My First Salty Build! 20g Long

[Evan West]

We are wet!.....sorta, its all freshwater from the tap for a leak test, I also hooked the filter up. Not to far from the actual start up!

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Im planning to pick up an osmolator eventually but I, while possibly not entirely evident due to the high end equipment choices, am operating off a limited budget. I felt the 200 was better used in the lighting and other equipment than the top off when a bit of daily dillegance should take care of it for now. That all said tho yes I plan on getting one as soon as i can, any suggestions? As mentioned currently i plan on getting an osmolatior.

The jbj one is usually cheaper and always rember to look into used gear .
eBay Chinese ones for fifty bikes has been good to me. And it's 12v
I did the DIY one with the three dollar 12v fountain pump many many times. For tanks that lasted. Many years too actually.

Hey if your on. Canister don't sweat the skimmer. I didn't have a skimmer for four years when I started. Your money is better spent on a hob refugium. On my 20 then 30 gal back I used the hob breeder box from Amazon for fifteen bucks and an air pump to run it. Fuge pods and gas exchange. Win win win

Honestly if you pay attention to what your feeding and even over feed a bit as well clean the can when you do a monthly WC you'll be totally fine.
Yea I know what they say. But I know what I've done.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

We are wet!.....sorta, its all freshwater from the tap for a leak test, I also hooked the filter up. Not to far from the actual start up!

I want my old tank back now.
Sigh.

 

[Evan West]

What do you have now?

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

A sumped 55 standard. A sweet sump less 30 cube and a 14 cube I just started.

Click on my started threads my cube is there.

The 20 was a great and simple tank I pretty quickly upgraded to a thirty only because it fit the space better but it was just as simple.
Like yours.

 

[Evan West]

Yeah im really looking forward to getting this one up and going!

 

[Evan West]

Whats one more tank right? Start a simple 20 back up

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Yeah im really looking forward to getting this one up and going!

yup Me Too! Good luck! Hit me up if you need some cheap fun easy diy. Im the king of cheap.

Heres my .02 for you. Live rock live sand some prime and stability.(biofilter) Go with islands not walls or stacked on the back(flow), and get rocks that look cool to you(fun). get 2 powerheads, use the canister to blow flow across the back of the tank(gyre flow or racetrack to get detritus to the filter) the other two create turbulence. If you got leds get a $15 lux light meter from amazon. Api tests are fine.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Whats one more tank right? Start a simple 20 back up

No.......Check out my thirty. Its a throwback to that. And its full of sps!
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/my-cherry-30-cube-saltyfilmfolks.248152/

oh and my wife would kill me.

 

[Evan West]

No.......Check out my thirty. Its a throwback to that. And its full of sps!
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/my-cherry-30-cube-saltyfilmfolks.248152/

oh and my wife would kill me.

Perks of being 21 and ill check it out! Im mostly interested in LPS and Softies because i just like them for some reason but SPS are pretty kick butt as well.

 

[Evan West]

Its the big day! My tank is officially started!!! Also coincidentally 177 years ago on 8/8/1839 my fraternity was founded and this tank was started on 8/8/2016 so thats cool, anyways on to the tank. I got 20lb of live rock from my LFS and set the tank up last night. Between the live rock, live sand, and IO bio-spira im hoping for a quick cycle. The tank is cloudy in these pictures but as of this morning before work it cleared up nicely. It took me a while of playing with the rocks to get a aquascape I liked but I think I got a decent one! Im sure ill fiddle with it more tho. My kessil gear comes in tonight so look out for another update today!!!

Sorry for the horrid photo placement, this was done from my phone!

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

A tank is born.

 

[nashvillian]

looks good . also started a 20 l on founders day, unbeknownst to me at the time. lol.
YIF_k⍺⍳_

 

[Evan West]

looks good . also started a 20 l on founders day, unbeknownst to me at the time. lol.
YIF_k⍺⍳_

Wow its pretty cool to meet a brother here, I pmed you.

_k⍺⍳_

 

[Evan West]

Okay well this is a HUGE update here as all my kessil gear is in! The order was placed with BRS and I also picked up some reef chilli, a DIY lid kit, and a coral propagation kit.

My Kessil a360we

And then theres this little bugger witch helped with blowing my budget as I had not planed on buying it, that said its $100 well spent!

Some pictures of setting the Kessil up on the fabulous goose neck mount with a 90 adapter, I love this thing!

Propagation kit from BRS, I must say im impressed everything feels very premium!

Next I messed with the aquascape some more and settled on this, opinions? I think its pretty good.

Here is a better angle on how the tank is orientated, the "viewing area" aka my futon is covered in test kits atm but its gonna be amazing to watch the tank from!

I cannot be happier with my progress so far so at last a bunch of full tank shots! Enjoy!

 

[Evan West]

Oh I almost forgot! Ive got some hitchhikers! A bunch of little fan worms.

 

[Evan West]

So im in need of a bit of advice here, when can I start to add things? like I am very familiar with the cycle and I know I cannot add things until "after the cycle" but okay, so I add one fish, then wait then another and so on. What about my CUC and corals? When can I begin to add those? How much coral can I add at once, how heavy of an impact do they have on bio load?

 

[reeferfoxx]

So im in need of a bit of advice here, when can I start to add things? like I am very familiar with the cycle and I know I cannot add things until "after the cycle" but okay, so I add one fish, then wait then another and so on. What about my CUC and corals? When can I begin to add those? How much coral can I add at once, how heavy of an impact do they have on bio load?

Once you see brown diatoms growing, is when you add CUC. Start with Astrea snails as they eat diatoms. Then move on to nassarius and turbo snails. Might onnly need 3 Turbos for this tank. But go for at least 5 Astrea snails.

 

[Evan West]

Once you see brown diatoms growing, is when you add CUC. Start with Astrea snails as they eat diatoms. Then move on to nassarius and turbo snails. Might onnly need 3 Turbos for this tank. But go for at least 5 Astrea snails.

What about Trochus snails?

 

[reeferfoxx]

What about Trochus snails?

They, like turbo snails, like green algae. If they are available in your area, i would get those instead of turbos. Or get at least one turbo. turbos are like Dyson vacuum cleaners. They get the job done. However, they knock everything over like elephants. Again, i would wait till after the diatom bloom, as they like a more established tank.