not gonna lie, im a noob and i need help!-New To The Hobby-3reef Forums

adrox88 · 12-09-2007, 04:26 PM

hello, im a noob and i need help. i,ve been doing the freshwater thing for about 2 years and i think its time to move onto saltwater. i wanna start out with a 20g long tank and the biggest issue i am running into is the lighting. all i want to keep is fish, live rock, a few soft coral's and maybe an anemone. first question is, would a 1x65w 50/50 light be enough? the tank is only 12"deep and thats 3.25w/gallon.. seems like enough to me but im a noob. and the second thing is filtration. i dont exactly have the cash flow for a canister, but i do have a penguin bio-wheel 150 that im not using. its 150gph and i am also planing on using a power head as well, so will that work?.....or.... should i just except the fact that i dont really know what im doing and save the hassle and buy the 24g nano-cube.... i really wanna do it myself though. any input would be wonderful, thanks.

aquaboy · 12-09-2007, 04:40 PM

the first question to ask yourself is how much you are willing to spend, then we can really help you. For a tank that shallow go t-5 HO. its 30" long right?

inwall75 · 12-09-2007, 04:50 PM

That won't be enough light for the anemone. However, if you pick your corals wisely, I don't see why this setup wouldn't work.

reef_guru · 12-09-2007, 06:04 PM

that wont be enough likght for the anemone, if your gonna use w/gal then over 7 would work. the bio wheel wont work either. so far the 24 nano should help. what about going bigger so there are more options, its just water.

adrox88 · 12-09-2007, 07:50 PM

thats the thing, im not quite sure how much i want to spend. i want to do this right but when were talking like 3-4 hundred bucks for a light for a 20 gallon aquarium, thats just getting out of control. and yes the tank is 30" long, and i do believe the light i am looking at is a power compact fluorescent. its the Coralife Aqualight 65w single linear strip. as far is the going bigger, i have thought about that but then again, bigger light means more $$$... all in all, im looking to spend around $250-300 at first, and see if i can get the hang of it, then i we will see about the 75 gallon masterpiece after i graduate. as of now i have a heater for a 20g tank, and the penguin bio-wheel 150 from some old freshwater tanks that are not being used. other than that, i am buying everything else new(or at least new to me)

reef_guru · 12-09-2007, 08:06 PM

i meant a bigger tank. with more water in the system its easier to balance.

adrox88 · 12-09-2007, 08:10 PM

yeah, if i get a bigger tank, its obviously going to have a bigger light to accompany it... thats why im thinking 20 gallons is about my limit. i dont think i can afford an appropriate light for anything bigger. even a 29g has the same footprint but its deeper so i have to have a stronger light.

kimmy · 12-09-2007, 08:28 PM

first off, have you checked forum classifieds, craiglist or recycler for people selling used equipment or set ups? As far as lights, I purchased from Hamilton, 4X110w PC's for $300, so I would think that 1 65w would be cheaper, I would shop that. Filtration, just use your LR (20Lbs). You can add a protein skimmer also. Make a list of corals you would like to keep, then read up on them. An anemone is not an option for you with so little light not to mention they are hard and picky. Good luck, be patient and read!

clownfish · 12-09-2007, 08:56 PM

First of all, Welcome to 3Reef Adrox!

Second, check these out: T-5 Aquarium Lighting: Nova Extreme T-5 Fixtures w/Lunar Lights I have the 36 inch one and have no complaints at all.

ziggy222 · 12-10-2007, 12:17 AM

bio wheels are'nt needed in a reef tank.the live rock does that job.i don't see why not put a satelite fixture with 2 65 wayy power compact bulbs in it or get coralife,its better.you can light that tank for under $140 but i would stay away from anemonies till i learned more.