20h Complete Setup

[Mako Man111]

Hi, I'm completely new to the salty side but have read many of the guides. Now I have a few questions about starting a nano reef.

My tank is a 20 gallon high.

1)Do I need a filter? Or would life rock suffice? I read filters are often nitrate traps.

2)How many gph do I for this tank from powerheads?

3)Besides clowns, what are some good fish for this tank size?

4)Are there any inverts or cleanup crew members I should look for and/or avoid?

5)Can fish go for more than a week without food if I go on vacation?

6)Do I need a protein skimmer?

7)Do I need to use RO water for water changes?

8)Finally, how often should I do water changes?

Thanks for helping a newb out.

Mako

 

[SkiFletch]

1 - LR is your filter. Externals are only used for carbon or phosphate filtering
2 - Anywhere from 200-1000 gph depending on what you want to keep. 400 would be common
3 - Gobies, and some blennies
4 - Beware larger CUC members, and I'm not a fan of hermits
5 - No. Most fish can go 3 days, but longer than that's not a good idea.
6 - No. Water changes are easy on a nano and more cost-effective
7 - If you want a clean tank without hair algae or cyanobacteria then yes, use RO
8 - Depends on your bio and coral load. Anywhere from weekly to bi-weekly on most nanos.

 

[Lynden]

Agree with above, except that I adore hermit crabs. Also your choice of fish extends far, far beyond clownfish, gobies and blennies.

 

[Mako Man111]

1 - LR is your filter. Externals are only used for carbon or phosphate filtering
2 - Anywhere from 200-1000 gph depending on what you want to keep. 400 would be common
3 - Gobies, and some blennies
4 - Beware larger CUC members, and I'm not a fan of hermits
5 - No. Most fish can go 3 days, but longer than that's not a good idea.
6 - No. Water changes are easy on a nano and more cost-effective
7 - If you want a clean tank without hair algae or cyanobacteria then yes, use RO
8 - Depends on your bio and coral load. Anywhere from weekly to bi-weekly on most nanos.

Thanks man B)

Is there any brand of salt and RO unti you recommend?

 

[SkiFletch]

Heh, for saltwater, I still use Instant Ocean. And for an RO unit, I use a no-name 6-stage unit. Still gets me 1-3ppm on the output with regular flushing. If you're in the UK, check out osmotics (forum sponsor), if in the US, ebay.