Plan for first reef tank: feedback and advice requested

[monicalooze]

Hi all -

Nice to "meet" you! I'm just getting into the hobby with the hope of staving off a long boring winter in Minnesota and I've wanted a reef tank since I was about 8....finally doing it!

This is the plan I've managed to come up with with the research I've done. I know that 20 gal is a bit small for a beginner, but I live in a second floor apartment, and I am not ready to commit to a huge tank, both for the sake of the weight and the footprint. Hopefully this is not a terrible idea....

Anyway, I would love feedback on the following plan:

Specific questions:

How does the bioload look?
Do I have enough utilitarian fish/CUC to help keep the algae at bay?
Are the fish compatible?
How long should all of this take to set up from cycling to finally adding the corals?

Hard goods:

• Redsea Max Nano 20 gal AIO (includes protein skimmer, ATO chamber, LED)
• 1 Hydor Koralia Nano Evolution Powerhead 425 Gph
• Bulk reef supply titanium 200 watt heater + controller
• Considering a small UV sterilizer for Ich and Dinos, since a full quarantine set-up is going to be a lot to start out with.

Chemistry/Biology:

• Real reef rock
• Caribsea special grade live sand
• Dr. Tim's
• Vibrant
• ESV B-Ionic Salt mixer kit (Tropic Marin Pro is out of stock EVERYWHERE)

Livestock plan:

• 2 oscillaris clowns (or one if they can truly live alone)
• Orchid Dottyback
• Tailspot blenny
• Yellow watchman gobi (possibly with a pistol shrimp - do they have to be housed together?)

Inverts:

• 1 cleaner shrimp
• 1 emerald crab
• 2 snails (species TBD)

Coral (mixed LPS and soft, but adding these down the road):

• Zoanthids
• Mushrooms
• Hammers
• Leathers

Thank you so much for your advice!

 

[BlennyTime]

Welcome! Is the rock you are adding live? If so, that will cut down your cycle time. The live sand will help too.

That CUC will be fine, but add gradually as you see algae. Otherwise, they will starve.

Fish look good, just add one at a time and test between them to make sure the system can handle the bio load. You can usually find a watchman goby and pistol shrimp paired together.

 

[monicalooze]

Welcome! Is the rock you are adding live? If so, that will cut down your cycle time. The live sand will help too.

That CUC will be fine, but add gradually as you see algae. Otherwise, they will starve.

Fish look good, just add one at a time and test between them to make sure the system can handle the bio load. You can usually find a watchman goby and pistol shrimp paired together.

It's "Real Reef" damp rock.

 

[Oropher]

I don't think UV sterilizer will protect you from ich. It's just like a Russian roulette.

I only use a 4 gal QT and it doesn’t take a lot of space.

I know not everyone would want to QT all fish, but I need to remind you about QT-ing livestock.

Happy reefing & welcome to R2R.

 

[monicalooze]

I don't think UV sterilizer will protect you from ich. It's just like a Russian roulette.

I only use a 4 gal QT and it doesn’t take a lot of space.

I know not everyone would want to QT all fish, but I need to remind you about QT-ing livestock.

Happy reefing & welcome to R2R.

In a bulk reef supply video, they talk about how if you give your fish a quick dip in fresh water with a Liquid treatment I can’t remember(I know not all fish can tolerate this) plus a UV sterilizer, it drastically reduces the amount of ich in your tank. It has to do with the life cycle of the parasite. When they fall off to reproduce and then hatch, they only have hours to find a host, and it turns out that the UV sterilizer helps kill them while they’re in the water column. It won’t eradicate it completely, but apparently it can keep it at bay enough that it doesn’t cause problems.

Since it will be a while before I’ll be adding fish, I may have time to set up a QT protocol/tank if you think the above really isn’t sufficient.

 

[Conchman]

Looks good so far, like most said, QT, even a 5 gallon will work, few pieces of PVC for shelter. Skimmer is an option. Small tank you can do easy 25% changes with a 5 gallon bucket.

Welcome and good luck...

 

[stylolvr]

Welcome to R2R! I know it's cold in Minnesota, but 200W seems like a lot for your tank size. Something in the 75-150W range should be plenty. Fish list looks OK, but as noted, add slowly and keep an eye on water chemistry. I agree with BlennyTime about the goby/shrimp pair. Fun to watch and easier on the system if the shrimp replaces a fish on your list. Otherwise, I think your lists look good. If you are aiming for soft/LPS only, the Koralia should do it for you. But if/when that SPS bug hits, you'll need some more flow.

 

[monicalooze]

Welcome to R2R! I know it's cold in Minnesota, but 200W seems like a lot for your tank size. Something in the 75-150W range should be plenty. Fish list looks OK, but as noted, add slowly and keep an eye on water chemistry. I agree with BlennyTime about the goby/shrimp pair. Fun to watch and easier on the system if the shrimp replaces a fish on your list. Otherwise, I think your lists look good. If you are aiming for soft/LPS only, the Koralia should do it for you. But if/when that SPS bug hits, you'll need some more flow.

the large heater is because the 100 watt version is out of stock. I can wait if it will cause problems....

