My first reef tank WOOT WOOT!!!

LOL I was thinking that exact same thing as I scrolled down the page. ;D

 

And welcome to 3reef btw! The hobby to for that matter! Everyone else has pretty much got it covered except...

Realize that you have been bitten by a bug with out a cure. It's black hole with no escape and big isn't big enough. There's always more you want and must have. It's a bad monkey on your back with barbed claws and an addiction like no other you will ever experience. ;D

 

That is the perfect description.;D Hahaha.

 

+1 perfect description!

 

Dang. You make it seem a whole lot worse than it is.

 

Who said it was worse? I love this addiction and if you don't feel that strongly about the hobby...well you're just another person with a tank full of water.

 

I agree with the sand, not crushed coral, and just buy dry sand, no point in wasting your money, put it towards something else. I also agree with the skimmer, I would rather have a skimmer then canister filter by far. IMO, the canister filter is only good to run carbon of phosphate media, other wise, you will need to clean it frequently to avoid organic build up in it, which will cause high nitrates.

 

Completely agree with this comment. Bagged live sand is a waste of money.

 

hm, i wouldnt go with the crushed coral from what ive read. it tends to "trap" detritus. go with the small grain sized argonite sand. works well so far for me.

 

I can only agree with the comments of other members.... it's easier to go bigger and not that much more expensive. A 20g can be quite a hassle and do get a good skimmer... just my opinion. Do your research and don't hesitate to ask... there are a lot of very experienced people in this forum! What fish are you planning to keep? And please take your time with cycling the tank. Most lfs try to sell you fish too soon. I let mine cycle for over 2 months before adding any livestock.
Anyway, welcome to 3reef... the best forum out there