No sump or skimmer advice

[Hector23]

Hi how is everyone doing? Well let me start of with I am new to the hobby and loving it I only have my tank set up for two weeks and a half. My cycling is doing great so far seen great progress.

I have a 20g tank with 20 pounds dry rock and 5 pounds live rock. And live sand.

Well in the future I wish to have two clown fish and a yellow tang some clean up crew. I also want some mushroom coral and soft coral.

My only problem is I don't have any room for a sump or skimmer I was doing some research and found out I can have a aquarium with out them just need some good filtration and requires more maintenance witch I have no problem with, if someone can point me in the right direction on what I would have to do buy or get to keep my aquarium clean and healthy without a sump or skimmer or do you guys advise me to set something else up for a sump and skimmer?

 

[oscargrumete61]

I got a 20 gl nuvo fusion and i do not have sump in think fpr 20 gl is worthless , i have skimmer . Even you can get a nano one , i have 0 ammonia 0 nitrites , and believe you or not 0 nitrates phosphate .5 so my advice get a nano skimmer ,

 

[Hector23]

I got a 20 gl nuvo fusion and i do not have sump in think fpr 20 gl is worthless , i have skimmer . Even you can get a nano one , i have 0 ammonia 0 nitrites , and believe you or not 0 nitrates phosphate .5 so my advice get a nano skimmer ,

Glorious! Witch kind are you using? Also what kind of filter Do you use? I was looking at the ac70 do you think it would be to much for it?

 

[oscargrumete61]

I am using ghost skimmer for innovative marine works like a charm and for filtration just 2 simple poliéster pads 2X2 that is it

 

[oscargrumete61]

Ac70 its a surface skimmer? If so you need a real skimmer to take out the ammonia not to clear up the surface of the aquarium

 

[devilhunt1231]

Hi there, I'm not really sure that your tank is completely suited to having a yellow tang as it's a little on the small side at 90 litre and tangs are serious poop machines which will create a very high bioload for such a small tank and personally I think that it's something that you should seriously consider before adding one.
Gary

 

[prsnlty]

A skimmer doesn't remove ammonia, it removes waste and other dissolved solids like a septic system

And for that reason I agree because bad things happen fast in small tanks especially.

Welcome to Reef2Reef and the hobby Hector!

Btw a 20g is too small for a yellow tang, sorry But you could put a Scopus tang in there

 

[Hector23]

Ac70 its a surface skimmer? If so you need a real skimmer to take out the ammonia not to clear up the surface of the aquarium

Well I was thinking of getting the aqua clear fluval power filter (ac70) and I was just looking at nano skimmers so i was wondering if getting an ac70 and a nano skimmer would be ideal.

 

[oscargrumete61]

Sounds good i would do that

 

[Hector23]

Hi there, I'm not really sure that your tank is completely suited to having a yellow tang as it's a little on the small side at 90 litre and tangs are serious poop machines which will create a very high bioload for such a small tank and personally I think that it's something that you should seriously consider before adding one.
Gary

Thanks for the input I appreciate it I will look in to it. I guess I can wait until my next one on the yellow tang. I start the 20g aquarium for my dining room, and after around 3 months I want to start a second one in my living room I'm actually starting to buy everything for it now witch it will be a 150g tank with sump and skimmer. I'm hoping that would work for a yellow tang and a blue tang.

 

[prsnlty]

Well I was thinking of getting the aqua clear fluval power filter (ac70) and I was just looking at nano skimmers so i was wondering if getting an ac70 and a nano skimmer would be ideal.

Yes. But look into a hang on the back skimmer like this one http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/reef-octopus-ns80-nano-skimmer.html

 

[prsnlty]

Thanks for the input I appreciate it I will look in to it. I guess I can wait until my next one on the yellow tang. I start the 20g aquarium for my dining room, and after around 3 months I want to start a second one in my living room I'm actually starting to buy everything for it now witch it will be a 150g tank with sump and skimmer. I'm hoping that would work for a yellow tang and a blue tang.

Yes it will they need at least a 6 foot long tank so if you're getting a standard 150g it will be fine to have the tangs in it

 

[Hector23]

Yes. But look into a hang on the back skimmer like this one http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/reef-octopus-ns80-nano-skimmer.html

Great price and good reviews on it definitely going to look future in to it thanks.

 

[prsnlty]

Great price and good reviews on it definitely going to look future in to it thanks.

Yes it'll do the job for the 20 gallon and save you money to go towards the other tank [emoji12]

 

[Hector23]

Yes it'll do the job for the 20 gallon and save you money to go towards the other tank [emoji12]

Definitely it will be expensive but I will enjoy it so much. I will buy everything little by little first. If not I would not like to see a few grand gone in a flash lol.

 

[devilhunt1231]

Hi, the 150 will be much more suitable for the tangs as in all honesty I think that adding tangs to a small tank would be a bioload nightmare, I'd suspect that you'd be forever chasing parameters and it would be extremely difficult to keep the nitrate level anything close to a reasonable level.
Gary

 

[samnaz]

I have a 20G Long with an AC70 and Aquamaxx HOB-1 skimmer. I've had it for a year, no fish, but tons of coral and some inverts. It's been a great setup for me as my first tank, but I will soon be moving to something bigger just because... I need more room for corals!

Go bigger if you CAN but if you can't for whatever reason, a 20 gallon tank with HOB equipment is a perfectly enjoyable, great little setup.

 

[NickNiz]

A skimmer will help a little bit, but for a 20-gallon tank water changes should be your main method of waste removal... 15-20% every week should work, depending on bioload.

As other have said, a 20-gallon tank is not large enough for a yellow tang, even a tiny one... Not only the size, but since it's a small tank, you will likely experience swings in water quality occasionally, and yellow tangs stress easily IMO.