I want a 20L but need help

[StrategicReef]

Hi, I have a bit of experience with reef keeping, 3 tanks before, 29 cube, 14 cube, 80 gal /w sump and skimmer, wave maker and all that stuff.

 

I took a hiatus but now want to do a 20L (tank is inexpensive). I am thinking fish only for now and 2 clowns /w 1 other small fish. no skimmer or sump.

 

I currently have:

many different powerheads, plan to use a MJ900

heater

reef keeper 2

quad fan

ATO

RO/DI

 

I need:

LED : prices has come down to be affordable, thinking of using that current marine orbit LED 24".

 

Live rock. I am thinking of going cheap and do macrorocks 20 lbs nano, but the PO4 was a problem when I used them in the past. I may just go with whatever LFS's got.

How many lbs rock do I need for 20L FOWLR?

 

a 1"-1.5" sand bed, pretty much just decorative.

 

I don't want to do silicone, drilling, plumbing etc, I am on a budget compared to what I used to, and keeping the electric bill down too, with the LED only running 24W, I don't think it is too big of a deal.

 

Thanks for any advice that you have.

[piano15]

I was like you, started a 55g yrs ago and then took a hiatus from all fishkeeping. I just recently decided to start up again but decided to go with a 15g this time.

 

After all the research I have done, I've learned there are many ways to be successful in this hobby, some choose to go all out on the best of the best equipment and some like to keep things simple.

 

I run my 15g with an aquaclear filter, floss and carbon.

 

Many people with 20g or under run sumpless/skimmerless as long as you do weekly water changes, change out your floss weekly you should be able to keep things under control

 

A lot of people are starting with base rock and seeding it with a small piece of liverock. Soaking your base rock in ro/di is a good idea, it reduces the phosphates, some even use a water vinegar mix but there is base rock out there that this isn't a required step, I believe I was recommended to Reef Cleaners for their base rock. Unfortunately it's not available in CDA.

[RBZ80]

Okay, so i have had a 20L for over a year now. I run a t5ho fixture with an aquaclear 110 and a jebao wp10 for water movement.

 

This setup has worked for me and my advice would be to run something similar. A skimmer or sump is not required for tanks of this size imo, and as far as the LR and sand I did all live/seeded rock with a 1 to 1 1/2" sand bed.

 

More advice would be to change water "religiously", check salinity and temps daily, and make sure your light is functioning at peak preformance. That is just from my experience, how to maintain a healthy tank.

 

I hope that my info can help you in some way!

After all the research I have done, I've learned there are many ways to be successful in this hobby, some choose to go all out on the best of the best equipment and some like to keep things simple.

 

I run my 15g with an aquaclear filter, floss and carbon.

 

Many people with 20g or under run sumpless/skimmerless as long as you do weekly water changes, change out your floss weekly you should be able to keep things under control

 

A lot of people are starting with base rock and seeding it with a small piece of liverock. Soaking your base rock in ro/di is a good idea, it reduces the phosphates, some even use a water vinegar mix but there is base rock out there that this isn't a required step, I believe I was recommended to Reef Cleaners for their base rock. Unfortunately it's not available in CDA.

Also, what this person said ^^^^

[VW_TDI_02]

I also have a 20 long and have been using the Current Orbit Marine 24-36" for about 7 months now. The light has done pretty well but I am running both channels at 100%. I'm keeping a monti cap on top of one of my rocks so it's only about 5" under the light itself. I have LPS at about the same level and they are doing fine (torch, branching hammer, acan lords) and I also have some zoas that are a bit further down along with a kenya tree. Overall, the fixture will keep some SPS near the top of the tank but I have yet to bleach anything even though I have some LPS close to the top of my tank.

 

That being said, I just bought a two bulb T5HO fixture from someone on here... I plan on running both of the fixtures as I would like to start keeping some more SPS corals in my tank and I don't know how well this light will do with acros and stuff like that. I'm definitely going to turn down the LED but I think I'll end up using more of the white channel since the bulbs it comes with are on the blue and coral plus I think. Idk what will happen so I'll just end up playing around with the colors and see what I like best.

 

The controller on the light is honestly amazing. Once you get the hang of the programming, everything is super simple.

 

For filtration, your best bet is an aquaclear filter with a media basket. Simple and does the job very well. Obviously do your weekly water changes and watch how much you feed and you should do just fine.

[StrategicReef]

Thanks, I am thinking to go with aquaclear 50? Isn't the 110 too much? it is going to be a desktop so I am not sure if the 110 will clear the back?

 

Will the aquaclear alone be enough for circulation, it is 200 GPH for the 50 which in theory have 10X circulation.

I am wondering about the heater setup.. I guess that's quite ugly.. is it possible to use heater inside aquaclear,

 

also I hear about these aquaclear doesn't want to restart.. any experience with that?

[VW_TDI_02]

I would definitely have some sort of powerhead inside of the tank. To start off I would go with a Jebao RW-4. It's pretty cheap at $50-$60 and it has great control and power. Later on you can get a second one and sync them up wireless too. I would look at getting a 110 and then get an inTank media basket for it. You should be able to get the heater in there but if not you can always just place it at the bottom along the back of the tank.

[piano15]

I've had numerous tanks and tried numerous filters. I so far prefer the aquaclear hob filters, they are quiet and I've not run into issues restarting. I shut mine off weekly to change my floss, as soon as I kick the powerbar back on, voila its on.

 

I've had the marineland biowheel as well, still prefer the aquaclear

[StrategicReef]

I think you guys sold me on the aquaclear. (thinking about overflow and sumps for my cabinet location was just not going to work) I like how the water pours back into the water and create some surface agitation, will it push away the sand on a shallow tank like 20L?

 

But is the 110 to heavy to hang off the glass of the 20L? Luckily the 20L seems to be made with thicker glass than the 10g and regular 20g.

 

I am not too picky about the media, I will probably just put a sag of phosphate remove and some carbon if required.

[VW_TDI_02]

The only thing that I would worry about is the intake for the 110. I know my Aqueon QuietFlow 55/75 has an intake pipe that is too long for a 20 long. I'm not sure how the 110 is though. I'd imagine that you could easily DIY it if it is too long. I also wouldn't worry about it being too heavy for the tank. I currently have a 20 long with the Aqueon Quiet Flow 55/75 and an Aqueon Quiet Flow 20 on the back of it and have no issues.

[yomon347]

The aqua clear hob failure to start only happens if you never clean it. When it fails to start you can grab a pen and move the propeller and it will usually start up. Its a good sign its time to clean the pump with a vinegar soak.