Wanting to do a 20g reef tank..

[fastest302]

Hi everyone I'm back ato trying to do a reef tank.. i had a 20g long sitting around and wanted to do something small that I can do with my kids.. I recently had a 120g reef last year which wasn't really a success cause everything got more expensive and with a little one it just got harder.. so far I got a tank and a wp10 wavemaker and heater.. also got a aquaclear 30 that I had bought justhe collecting dust.. I will be using red Sea pro salt.. any advice and helpful tips would be great

 

[Joeganja]

I would just do a zoa tank and or mushroom tank. I have a 4.6 and I'm turning that into a mushroom tank. You always see those beautiful colorful zoa tanks and you wish you want one. Just do that. Easy to maintain. Colorful. Don't require a lot of flow or high lighting.

 

[Jisko]

I would just do a zoa tank and or mushroom tank. I have a 4.6 and I'm turning that into a mushroom tank. You always see those beautiful colorful zoa tanks and you wish you want one. Just do that. Easy to maintain. Colorful. Don't require a lot of flow or high lighting.

I second this... and if they want something different add a hardy soft coral to mix things up so it isn't just zoas

 

[fastest302]

Awesome thanks guys sounds like a plan.. next week I should have it setup. Will post a build thread

 

[Joeganja]

the soon to be mushroom tank. What I learned was if you use black sand it will make the corals pop more. It won't take away.

 

[sassAwrasse]

I agree. Keep it simple.

The smaller the tank, the harder it is to control swings. Usually zoas and mushrooms don't mind those things as much!

Good luck.

Keep us posted with updates and pictures.

 

[fastest302]

Sounds great thanks everyone gonna start piecing things together to get this going..

 

[fastest302]

Quick ? Im gonna use live sand and get a piece of live rock with a couple dry rock.. will it cycle quickly or still the waiting period?

 

[Joeganja]

Quick ? Im gonna use live sand and get a piece of live rock with a couple dry rock.. will it cycle quickly or still the waiting period?

It speeds up the process but you will still want to wait before you add anything in there. You will still probably go through the nitrogen cycle just a bit quicker.

 

[fastest302]

It speeds up the process but you will still want to wait before you add anything in there. You will still probably go through the nitrogen cycle just a bit quicker.

Thanks that's what I figured

 

[Joeganja]

Thanks that's what I figured

Add some dr tims one and only or instant ocean live bacteria and you'll be set.

 

[fastest302]

Awesome.. do you think the tank would be good with just a hang on back or should I get it drilled and do a sump..

 

[Ari21]

I always go for a sump

 

[Joeganja]

Awesome.. do you think the tank would be good with just a hang on back or should I get it drilled and do a sump..

I think you should be fine with a hang on the back. I'm putting a hang on the back on mine with no
media just a couple of filter pads and water changes. I would however suggest a efficient filter like a fluval c2 with some sort of biological holding substance like seachem matrix biological media or marinepure and then add a filter pad with maybe a bag of carbon.

 

[Jisko]

I have a 20g that I have 2 fluval hob filters on it thats over a year old

 

[gobylove]

I have a 47 gallon and got the fever and added a 20L gallon. I love it. I use a hang on back and it's doing just fine with heater and a hydor for circulation. I'm using simple (inexpensive) LEDs, and mushrooms are doing nicely. Decent amount of live sand and live rock. My parameters stay pretty stable. I have a pink bar goby (with candy cane shrimp), one invisible cave goby and a circus goby. Small tanks are terrific for watching the small gobies. Cycling takes just as long.

 

[Joeganja]

All really depends on how much you want to go. If you want a skimmer and want to increase water volume and maybe add chaeto or macro algae to help control nutrients then a sump. But a hang on the back filter would suffice without increasing costs.

 

[Ari21]

A sump gives you more water volume plus more room for equipment such as skimmers, heaters, reactors, pumps,refugium etc. A sump will also clean up the display and give more room as all the equipment is under the tank instead of inside it. You'll regret not going with a sump in the future.

 

[Tweaked]

or a false back like the Nuvo tanks

 

[Jisko]

Yeah I have to agree i love having a sump... so much that im now adding one to all my tanks haha