20 gallon reef tank

[Impala67]

Just started a 20 reef tank I have 20 pounds of live rock/live sand a 20 filter and three Dalmatian Molly’s to cycle the tank on of the mollies gave birth do I leave them in there or take them out and what do I need to buy next to have a full coral reef tank.

 

[Sharkbait19]

You could have about 10-20 hermits and various snails.
Occelaris and Percula are good clowns for the tank.

 

[Impala67]

I just bought another piece of live rock brought it home had a emerald crab on it. What do I do how do it take care of it and is it ok in a reef. Ph buffer can I use it in a tank with crabs and fish will it hurt them or will it be ok.

 

[Sharkbait19]

Emerald crabs are great cuc members! Wonderful algae eater. May get mean to snails and coral though (if it’s anything like mine) but they are pretty much harmless.

 

[Impala67]

What about reef buffer am I safe to use it with all my fish, snails, and crabs. Also the rock is covered in mud and barnacles how do I take care of barnacles, do I need to feed them what are the chemicals/nutrients I need to start adding in my tank for coral.

 

[Sharkbait19]

Are you using reef salt? That should give all of the proper nutrients. They make coral foods as well but those are only necessary depending on the corals you want. Barnacles filter feed and don’t need anything specific. Buffer should be safe. What is your current ph?

 

[Impala67]

Are you using reef salt? That should give all of the proper nutrients. They make coral foods as well but those are only necessary depending on the corals you want. Barnacles filter feed and don’t need anything specific. Buffer should be safe. What is your current ph?

Oh is really low it’s at 7, will the barnacles
eat phytoplankton. Haven’t used reef salt yet waiting to use rain water I don’t have a ro di filter yet.

 

[JayA]

Sadly no moray for that tank. Blennies are kind of eel-like and there are a few for that tank.
Powerhead and wave maker are the same thing if I’m correct. Skimmer isn’t necessary as long as you keep up on water changes.
Good fish are gobies, small blenny species, clownfish, cardinals, basslets, and coral croucher gobies (actually a scorpionfish, a cousin to lionfish), just to name a few.

I had a flame tail blenny that I thought resembled an eel.

 

[Impala67]

What about in a 55 gallon tank any eels in there

 

[Impala67]

Wanted to know what you guys think of this light do I need one or two will it be ok for all my coral.

 

[Impala67]

Also I have three types of algae forming: green hair algae, diotome algae, and last but not least coralline algae. What’s good what’s bad and how to I treat for it.

 

[Sharkbait19]

Green hair and diatoms aren’t dangerous, just a nuisance. They often form in new tanks and will go away eventually. Just wipe them off/manually remove if on rocks and a good cuc helps to keep it at bay.
Coralline is good (as long as it is the coralline you see and not the red Cyanobacteria).
I’m no expert with lights so I will wait for someone else to answer that question.

 

[Impala67]

What’s next power heads or a light both are very important only able to get one or the other at this moment.

 

[Sharkbait19]

Light is far more necessary if you want corals.

 

[Impala67]

Update: My tank has successfully cycled and is know ready for coral. Lots of Caroline algae only one rock has green algae and no diotome algae in site. I’ve been dosing my tank with phytoplankton and reef fusion 1 and 2 and I’m keeping up with the ph. What’s next in my reef tank dosing with what and can I put clown fish in there now.

 

[brandon429]

I like the cadence of posts and declarative questions on this thread

 

[Impala67]

So I’ve run in to a bit of a problem. My tank is completely cycled and ready to add clown fish. I just ordered some LR frags online and got them in today, they were kept in saltwater ponds and had coroline algae grown on them. When I got them they were shipped wet and I added them to my tank I started looking at the pieces and it has a very small piece of coral growing on it I’m unable to identify it I’ll have you guys take a look.

 

[Impala67]

So I’ve run in to a bit of a problem. My tank is completely cycled and ready to add clown fish. I just ordered some LR frags online and got them in today, they were kept in saltwater ponds and had coroline algae grown on them. When I got them they were shipped wet and I added them to my tank I started looking at the pieces and it has a very small piece of coral growing on it I’m unable to identify it I’ll have you guys take a look. View attachment 2268811

As I’m not equipped to care for a coral yet and I can not return do to “COVID” I would like to keep him alive what do I need to do

 

[Sharkbait19]

Does it glow under blues?
Looks like some kind of encrusting sps, which is about all I can say without a clearer pic (and the fact that I don’t know much about sps). It would need strong light and flow and very stable params.

 

[Impala67]

No glowing of any kind what do my parameters need to be?

 

[Sharkbait19]

No glowing of any kind what do my parameters need to be?

If not glowing it may actually be an algae.
For sps you need the same parameters reef tanks like, 0,0, no more than 20. Stability is the most important for sps, swinging things to be lower can be just as dangerous.