Just got my first tank

[KillerKlownFish]

At petco you can get a hydor 450 or 1-2 250 for a 20 gallon tank they are around $25 each.
Your tank will take a month or 2 to cycle. Then add a turbo snail and a few other snails a couple hermits. Wait a month add a fish wait a month add another. You'd probably max out at 3-4 fish.
2-clowns 1-goby sound great. Get a hydrometer or refractometer check your salinity every now and then watch for your water level dropping have some RO water to keep it topped off. Never go back to that store. They ripped you off!!!

 

[Cameron]

I've been checking my salinity every day, and keeping it between 1.020 and 1.025. I have a 5 gallon bottle of RO water that I've been using to top off and do water changes, refilling it as needed. Petco didn't have any hydor power heads, just some 700 gph ones that I can't remember the name of, so I decided to order the one that was recommended on here by a member. My ammonia and nitrite levels are at 0 now, but my nitrates are still really high, and I have some algae growing on the live rock, so if I'm understanding the cycle correctly, I believe I'm near the end of it. I was thinking about going in the next few days to get some snails and maybe a shrimp to join the hermit crab and starfish that are in there, then waiting another month or so to add fish, but I'm not sure if it would be a little premature.

 

[clee36]

watch the plethora of bulk reef supply videos on you tube as well. they are very helpful.

 

[rogerrgr]

From the picture, your anemone looks bleached out and lost most of its zooxanthellae. When I bought my anemone it looked exactly like this. I target fed it Rod's frozen food with a turkey baster daily until it started getting it's color back. If I remember correctly, it took a month or so.

 

[ReeferBob]

Ammonia is the most important thing to check. Nitrates not so much. You should take all your fish back or give them away, dump all of the water, start with RO and make all new water. Wait at least a month before introducing any fish. Anything you buy now will most likely perish, especially things like shrimp. I would demand they take back all of the fish btw. There was never any chance that any of them were going to survive. Anemones are photosynthetic so you need decent lighting to keep them. They are not really for beginners and definitely not for new tanks.

Your salinity should not be "between 1.020 and 1.025"! It should kept AT 1.025.

The only way to reduce Nitrates is to do water changes or have something like Algae consume it. You are going to get a LOT of algae with high nitrates.

 

[Ahruk]

I think he said his fish already died Unfortunately, he learned his lesson the hard way and very quickly.

 

[Cameron]

Yes, aside from the anemone and the starfish, the fish have died. I've tried to find a home for them in an established tank, but have had no luck, so for now, the best and only option I have for right now is to keep them and try to do everything right to keep them alive. My next purchase will be a light for the anemone, and I plan to do it sooner rather than later. I appreciate the feedback on the salinity level as well, I'll be sure to keep an eye on it and make sure I keep it at 1.025. It's only gotten down to 1.020 once, and that was when I first brought it home. My Ammonia levels are at 0. According to both test kits that I have, all of my levels are right where they should be, except my nitrates, and I am testing them daily.

The anemone isn't quite as white as he looked in the picture, it's hard to get a good shot of him where you can actually see his colors. He's a lot more of a yellow. I'm currently feeding him mysis shrimp every other day using a small medication syringe, like the one that comes in Children's Tylenol. This is what another shop recommended, but I would appreciate any input on this as well.

I understand I made some mistakes when I bought this tank, I haven't tried to hide that. I'm doing the best I can to make up for those mistakes and make sure nothing like this happens to me, or any fish, again.

 

[Cameron]

If I am understanding correctly, this light should be good. Any input before I order it?

http://www.marinedepot.com/AquaticL...xtures-AquaticLife-AK01284-FILTFILDTF-vi.html

 

[Ahruk]

Really do a lot of research and make sure you know what you want to keep before you order that. While I'm DEFINITELY not an expert on lighting from what I've read a lot of people tend to buy the cheaper stuff and then regret it and end up buying the more expensive stuff eventually. That said you may want to start a new post for this question to attract more knowledgeable answers. Also what light are you currently running? Your best bet may be to run it for a little bit longer until you do some more research (maybe save some more money) to get what you really want to keep in the long run. When I first got my tank I ran crappy compact PCs for 3 months and while it was aesthetically unpleasing all my corals did fine (zoas, mushrooms, acans). Also you may want to look on craigslist for good deals on good lights. I personally run kessils and absolutely love them.

 

[Reefrookie220]

http://m.ebay.com/itm/WELLPAR-165W-...Reef-Fish-MarineTank-/281665126210?nav=SEARCH

I've kept all type of coral and anemones under these. Save you some money for your nitrate issues.

Currently using them on my 90,55,29 with success. You can daisy chain them to a controller.

It also keeps you ready for future upgrades , cause lets face it once you catch the upgrade bug you've had it!

 

[Cameron]

I posted about it in the equipment and lighting section a little bit ago with everything I'm looking to do with this aquarium, so hopefully I'll get some decent insight on it in there.

Reefrookie, I love the look of those lights, and that is the type that I ultimately want to have, I just don't think that they are the right type for the type of set up I'm trying to have right now. I just want something small and fairly contained in my son's room. After I've gotten some experience, I plan to go bigger, and for that tank, I will definitely be using those kind of lights.

 

[clee36]

i also run a kessil. 360we. i hear maxspect are very good as well. i dont know much about the aquatic life led you posted.
i also agree with spending the extra money on really good lights. i tried something off of amazon. and bought a kessil very shortly after. that being said, i bought a skimmer off of ebay that was inexpensive and it worked better than the reef octopus one i had.

 

[Reefrookie220]

Check out current USA orbit marine led on Amazon. A great fixture for your 20g. I've used these on a lot of biocube and small tanks. The pro version is also great but I like the standard ad well. And still a money saver.

 

[ReeferBob]

I've heard good things about Evergrow LES lights.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Evergrow-Fu...er-aquarium-/381362713079?hash=item58cafd31f7

 

[Cameron]

Reefrookie, I did a bit of reading on the light that you suggested and I think I'm gonna go with that one. The USA Orbit Marine looks like it's going to meet all of the needs I have and then some. I'm going to order the 36 to 48" tonight. I really appreciate the insight.

 

[Reefrookie220]

And it's cheap!! Good deal man. Let me know how you like it...run program m3 it's the one I used anyway. I kept bubble tip news and acros with it, while it's not a Radion by any means I got nice polyp extension and really bubbly nems!

I love this hobby, but I'm what you might call ballin' on a budget lol, so I'm a bang for your buck kinda guy. Need any other equipment that you'd like advice on?

 

[Cameron]

I don't think there's anything else for right now. I have an HOB filter, heater, protein skimmer installed, and I have a light and power head on the way. I might end up upgrading my HOB filter next.

My goal is to learn about this hobby and become experienced so that in a couple years I can set up a much larger tank. I've always wanted an aquarium with a shark in it, so I'm doing what I can to learn as much as I can before I have the room and the means to set up my shark tank. As of right now, I'm thinking that I want to do a 6x2x2 or an 8x2x2 predator tank with some type of catshark, but I'm still quite a ways out from that point.

 

[Reefrookie220]

Check into canister filters. I get ocd about stuff hanging on my tank.

 

[ReeferBob]

I have never run a (traditional) filter on my tank. Most reefers do not.

 

[Reefrookie220]

I have never run a (traditional) filter on my tank. Most reefers do not.

Agreed, but I have seen some really nice tanks with only hang on stuff.

Don't let the old heads scare you into using what everyone else uses. You can have success making everything yourself or thinking differently.