Need some help with new tank

[Tundraburg]

Originally Posted by Bunner

What do you plan on keeping? Fish only?

If not and if you planned on upgrading later to a full blown reef tank i don't think that would be sufficient.

Lights are expensive and worth buying the best you can afford (and depending on what you want to keep)

I do not plan on having a full blown reef, but maybe a few corals. Nothing really hard to keep alive.

[PackLeader]

If you plan on keep any corals are anenome's, that light wont cut it. Look into getting a decent T5/Metal Halide (MH) combo fixture. Save up and get the best light you can. Its better to just spend a little more and cry once.
How long have you had this tank? When doing saltwater, you're going to usually have to wait at least 6 weeks after the tank is running before you can add any fish. When you do start adding fish, I wouldnt add more than one every few weeks or so, or you will overload the system.
The protein skimmer is optional on a tank that small. Starting out, it would probably be better to put the money on one towards the better light and a powerhead or two, especially since the light and powerheads are NOT optional

[Tundraburg]

I have had this tank for about 2-3 weeks now. In that time i had to give away 2 french Angelfish (they got sick after 6 days, were also about 5-6 inch), i then got a blue angelfish adn a queen angelfish wich both died. And this past weekend i got the above fish which from the 7 only 1 is currently alive(the one that gets under the sand).

So as for the light goes, that ligt what i was talking about would not be able to keep a few corals alive??? aren't the 130 total watt enough for a 20 gallon???

My main goal right now is not to put corals in, but to keep some(2-3) fish alive for more than 1 week. Maybe if everything goes better in the future i would add 1-2 corals.

[Tundraburg]

Which of the following would you recommend?

24 inch Current USA Nova Extreme 4x24W T5HO with 2 Lunar Lights

link: 24 inch Current USA Nova Extreme 4x24W T5HO with 2 Lunar Lights, 24in Units > 24in Units

24 inch Current USA SunDial T5 HO 4x24W w/ Timers & LED

link: 24 inch Current USA SunDial T5 HO 4x24W w/ Timers & LED, 24in Units > 24in Units

24 inch Current USA Nova Extreme 2x24 watt T5 HO 10K/460nm (has no lunar lights)

link: 24 inch Current USA Nova Extreme 2x24 watt T5 HO 10K/460nm, 24in Units > 24in Units


P.S. are lunar light needed or are they just for looks??

[tarheel]

I am fairly new as well but from what I read most people prefer T5 over power compacts, especially if they are high output. I have recently moved up from the 20g tall to a 55g, and my favorite fish from the 20g is my sixline wrasse. Great fish that won't get to big, colorful, and fairly cheap. I wouldn't get ahead of myself tho, get a few powerheads, korellia 1's or nano's. Like I said I would go for the T5HO fixture. and WAIT at least a few weeks, test water params and if ammonia, nitrates, nitrites are all zero then add a fish. From one newbie to another lack of patience has caused me lots of stress and money. Stockpile quality equipment for now and worry about livestock later.

[Tundraburg]

Originally Posted by tarheel

I am fairly new as well but from what I read most people prefer T5 over power compacts, especially if they are high output. I have recently moved up from the 20g tall to a 55g, and my favorite fish from the 20g is my sixline wrasse. Great fish that won't get to big, colorful, and fairly cheap. I wouldn't get ahead of myself tho, get a few powerheads, korellia 1's or nano's. Like I said I would go for the T5HO fixture. and WAIT at least a few weeks, test water params and if ammonia, nitrates, nitrites are all zero then add a fish. From one newbie to another lack of patience has caused me lots of stress and money. Stockpile quality equipment for now and worry about livestock later.

IM not worried about livestock at all right now, since what i have had has died, so now i am taking it SLOW really SLow. It hurts me to see the fish die. So i wont be addind anymore till i know they will have a much longer life expectancy.

I will be taking pictures every week for the next 4-8 weeks and posting the water test results i obtain.

Also, in the meantime I want to get info as to what equipment I need for the 20gallon high tank.

Thanks for the info.

[Bunner]

lunar lights are supposed to help simulate the actual daylight cycle....it helps (apparently) reduce stress to the fish etc...

[tarheel]

I had one of the nova extreme 2x24wt over my 20g high and never added corals but I did have a long tentacle anemone for about 4 months that did really well. Most told me this was not enought light for the anemone but I thrived until I gave it back becuase I wasn't sure how if would handle the transition from tearing down one tank and restocking a larger one, and cycling of the new tank.

I attached a pic of my 20g before I tore it down. This shows the anemone and a clown, and sixline wrasse. And this was with the 2x24wt nova extreme. These were the only fist I kept in there becuase the more fish = more waste = more water changes for you if you go skimmerless. I changed about 2-5 gallons weakly on this tank since I couldn't afford a skimmer either.

If it were me I would go with the 4 bulb nova extreme T5HO, That gives you more money left over for a few korellia powerheads, Should be plenty of light for most soft corals and some low light LPS. after that a few 5 gallon gas cans from wallmart to transport water, syphon hose, test kits, all the other misc stuff you will need will add up.

[JupiterSailfish]

Another person from Florida that likes to fish finally.

Keep with taking it slow and learning everything, I somehow managed and I'm the kind of person that wants it done now plus I'm 19.

Talk to Tangster on this forum about lighting, he has helped me so much. I have Power Compacts on my 58 gallon and they are doing fine, I didn't have lights for almost a month and I had polyps, mushrooms, and some other coral live throughout that period. I'm about to install a Metal Halide so I can't wait to see the difference. I went with the MH cause it has been such a pain in the azz trying to decide on lighting and trying to find the right length of retrofit/fixture to go into my hood, I just went with the best.

[PackLeader]

As jupiter said, for corals go with the MH HQI set-up. The lights you have listed are fine, but you should get a MH HQI auxillary on there as well.