New to the saltwater

[zeeqwertz]

Hello!
I’m new to the hobby and currently cycling a tank. 20 gallon.

i started the tank about 2 weeks ago I used bacto blend and bacto therapy to cycle the tank along with brine shrimps to feed the bacteria(was this a good idea?)

parameters are as follow (been testing every couple of days)

salinity - 1.025
Alkalinity - 8.7
Ammonia- 0
Nitrite - 0
Nitrate - 12.5
Phosphate - 0.04
Temp - 77-78F

i havent tested for calc and mag because i’m not gonna be adding any lps or sps corals anytime soon.

equipment
Ai prime 16hd
Tunze 6040
20 gallon aio tank

my long term plan for this tank(in a year’s time when it’s mature enough) will be a mixed reef.

my questions are;
- how would you suggest i go about adding corals? When do i start?
- is it okay to add sps in a 20 gallon tank? I keep hearing that they should be in bigger tanks. I only wanna keep about 2-3 of them in.
- seeding copepods, do i put them all in the sump? What type of pods is best? I only have access to tiger pods, for some reason my LFS have been unable to get them. I heard tiger pods are bad at reproducing and apex are best?
- when can i add fish?
- is a small lightning maroon clown okay? (I’ve been eyeing one for a while he’s less than 2 inches but i know they can get big)
- what stocking would ya’ll suggest for this tank?

Sorry too many questions.

 

[KrisReef]

Welcome to Reef2Reef!

For a first post and new reef keeper you have many questions, and they are much different that the typical "when is my tank cycled?"

I had not heard of either of those two products; bacto blend and bacto therapy. I found them discontinued on BRS and I'm not sure what the bacteria are that they put in these products but seeing no ammonia and nitrate showing up on your testing there seems to be some bacteria that are eating ammonia and nitrite, so it appears you are cycled.

I occassionally buy pods and dump them in the tank and the sump and let them fend for themselves. I was looking at the tank earlier today and saw alot of tiny shrimp like creatures playing together under a rock overhang. I suspect they were spawning, and I also suspect they eat pods when they encounter them? I would recommend adding what you can get and hope for the best.

The maroon clown is a beautiful fish. They do get big in time and they are nortoriously agressive so If you are happy with one, and nothing else in the small tank I think it could be ok for a few years. That would make stocking simple, the maroon solo, maybe a goby and shrimp pair, otherwise the maroon.

All those questions have scared off the responders on here?
Welcome to Reef2Reef!

 

[dstockwell]

Welcome to the Reef.

The best thing you can do is take your time. It's hard to not to rush what you want, however it can be a big problem going to fast.

 

[fishguy242]

Hi, welcome to the reef...

 

[Spare time]

I would look at vendors that QT their fish or consider doing it yourself. That would be my first step.

As for corals, a 20g can definitely grow all types of coral, but be aware that it is more difficult do "zone" certain areas for specific types of corals (i.e high light/flow vs low light) given how shallow the tank is.

 

[zeeqwertz]

Welcome to Reef2Reef!

For a first post and new reef keeper you have many questions, and they are much different that the typical "when is my tank cycled?"

I had not heard of either of those two products; bacto blend and bacto therapy. I found them discontinued on BRS and I'm not sure what the bacteria are that they put in these products but seeing no ammonia and nitrate showing up on your testing there seems to be some bacteria that are eating ammonia and nitrite, so it appears you are cycled.

I occassionally buy pods and dump them in the tank and the sump and let them fend for themselves. I was looking at the tank earlier today and saw alot of tiny shrimp like creatures playing together under a rock overhang. I suspect they were spawning, and I also suspect they eat pods when they encounter them? I would recommend adding what you can get and hope for the best.

The maroon clown is a beautiful fish. They do get big in time and they are nortoriously agressive so If you are happy with one, and nothing else in the small tank I think it could be ok for a few years. That would make stocking simple, the maroon solo, maybe a goby and shrimp pair, otherwise the maroon.

All those questions have scared off the responders on here?
Welcome to Reef2Reef!

thank you for responding!

Yes i’m only planning on having a maroon and a yasha+pistol pair for stocking. I really like the maroon and have been eyeing one since. I do plan on upgrading to a 60 gallon in a couple of years.

thank you! And yeah I just wanna make sure I’m doing everything right.

 

[1epauletteshark]

Hello!
I’m new to the hobby and currently cycling a tank. 20 gallon.

i started the tank about 2 weeks ago I used bacto blend and bacto therapy to cycle the tank along with brine shrimps to feed the bacteria(was this a good idea?)

parameters are as follow (been testing every couple of days)

salinity - 1.025
Alkalinity - 8.7
Ammonia- 0
Nitrite - 0
Nitrate - 12.5
Phosphate - 0.04
Temp - 77-78F

i havent tested for calc and mag because i’m not gonna be adding any lps or sps corals anytime soon.

equipment
Ai prime 16hd
Tunze 6040
20 gallon aio tank

my long term plan for this tank(in a year’s time when it’s mature enough) will be a mixed reef.

my questions are;
- how would you suggest i go about adding corals? When do i start?
- is it okay to add sps in a 20 gallon tank? I keep hearing that they should be in bigger tanks. I only wanna keep about 2-3 of them in.
- seeding copepods, do i put them all in the sump? What type of pods is best? I only have access to tiger pods, for some reason my LFS have been unable to get them. I heard tiger pods are bad at reproducing and apex are best?
- when can i add fish?
- is a small lightning maroon clown okay? (I’ve been eyeing one for a while he’s less than 2 inches but i know they can get big)
- what stocking would ya’ll suggest for this tank?