Also it sounds like the SPS bug is impossible to avoid....
But I’m taking this really slowly. Hoping to just avoid failure in the first year.

 

[stylolvr]

I don't think the larger heater is going to cause any problems, but you could also go with an Inkbird controller and whatever heater you want. I don't have any personal experience with Inkbird, but I'm planning on using that plus an Ehiem 75W heater (I live in FL) based on lots of good reviews from folks here, and it's only a few dollars more than the BRS 200W. Just another option.

Smart to take your time. Patience now will pay dividends down the road.

 

[4TheLoveOfReefs85]

Hi all -

Nice to "meet" you! I'm just getting into the hobby with the hope of staving off a long boring winter in Minnesota and I've wanted a reef tank since I was about 8....finally doing it!

This is the plan I've managed to come up with with the research I've done. I know that 20 gal is a bit small for a beginner, but I live in a second floor apartment, and I am not ready to commit to a huge tank, both for the sake of the weight and the footprint. Hopefully this is not a terrible idea....

Anyway, I would love feedback on the following plan:

Specific questions:

How does the bioload look?
Do I have enough utilitarian fish/CUC to help keep the algae at bay?
Are the fish compatible?
How long should all of this take to set up from cycling to finally adding the corals?

Hard goods:

• Redsea Max Nano 20 gal AIO (includes protein skimmer, ATO chamber, LED)
• 1 Hydor Koralia Nano Evolution Powerhead 425 Gph
• Bulk reef supply titanium 200 watt heater + controller
• Considering a small UV sterilizer for Ich and Dinos, since a full quarantine set-up is going to be a lot to start out with.

Chemistry/Biology:

• Real reef rock
• Caribsea special grade live sand
• Dr. Tim's
• Vibrant
• ESV B-Ionic Salt mixer kit (Tropic Marin Pro is out of stock EVERYWHERE)

Livestock plan:

• 2 oscillaris clowns (or one if they can truly live alone)
• Orchid Dottyback
• Tailspot blenny
• Yellow watchman gobi (possibly with a pistol shrimp - do they have to be housed together?)

Inverts:

• 1 cleaner shrimp
• 1 emerald crab
• 2 snails (species TBD)

Coral (mixed LPS and soft, but adding these down the road):

• Zoanthids
• Mushrooms
• Hammers
• Leathers

Thank you so much for your advice!

Living upstairs totally sucks when having a tank, especially a saltwater tank. Think of this first before you start.
1. How long do you plan on living in your apartment?
(a). Because moving stresses every single life form in the tank to no end. There is more die-off than you would want when having to move, especially when there is a long distance involved. I have happily prepared my thoughts for you and have over 20 years of experience.

20 G tank parameter= 24 inches long X 12 inches wide and 20 inches high that means the surface area at the bottom of the tank is 288 square inches. This is 72 inches less than a 20 G long tank- so add the difference if you have the longer

One gallon of salt water is 8.6 lbs. on average, your tank volume will be 24.94 gallons of water.

Dependent upon if you want a shallow sand bed or a deep sand bed (preferred) 1 inch or 2 inches.

For a deep sand bed, you will need 24- 30 lbs. of live sand also depending upon your density value (medium-70 lbs./ft3 or finer-90 lbs./ft3).

Deep sand beds with fine sand have smoother looks to them, plus the benefits of aerobic and anaerobic zones. That is because the deeper layers will not be constantly blown around and exposed to oxygenated water.

Importantly is to remember that it is 1.5 pounds per gallon regarding live rock, therefore it is 13 for your tank, which I would choose something with lots of purple coraline growing on it already to seed your tank.

With my calculations, your tank weight altogether with your area, tank weight after will total 237.6 pounds after it is set up with sand, water, live rock not including pump weight, the stand, or anything. This will need to be set in a place that is sturdy due to the weight of the contents. There will always be dripping of water with water checks, and water changes as well.

_____ Inhabitants for your Tank___________

The clowns are an ideal set up for your tank I would suggest maintaining them in a pair they are much happier this way and bond for life. They do love an anemone to live within however, with your tank size I would suggest something that will not outgrow your tank. I have two clowns hosting a very large Hedonia SaddleBack Anemone.

Orchid Dottybacks are tank terrors, they are known to be pretty aggressive in regard to defending their habitat, better tank mates for OD’s are Tangs, Angelfish, or other semi-aggressive species.

Tailspot blenny- minimum tank size for these is a 30 gallon and not suggested for a beginning tank. They love hair algae and should be added to an already established tank.

Yellow watchman gobi- known as the garbage eater he will eat just about anything. The goby will accept a wide range of living, fresh, and prepared feeds. Frozen Mysis, Artemia, and flake foods are usually eagerly accepted and feed at least twice a day. The shrimp tend to be scavengers, so will happily pick at any leftovers. Once again these two should truly be placed in your tank and given food straight forward since it is not an established tank.

cleaner shrimp- Stay away from coral banded shrimp, they eat the good things in your tank. Peppermint shrimp are also among this list…

Snails Snails Snails! Nassarius snails for your sand bed, Astria snails are less likely to get in trouble when they fall and can flip back over compared to turbo snails (which I would still suggest anyways).

