Struggling with supply list

[Ocellaris PDX]

Hello NR reefers. I'm a newbie to the saltwater hobby who's looking into getting my first saltwater tank, and I'm trying to get a grasp of EVERYTHING a saltwater tank requires to keep it healthy and running well (so a supply list, essentially). 

 

I've looked stuff up, read some build threads, and done searches here, but I still don't quite understand. 

 

For reference, I'm looking to get a pair of clowns and some soft corals and maybe macro. I'll be hopefully setting up the tank sometime next year when I'm less new and confused,  lol.

 

So far, I know (in addition to a IM fusion 20) I'll need/want:

Heater/thermometer 

Powerhead 

Light

ATO

Live rock

Sand

Salt mix

Glass cleaner

Siphon (already have a spare)

Turkey baster

Some buckets (already have)

pH, ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate test kit

Refractometer

 

Now, here are some stuff I've read I'll need but don't understand completely:

Alk, Cal, Mag testing kit (are there lots that come with all of the above?)

Dosing stuff (what will I need for softies? Specific products?)

Skimmer (I've heard that it's not necessary, but I may add one later. Right now I'm trying to gather what I need.)

Filter media (What should I put in the back of my tank?)

 

Other than that stuff, I'm clueless. 

 

What did I miss? Can you explain the stuff on the second list? Will I need all of that? 

 

Thanks for patience. 

[ninjamyst]

unless you plan to keep SPS, there's really no need for Alk, Cal, Mag testing kit.  You can always ask your LFS to test those if necessary.  No need for dosing stuff either.  No need for skimmer.  With 20 gallons, you can get away with just regular water changes.  For filter media, just get chemipure blue for ease of use.  You will also need some filter floss.  Other than that you are good to go!  

[Ocellaris PDX]

5 minutes ago, ninjamyst said:

unless you plan to keep SPS, there's really no need for Alk, Cal, Mag testing kit.  You can always ask your LFS to test those if necessary.  No need for dosing stuff either.  No need for skimmer.  With 20 gallons, you can get away with just regular water changes.  For filter media, just get chemipure blue for ease of use.  You will also need some filter floss.  Other than that you are good to go!  

Really? So, the alk, cal, and mag levels shouldn't affect fish? Will it affect a nem? 

 

Also, thank you so much.

[WaterBoxer]

What water are you planning on using?

[ninjamyst]

6 minutes ago, Ocellaris PDX said:

Really? So, the alk, cal, and mag levels shouldn't affect fish? Will it affect a nem? 

 

Also, thank you so much.

Yes, alk, cal, and mag are very important to health of corals and nems.  but as long as you are using a good salt and keeping up with regular water changes, your alk, ca, mag should not change a lot.  And you can go to your LFS once a month to get those tested to make sure you are in range.  

 

You start your tank with new saltwater.  Find a good salt with the levels you want to keep.  Let say your salt mixes to 7 alk and 450 ca.  As long as you keep doing regular water changes with those levels, you should be fine.  Alk and Ca will drop if you have LOTS of corals that consume those elements.  SPS consumes a lot of alk.  That's why people with lots of SPS has to dose alk and ca to keep those levels stable.  Most beginner tanks are focused on softies and LPS and those do not consume as much alk and ca.  Any consumption will be replenished next time you do a water change.  Hence regular water change is KEY.

[Clown79]

15 minutes ago, ninjamyst said:

Yes, alk, cal, and mag are very important to health of corals and nems.  but as long as you are using a good salt and keeping up with regular water changes, your alk, ca, mag should not change a lot.  And you can go to your LFS once a month to get those tested to make sure you are in range.  

 

You start your tank with new saltwater.  Find a good salt with the levels you want to keep.  Let say your salt mixes to 7 alk and 450 ca.  As long as you keep doing regular water changes with those levels, you should be fine.  Alk and Ca will drop if you have LOTS of corals that consume those elements.  SPS consumes a lot of alk.  That's why people with lots of SPS has to dose alk and ca to keep those levels stable.  Most beginner tanks are focused on softies and LPS and those do not consume as much alk and ca.  Any consumption will be replenished next time you do a water change.  Hence regular water change is KEY.

^ this is great advice.

[Ocellaris PDX]

2 minutes ago, WaterBoxer said:

What water are you planning on using?

I'll probably get a RO/DI system. 

[Ocellaris PDX]

29 minutes ago, ninjamyst said:

Yes, alk, cal, and mag are very important to health of corals and nems.  but as long as you are using a good salt and keeping up with regular water changes, your alk, ca, mag should not change a lot.  And you can go to your LFS once a month to get those tested to make sure you are in range.  

