MH. All the other stuff will be fine with the CF.

I would not buy that skimmer or any other that they make.

 

[gozetec2002]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7289560#post7289560 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Randall_James

I would not buy that skimmer or any other that they make.

I already have the skimmer and don't really desire to spend another hundred bux on another skimmer. I had modified it a bit to work better. Added fine airstone to make the bubbles and dont use the air intake it came with.

I really like the button polyps i saw some really orange and green colorful ones at my LFS. So maybe a tank full of these with some inverts and a couple of fish.

Will The 65 Watt Lamp work since the tank is very shallow. I am thinking the intense light of the dual 65 Watt light may cause some problems and make the lamps more expensive to replace since i would have to buy two 50/50 replacements?

 

[Randall_James]

I think you would like the light rendering of the 50/50 better as they add the actinic lighting. The straight 65 light will not make the colors "Pop" as it were

 

[gozetec2002]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7289953#post7289953 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Randall_James
I think you would like the light rendering of the 50/50 better as they add the actinic lighting. The straight 65 light will not make the colors "Pop" as it were

Oh. The Single 65 Is a 50/50 Will it be ok?

Which of these will get the job done.
http://www.hellolights.com/30aqualights.html

 

[Randall_James]

I think for a 20L with softies it would be fine, I mean at the worst you could add a second fixture (hey you save nothing by purchasing the dual 65 anyway) if it is not bright enough for you.