New 20 gallon tank! Checklist Help!

[finkjor123]

Hi everyone, so after posting countless questions about my tank I think I am ready to get started. I have tried to plan out my initial expenses, so here is what I have come up with. Please criticize, add to, and give advice. Thank you! And yes I know the mantis will eventually kill the damsel. Thanks

80$- Top Fin® 20 Gallon Starter Kit (tank, hood with lights, filter, heater, thermometer)

20$- CaribSea Aragonite Aragamax Oolite (30lbs)

18$- 50 gallon sea salts

100$- 20 lbs Live rock

Specific Gravity Tester- 10$
Saltwater chemicals- 15$
PH tester- 15$

Livestock
Mantis Shrimp Wennerae- 10$
7 blue leg crabs- 10.50$
Turbosnail- 2.50$
Yellowtail Damselfish- 4$

[Pumped]

Is a ph tester really important in a fish only?

[MarkSurrey]

$18 is extraordinarily cheap for 50g of salt, where I'm from it's about £50 / $50...Depending on where you are keeping the tank & the type of lighting you are using you may need a cooling fan aswell, + if you order your hermits online you will get them for half that price, try http://reefs2go.com ...But hey, I'm new to this aswell & that would just be my advice so don't take it to literal.

[Dazed1]

Get a 20l (long), specially for a FOWLR. The extra length for the fish to swim will make it well worth it than height.

[finkjor123]

ya someone else suggested the 20 long on my other post, sounds like a plan. What if I eventually want to add coral? not sure I will but i might. What kind of lights do you need to support coral growth?

[Dazed1]

All depends on the type of corals. LED's are the new thing, easy to make, low on heat and power. I went with a MH on current tank (1 month old), but if I were to do it again, I would do LED's.

[cboy]

You didnt specify where you are located in your profile but petco is having a 1.00 per gallon sale at least 1 more week if u are in the US.

[finkjor123]

Ya I live in florida so I was planning on getting the 20 long from petco, but I am having trouble finding a cheap light system. I want led's but the cheapest fixture i can find at petco is $75. Also, how hard would it be to install a divider in the 20 long tank that would separate the mantis in a 5 gallon portion, and leave the rest of the 15 gallons for fish?

[Clownfish 11790]

I'd be cautious about Petco! They jack up the prices where I live (Central Illinois). The 20g L they have is $40. At Petsmart it was only $31.

Make sure you do some research on what ever lighting system you get though. I'd go with LED if you can afford it!

I am actually just starting up a 20g L again after putting it down a few years back when I moved. Be sure to check out my thread and a few others for some tips and advice!

[Dazed1]

Why not get a 40breeder or a 33long? :D

[fote03]

A divider would be simple. Glass or plex. I would get a AC filter and build a fuge.

[Benson0219]

They do make tank dividers. I have seen them at Petco or Petsmart. The allow the water to flow through it. I think you would want that kind of divider.

[Benson0219]

I did get my 40 gallon breeder from Petco... $40! The sale ends July 18th!

[Patriot54]

I would get LED's. Sure the initial cost is high, but you will save money in bulbs and energy. You can get great kits from rapidled.com for about $100. They will support anything you want.

[THE JOEY]

Just a thought. A 20 long is a great tank but your choices on lighting are limited. I had a 20L (30" wide) and changed to a 20 High (24" wide). I also did a DIY led light and it covers the tank better. GL with your tank both are good choices.

[NanoReefWanabe]

a 20 long with a 24" fixture will be fine especially for a FO tank...

i would worry about a starter kit though...just your paying for a hood you likely wont use, unless you plant to retro it with LED's, however if the filter is a decent one...or if you can upgrade it to a ac110, then you can creat a fuge out of it...otherwise biowheel filters a pretty useless for saltwater tanks..as will the stock lighting...

realize your crabs will be an ongoing weekly expense too...likely the snails too..

a 50g bag of IO salt wont last very long for you...better off getting a pail...

get a refractometer...dont fool around with a hydrometer

for a FO tank a basic test kit is all you need will have alk, pH...

seems like a lot of rock for a mantis tank...

i dont think the Wennerae will bother a damsel fish...no need for a divider...