 

You start your tank with new saltwater.  Find a good salt with the levels you want to keep.  Let say your salt mixes to 7 alk and 450 ca.  As long as you keep doing regular water changes with those levels, you should be fine.  Alk and Ca will drop if you have LOTS of corals that consume those elements.  SPS consumes a lot of alk.  That's why people with lots of SPS has to dose alk and ca to keep those levels stable.  Most beginner tanks are focused on softies and LPS and those do not consume as much alk and ca.  Any consumption will be replenished next time you do a water change.  Hence regular water change is KEY.

Regular being once a week, I assume? A little off-topic, but can a tank go a week and a half/couple weeks without a water change (vacation) as long as I have an ATO, or will this be ample time for the tank to crash due to alk, cal, mag levels? This wouldn't happen often (maybe once a week or less), but it's still something I'll have to consider. 

If not, I could hopefully hire a caretaker.

 

My 'LFS' isn't very local, so I may consider getting a alk, cal, mag test kit anyways just for ease of mind and saving on gas money. Depending on prices, it may pay itself  back. 

 

What salt mix would you suggest for good levels?

 

[Clown79]

People go on vacation and get sick without a tank crash. 1 or 2 weeks without a waterchange on a soft coral tank is not going to be an issue.

 

Lots of us don't always do weekly waterchanges, some never do. Some are on 2 week schedules, some monthly, some none(different method).

 

It all depends on bioload, nutrient levels, and corals you keep.

 

With soft corals they have no stony skeleton therefore they don't use a lot of alk and ca so waterchanges are enough.

 

Alk, ca, and mag consumption changes often and frequent testing is needed but that is for heavy lps and sps tanks.

 

 

An anemone really should be added once the tank is mature. Clowns don't always host nem's and there are positives and negatives to nems.

[Ocellaris PDX]

2 minutes ago, Clown79 said:

An anemone really should be added once the tank is mature. Clowns don't always host nem's and there are positives and negatives to nems.

Thank you, that skeleton explanation was helpful. It makes a lot of sense and really grounds the idea of alk, cal, and mag levels for me. 😄

 

I didn't plan on adding the nem immediately. Although, while I know why you should add a nem to a mature tank, I still wonder how I'm supposed to add it after considering that it'll move and sting anything in its path. 

I'm also aware clowns don't always host anemones. I don't really care about the clowns hosting it as much as I've just really loved nems as long as I can remember, so it's more for me then for the clowns. 

I may just end up deciding against it, but I did wonder. Thank you.

[Clown79]

12 hours ago, Ocellaris PDX said:

Thank you, that skeleton explanation was helpful. It makes a lot of sense and really grounds the idea of alk, cal, and mag levels for me. 😄

 

I didn't plan on adding the nem immediately. Although, while I know why you should add a nem to a mature tank, I still wonder how I'm supposed to add it after considering that it'll move and sting anything in its path. 

I'm also aware clowns don't always host anemones. I don't really care about the clowns hosting it as much as I've just really loved nems as long as I can remember, so it's more for me then for the clowns. 

I may just end up deciding against it, but I did wonder. Thank you.

The nem can and will move no matter when you add it. Regardless if it's the first or last addition.

 

That is the risk with nems. They can get up and walk all over everything at any time which poses a risk to corals getting stung and the Nem getting sucked into powerheads/intakes

[Ocellaris PDX]

1 hour ago, Clown79 said:

The nem can and will move no matter when you add it. Regardless if it's the first or last addition.

 

That is the risk with nems. They can get up and walk all over everything at any time which poses a risk to corals getting stung and the Nem getting sucked into powerheads/intakes

Oh, that does sound like a doozy. Since I'm not the expert here, I'll take your advice and probably skip on a nem until I'm more experienced  and have the right home for it.

[Tamberav]

I would suggest runnning carbon with macro and softies. I buy BRS rox carbon and bag it myself and change every 2 weeks. I find this better than chemipure and cheaper.

 

I have a nem in my 22g but they do grow fairly fast. I would add it to a mature successful tank. A unhappy nem is more likely to take a walk and look for a new home. Many things we can't test for... Some new people fall into a trap of seeing numbers look good on test kits then they run out and buy acros or a clam..ect and wonder why they have issues. There is a constant struggle of a tiny microbial world of bacteria and algae growing and blooming and dying. Especially in these early days and we can't test for them although we can see some of the ugly stages pop up. Even the death of bacteria puts toxins and waste in the water but it's not something we test for. As the tank matures....the microscopic world stabilized and it becomes easier to keep more difficult creatures.