20G Long

[Frop]

About to reduce my tank for maintenance reasons primarily. I can’t upkeep a 58gallon let alone afford to do it justice of fully stocking it with the rate my clown fish bullies other fish.

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/58g-oceanic-build-thread.302910/

Here is the start of the 20gallon so far.


This is my 20 gallon tank with plants in it. Going to use this tank for the saltwater.


Moved the fish into a plastic bin.


Moved them again into a 10 gallon.


Took the 30 gallon fish and put them into the plastic bin.



Probably an extra step but I wasn’t sure what I was doing exactly

Moved the 30 away


Debated using the 30 for the saltwater but I didn’t want to move my Hydra over (though a perfect light for the job) and didn’t like the height of the tank for aquascape.



Later today I may move the fish in... everything is in another tank so as long as the sand settles quick.

Will be making the old saltwater tank into a planted one i may update on the other build thread for memory.

 

[DeniseAndy]

I have a 20g long and it is a nice little tank. Good luck!

 

[Frop]

I have a 20g long and it is a nice little tank. Good luck!

Thanks!

 

[jdpeters]

Is that a Oscar I see?

 

[Frop]

Put some rocks in today. Little bit of sand and all the livestock after this photo except for one fish who was being a pain to catch. He will go in tomorrow.



Hard to see here but I actually am a little excited over how this turned out. Since the rocks are in a line in the back it should make it nice for things to be closer to the light.

Is that a Oscar I see?

Yes it’s my wife’s fish. I want to get rid of it but she won’t let me. Hehe

 

[Frop]

Here is the setup so far.


It’s very dirty. Surprised how dirty it is from the water and rocks from my other tank. My other tank didn’t look that bad..


Going crazy over picking a skimmer. They all have bad reviews when it came down to the nano stuff. At least in the case of this skimmer it was cheap and none of the bad reviews had a photo. I almost wonder if it’s just reviewer wars to get the market.


This is what’s left in my other tank. Going to take the rest of the sand out and make the 20 gallon into deep sand bed. Based on the YouTube video I’ll need to buy some more stuff that moves the sand around...


Unfortunately the gyre won’t fit in the 20 gallon side lol... yes I tried it ;p

Also.. ordered some slides. I really want to know what my ammonia is like.. all that stuff is probably crazy seeing how much garbage is floating around.


Also I’m hoping with the skimmer I can get my pH over 7.8. Also with the fact that the 58gallon is going to become a planted tank I’m wonder if that will help indoor air quality.

P.s. looks like the par at the sand is around 30 and the rocks around 100. I’ll check again later. Had to use the lux meter the Seneye lense needs to be cleaned.

 

[Frop]

Forget the deep sand bed idea. I was thinking I could do 4” but apparently it’s 6” for a deep bed.

Currently the sand is around 2-3” not sure if that’s too much but I had the extra sand lol. I thought I saw somewhere between shallow and a deep bed was bad but wasn’t sure the exacts on it.



Got a couple banggai cardinals


Changes the water out and checked the salinity. Haven’t checked the salinity in so long since the water came from my other tank. Just mixed salt water using my regular ratio was just on the high side 1.026-1.027 and brought it to 1.025.

Released the fish and about 6 nassarius snails. One of my previous tank residents looks like he was trying to bounce. Not sure if the water I put in was really cold or if my tank was. I haven’t had a heater in the tank... and after I put it in it wasn’t plugged in (the extension cord it was plugged into) :/ dang usually I preheat the water I add to the tank. My procedure after losing a fish in my ten gallon after a water change. I was just in a rush since this was an impulse buy.



Ya the new fish look pretty cold. They were side by side going back and forth and they didn’t do that at the pet store. Then they moved next to the heater. The other fish don’t seem to be stressed. They are swimming like another day in the big blue.


Ordered some USB cables to get that Seneye plugged in. The Seneye was saying the temp was 75f.

 

[Frop]

Redid the asquascape a little again. Put some areas for the fish to hide. Added a rock or two.


Got my first skimmer...


Not sure how to adjust it.


I noticed with the pump the water waves a little and caused the bubbles to go high and low. In the photo below I moved the location so I could put a rock in its place.

 

[Frop]

New frag

I want to get more stuff but.. knowing me I am not the best reef keeper :/

 

[Frop]

Watching the BRS video on the best heater they had the ehiem as one that varied only half’s degree.


This is my old heater. I think it was set to 82 on the dial... I just ended up getting a new one from the video.



Here is the ehiem 75watt. It gives about a .9 degree swing. Whereas the video showed .55.



First time using a skimmer but all these bubbles make the lid come off some times...



Also for reference here is my pH.



Here is the CO2 in the home. Probably going up since we were sleeping but I imagine still going up just out of the room.

 

[Frop]

Can’t find my cleaner shrimp. I really hope he isn’t dead I’ve had him for like a year. Makes me bummed out. Add something and another thing dies what gives.

 

[Frop]

One of my banggai cardinals is missing. I think this is the doing of the emerald crab. Maybe he ate a fish and a shrimp since I don’t over feed my livestock.

Here is a picture of the suspect eyeballing my conch.

 

[Frop]

One fish eaten the other hiding in the dark..
My new coral is bleaching.
And the Seneye says no ammonia.

Another day with saltwater...

 

[Frop]

Anyone know the cause of death?
@Maritimer ?



Still no ammonia spike..

 

[Maritimer]

Nothing about the damsel is telling me the cause of death - I'm guessing that the banggai was chewed on by your cleanup crew, post-mortem?

Have you tested anything other than ammonia?

Have you added anything "wet" to the tank recently?

Has anyone used aerosol cleaning products around the tank? Ditto; scented candles?

Just trying to brainstorm possibilities . . .

~Bruce