(remember to focus on species that consume algae and detritus) Cerith Snails eat everything you don’t want in your tank!

Mini Brittle Starfish is a must for your tank! If you get live rock you will almost always get a few of these as hitchhikers. Or you can ask for a few most LFS will give you some for free.

Toadstool leathers are good and easy to keep, Frogspawn and hammers are great, they can be next to each other. Acans, blastomussa (stony coral), favia and favites brain corals, zoanthids, duncans are all easy and very nice corals, to begin with as well. Leathers tend to grow pretty big mind you; a slow grower is yellow Fiji. Leathers are usually not recommended under 55 Gallon tanks.

I hope this helps!

 

[monicalooze]

Living upstairs totally sucks when having a tank, especially a saltwater tank. Think of this first before you start.
1. How long do you plan on living in your apartment?
(a). Because moving stresses every single life form in the tank to no end. There is more die-off than you would want when having to move, especially when there is a long distance involved. I have happily prepared my thoughts for you and have over 20 years of experience.

20 G tank parameter= 24 inches long X 12 inches wide and 20 inches high that means the surface area at the bottom of the tank is 288 square inches. This is 72 inches less than a 20 G long tank- so add the difference if you have the longer

One gallon of salt water is 8.6 lbs. on average, your tank volume will be 24.94 gallons of water.

Dependent upon if you want a shallow sand bed or a deep sand bed (preferred) 1 inch or 2 inches.

For a deep sand bed, you will need 24- 30 lbs. of live sand also depending upon your density value (medium-70 lbs./ft3 or finer-90 lbs./ft3).

Deep sand beds with fine sand have smoother looks to them, plus the benefits of aerobic and anaerobic zones. That is because the deeper layers will not be constantly blown around and exposed to oxygenated water.

Importantly is to remember that it is 1.5 pounds per gallon regarding live rock, therefore it is 13 for your tank, which I would choose something with lots of purple coraline growing on it already to seed your tank.

With my calculations, your tank weight altogether with your area, tank weight after will total 237.6 pounds after it is set up with sand, water, live rock not including pump weight, the stand, or anything. This will need to be set in a place that is sturdy due to the weight of the contents. There will always be dripping of water with water checks, and water changes as well.

_____ Inhabitants for your Tank___________

The clowns are an ideal set up for your tank I would suggest maintaining them in a pair they are much happier this way and bond for life. They do love an anemone to live within however, with your tank size I would suggest something that will not outgrow your tank. I have two clowns hosting a very large Hedonia SaddleBack Anemone.

Orchid Dottybacks are tank terrors, they are known to be pretty aggressive in regard to defending their habitat, better tank mates for OD’s are Tangs, Angelfish, or other semi-aggressive species.

Tailspot blenny- minimum tank size for these is a 30 gallon and not suggested for a beginning tank. They love hair algae and should be added to an already established tank.

Yellow watchman gobi- known as the garbage eater he will eat just about anything. The goby will accept a wide range of living, fresh, and prepared feeds. Frozen Mysis, Artemia, and flake foods are usually eagerly accepted and feed at least twice a day. The shrimp tend to be scavengers, so will happily pick at any leftovers. Once again these two should truly be placed in your tank and given food straight forward since it is not an established tank.

cleaner shrimp- Stay away from coral banded shrimp, they eat the good things in your tank. Peppermint shrimp are also among this list…

Snails Snails Snails! Nassarius snails for your sand bed, Astria snails are less likely to get in trouble when they fall and can flip back over compared to turbo snails (which I would still suggest anyways).

(remember to focus on species that consume algae and detritus) Cerith Snails eat everything you don’t want in your tank!

Mini Brittle Starfish is a must for your tank! If you get live rock you will almost always get a few of these as hitchhikers. Or you can ask for a few most LFS will give you some for free.

Toadstool leathers are good and easy to keep, Frogspawn and hammers are great, they can be next to each other. Acans, blastomussa (stony coral), favia and favites brain corals, zoanthids, duncans are all easy and very nice corals, to begin with as well. Leathers tend to grow pretty big mind you; a slow grower is yellow Fiji. Leathers are usually not recommended under 55 Gallon tanks.

I hope this helps!

Thank you so much for your very detailed reply.
I live in a duplex, but I own the whole house, so I won't be moving for a long time.

For clarification, do you mean that all types of cleaner shrimp are bad? Or just the varieties you mentioned?

I think I'm going to stick with the pair of clowns and the watchman goby/shrimp pair for the fish. Keep it simple. I also love the idea of the brittle star--I love starfish.

I have heard anemones are very difficult to keep, but had hoped to have one someday. Can you speak to that at all?

thanks again!!

 

[anthonygf]

I heard anemones and corals are not good together, the anemones move on their own and can kill coral if it comes in contact. it is possible to keep them together but is risky. Also they say tank should be well matured for anemones like at least 8 months. I tried once to keep one and just started to wither the next day and I returned it to my LFS. My 2 clowns host the large Kenya Tree Coral for close to 4 years now. Daddy taking care of a few eggs. I meant to say clowns may host corals.