Sorry too many questions.

I know absolutely nothing about coral so I’ll let someone else help you with that
Tiger pods are pretty good IMO.
I would probably seed the majority in your sump and about a quarter per bottom in your tank.
Are you using live rock and live sand? If so you can probably add fish a bit sooner otherwise I would wait at least two weeks? (Let me know if that isn’t recommended)
I personally wouldn’t recommend clowns at all and especially not maroon clowns as they get quite aggressive and with a maroon I wouldn’t be adding any other fish to the tank.
I’m terms of stocking I would have to recommend a possum wrasse of course and it will eat all your pods, a goby shrimp pair and some type of peaceful blenny. I made the mistake of going with a semi aggressive fish and it being a menace so personaly I would say just go for peaceful fish that are 100% reef safe with no stories of them going rogue.
You should find any fish in those categories for your tank and others here
Thread 'Announcing: Nano aquarium fish compatibility document!'
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/announcing-nano-aquarium-fish-compatibility-document.958538/
Welcome and good luck with your tank!

 

[zeeqwertz]

I would look at vendors that QT their fish or consider doing it yourself. That would be my first step.

As for corals, a 20g can definitely grow all types of coral, but be aware that it is more difficult do "zone" certain areas for specific types of corals (i.e high light/flow vs low light) given how shallow the tank is.

I might do the quarantine myself. I have a spare 10 gallon tank that used to FW. I can prolly turn it into a QT.

I do want a mixed reed but If it’s harder to keep because they require different parameters then I’m probably gonna just go full SPS. But since they require a stable and more mature tank i guess no corals for me til then? . I love the way SPS looks.

 

[zeeqwertz]

I know absolutely nothing about coral so I’ll let someone else help you with that
Tiger pods are pretty good IMO.
I would probably seed the majority in your sump and about a quarter per bottom in your tank.
Are you using live rock and live sand? If so you can probably add fish a bit sooner otherwise I would wait at least two weeks? (Let me know if that isn’t recommended)
I personally wouldn’t recommend clowns at all and especially not maroon clowns as they get quite aggressive and with a maroon I wouldn’t be adding any other fish to the tank.
I’m terms of stocking I would have to recommend a possum wrasse of course and it will eat all your pods, a goby shrimp pair and some type of peaceful blenny. I made the mistake of going with a semi aggressive fish and it being a menace so personaly I would say just go for peaceful fish that are 100% reef safe with no stories of them going rogue.
You should find any fish in those categories for your tank and others here
Thread 'Announcing: Nano aquarium fish compatibility document!'
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/announcing-nano-aquarium-fish-compatibility-document.958538/
Welcome and good luck with your tank!

Thank you!

yes, i did use live sand but i went with dry rock.

i’m kinda set on the maroon clowns for the very same reason that they’re jerks and they’re kinda mean. I do want a pair of yasha goby and a pistol shrimp. Other than those I’m not sure.

thank you for the link!
hoping it will be a successful tank!

 

[Spare time]

I might do the quarantine myself. I have a spare 10 gallon tank that used to FW. I can prolly turn it into a QT.

I do want a mixed reed but If it’s harder to keep because they require different parameters then I’m probably gonna just go full SPS. But since they require a stable and more mature tank i guess no corals for me til then? . I love the way SPS looks.

SPS aren't that hard if the tank is dedicated for them. Just test the water regularly and understand the intensity of the light you are providing. Laziness and/or ignorance are the primary killers of sps from my experience of working with people. Some SPS are incredibly easy.


I like to QT coral too.

 

[zeeqwertz]

SPS aren't that hard if the tank is dedicated for them. Just test the water regularly and understand the intensity of the light you are providing. Laziness and/or ignorance are the primary killers of sps from my experience of working with people. Some SPS are incredibly easy.


I like to QT coral too.

I might have to go with a SPS only tank then. In terms of lighting currently I only have one prime 16hd that i got used for what i would assume a fairly good price(140usd with gooseneck). I know that SPS are light demanding and im not sure if one prime is enough to cover 16x19 inch footprint and 13 inch deep display. I might need to rent a par meter to see if i need another prime(i found another one used in my local area for the same price).

 

[CoastalTownLayabout]

Being new to the saltwater hobby your plan is definitely ambitious.

So first things first, the maroon clown. Yes, they are a striking fish but a high risk proposition in a 20g tank. If you choose to proceed you will have to accept that it may be the first and last fish you add. I’d recommend a larger system for these anyway. Think seriously about this, there are plenty of beautiful fish you can keep in a 20g.

Adding copepods isn’t going to hurt but the best thing you could do right now is get a nice piece of ocean live rock to seed your system. Fresh ocean live rock was one of the best shortcuts to success in this hobby but it’s just not as readily available these days. Bottled bacteria, phyto and pods run a distant second to it.

If I was going to suggest stocking options for someone new to the hobby with a 20g, I would say start with soft corals and peaceful fish. You’ll get a lot more enjoyment from the diversity of species and and a much higher chance of success.

 

[Spare time]

I might have to go with a SPS only tank then. In terms of lighting currently I only have one prime 16hd that i got used for what i would assume a fairly good price(140usd with gooseneck). I know that SPS are light demanding and im not sure if one prime is enough to cover 16x19 inch footprint and 13 inch deep display. I might need to rent a par meter to see if i need another prime(i found another one used in my local area for the same price).

A prime should be fine for that tank. Two is always better since you can run each at a lower intensity and have better spread, but a single one should be ok depending on the sps coral. Most I've dealt with seem fine in par values between 150-300 but some get a bit dull colored at the lower ends (120-150 ish).

 

[Roatan Reef]