newbie needing a little help

[metusoccultus]

Hi everyone... I'm new to saltwater, I'm just about to start my first setup. Here are my plans...

20 gallon long tank
20 pounds of live sand
20-25 pounds of live rock
Aqualight H.O. T-5 Dual Lamp Fixture - 30" is this light powerful enough for coral?
hob refugium made out of a Tetra Whisper EX70 Power Filter filled with liverock and maybe some macro algae.
I'm thinking of putting a Seaclone Protein Skimmer from Aquarium Systems on this system- if I need it.

Livestock
1 fire goby
1 zebra goby
1 clownfish
2 blue leg hermit crabs
2 skunk cleaner shrimp
1 emerald crab

Coral
zoanthids
xexia
ricordea


any and all help would be much appreciated.

[mjhall85]

that fixture should be fine for most corals just depends on how demanding of corals you want if you are going with so called beginner corals then you will have no problem.generally so called nano tanks don't run skimmers usually but that choice is really up to you. Seems like you have a pretty good setup you are gonna be starting. When are you starting it all up? Post some pictures

Welcome to Reef Central a lot of stickies at the top of this page check them out a ton of info are in them.

[bjensen1253]

Hi everyone... I'm new to saltwater, I'm just about to start my first setup. Here are my plans...

20 gallon long tank
20 pounds of live sand
20-25 pounds of live rock
Aqualight H.O. T-5 Dual Lamp Fixture - 30" is this light powerful enough for coral?
hob refugium made out of a Tetra Whisper EX70 Power Filter filled with liverock and maybe some macro algae.
I'm thinking of putting a Seaclone Protein Skimmer from Aquarium Systems on this system- if I need it.

Livestock
1 fire goby
1 zebra goby
1 clownfish
2 blue leg hermit crabs
2 skunk cleaner shrimp
1 emerald crab

Coral
zoanthids
xexia
ricordea


any and all help would be much appreciated.

I Highly recommend against the purchase of that brand of protein skimmer, i had one and i caused nothing but problems. It would always over flow... leak all over the floor, not to mention the micro bubbles it would spit back into the tank it was just awful. i know their cheap but get a octopuss for about 150 well worth the money

[metusoccultus]

Thanks mj and B. I will be starting the setup very soon. The minute I put the tank on the table I'll be taking pics. I definitely wont pick up that sea clone.

[metusoccultus]

anyone have any other ideas for fish or equipment.

[mwoodruff964]

I would def beef up your cleanup crew a little more. I would prolly do 15 snails and 10-15 hermits make a couple of those scarletts. Your fish look fine just start slow with a 1 or 2 then wait 2-3 weeks and add another. The only thing I would recommend on equipment is maybe a carbon reactor. I agree with the rest of the guys here don't take the cheap route on a skimmer, I have an octo and love it does a fantastic job.

[Sun357]

I would add 10-15 snails also. Try and get some 'spare' shells though if you get hermits as they may kill off snails for shells.

~Fred

[metusoccultus]

thanks i think i will do that any suggestions on which snails would be preferable... eg...nassarius, turbo, astrea, nerite, Margarita, Cerith ect.

[metusoccultus]

or would a fighting conch do the same job.

[metusoccultus]

If not what would be the proper numbering for each of the snails.