20gal settin up and im a newbie help! (i think i posted wrong placebe4)

[fatmatt]

Well i did post something like this be4 put im starting to think its in the wron place or every1 just hate me alrdy

but ill try over here... i had a 20gal tank with a gold fish and now i want a sw tank so i did do some reading and i bought everything i think i needed.. for my 20gal its about 24inches long, 17 high and 12inches wide. i bought a 50 watt Jager heater,a maxi jet 900 powerhead, a hydrometer with digital thermometer,
Coralife 20" 96 Watt Quad Aqualight Compact Square Pin. i waas told/read that i do not need a skimmer or filter if i have enough live rock(atleast 20lbs?) and well you all seem like you know almost everything there is to know about sw tanks and im wonderin if any can tell me if i need anything else o yes also for the lightin it did come with lights put do i need to buy diffrent ones? not sure if you guys know the ones it came with... if u need to know just tell me . i dont know if i said this alrdy put do i need a filter or skimmer if so any recemendashin(i cant spell im 14) of a filter/ skimmer i dont wanna buy a $2323 skimmer either
Now for the hard stuff when i put everything together i first add water turn on the powerhead add salt let it sit for a day? add sand(dead) then get a cocktail shrimp(dead)
put in in there let it cycle for a month?(when i add water to the tank i herd you cant use tap water and was told use RODI water well read it, but waters RODI water can i just buy some poland spring water or something?) Do i need to do water changes when it cycles? When i do-do a water change should i get it rdy the night be4 and should it always be movin the water in the bucket? if so can i just use a old filter with no media in it?. can i add live rock be4 its cycled? well i add fish or rock or anything to a tank do i do anything diffrent then i would do in a fw tank( i have 2 a 55gal and 75gal) um im sry for all this but i am the bigest newbie and tryin to get all this in 1 post ya ummmm this thats all for no.

 

[fatmatt]

o MAn im sooo stupid sry guys i feel really newbieish and well i was getin the tank rdy and my sister wanted to help so i let her i go to the bathroom come back i see her useing some type of cleaner call formula 409 All Purpose cleaner will i still be able to use this tank should i clean in a special way now?

 

[exile415]

hmmm .. i really don't know at all. rinse it off ?

 

[c1rusx02]

hhm.... i would say boiling water should work... but that might melt your silicone sealant...
maybe water conditioner willl make it ok when you add water?

 

[rainfishy]

I can't answer all your questions, but i will try to answer some of them. First off i have no idea what to do about the cleaner situation. But I would suggest a filter and/or a skimmer (both is better) even if they are a cheaper kind (my skimmer was $45) and i know there are some for even less. Use reverse osmosis or distilled water, you can find both of these at places like Wal-Mart or Fred Myers, etc. When you start your cycle add the water, sand (preferable live), and live rock (between 1-2lb per gallon). Get all your equipment set up and ready prior to adding the above. Then IMO you should let your tank sit for like 24 hours before you add the raw shrimp or damsels. I never did water changes during cycling my tanks. you should probably spend some time researching SW before you set everything up. Good luck

 

[fatmatt]

on the filter and skimmer you recemend any? for such a small tank i still im a liil confdused on the water can i just buy poland spring water? and with adding it all you do mean when addin water do water then salt? and i dont have to wait for the tank to be cycled be4 addin lr?

 

[exile415]

first of all. r/o is reverse osmosis. cleanest water known to man/woman. you can get it at any grocery store wal-mart any where. you can also get DI which is diluted about the same with r/o. its about 39cents a gallon. much better than using tap. skimmer for the 20 are you running a sump ? if not you can do a hang on. my cpr bak-pak is working great it's a hang on. you can do ACR or prizm skimmers

 

[vanos]

409 cleaner huh? I don't know if you can still use your tank. You may want to wait for other opinions. Do not use any type of cleaner. Just use hotwater next time to clean your tank with some paper towels or a clean unused sponge. Before I delved into this hobby, I spent 6 months researching on the internet and reading 2 books.
Don't worry about mixing and using your hydrometer because if it's the plastic one that costs $20 it's garbage. I have a portable refractometer which gives an accurate reading. I suggest buying ***** saltwater which you don't have to worry about mixing. It costs $9.99 for 5 gallons. You can add distilled water when you top off your tank due to evaporation. In your case, it may be 1 gallon every 2 weeks in your 20G. Don't use poland spring water. If you go this route, don't worry about buying a refractometer because the ***** water is already at the correct SG. In the future you may want to get one.
I believe every saltwater tank needs a protein skimmer. I have a cpr bacpak which is awesome. You may be able to get away with a cheaper one on your 20 gallon. Some people have seaclones or a prizm. Your tank may take up to 1-2 months to cycle. Don't run your skimmer during the cycle. Just drop the dead shrimp in there and be patient.
Did your lights come come with both 10,000k and blue actinics? Depending on what you want in your tank, you may not need those lights. Fish only or fish only with liverock probably not. You can get away with plain old flourescents. If you want soft corals then those lights are fine. But your lights are good to have if you want to upgrade in the future. If you want a power filter go with a penguin which I run with carbon only on the weekends. It's also great for water circulation.
Read all of the other posts on here. Many people have multiple years of experience and are very knowledgable. Please read as much as you can before you dive into this hobby because it can be very complicating and very expensive.
If you can try and buy your equipment online because it's so much cheaper compared to your lfs. I have also bought fish online from this site and I recommend doing so.

 

[fatmatt]

If im goin with no filter can i still have a skimmer? i read that if your gonna do it that way it could mess up the system if you use a skimmer if this is not true i think im gonna order a skimmer online any1 know if this 1 is any good? Saline Solutions Hooked On Protein Skimmer 30, Red Sea Prizm Skimmer, or the Aquarium Systems Seaclone Protein Skimmer - 100 im pretty sure there all hang ons i do have a filter siting around is a whisper 20 i think it came with the tank put i dont think i should use it. it seems like a peice of junk to me. This tank does not have a sump. This is my first sw tank EVER. i do have a 25 long siting around put i dont know cuz its kinda skinny i hopfully can use the 20 i think im gonna wash it realy good with hot water. Is there a way to see if i can use the tank be4 doin anythgin(i know it sounsd dumb) o yes whats the math to find out how many gallons a tank is? umm im i forgettin anything.... o yes! i forgot to say ty for the big help guys i might order fish off the site i just wanna check it out make sure its safe

 

[fatmatt]

sry not to keep this in 1 big reply but i bin readin my light think and it says fluorescent fixture with lamps included so are those ok for coral and stuff?

 

[vanos]

Yes, they are ok for coral. If you have a 20G tank and your light is 96 watts then that is 4.8 watts/gallon. It's good for soft corals. You can buy a skimmer and have no filter. That's pretty much what I do now. I have a penguin power filter which I run on the weekends with carbon. Do you want to know how many fish that your tank can support? Is that your question. I believe it's 2-3 inches per 10 gallons. But it depends on the type of fish you want to have in your system. If you can afford a bakpak, I would recommend this brand. I bought mine online.

 

[fatmatt]

hmm i dont see bakpak from this place i buy my stuff from is that the full name? well i dont wanna spend over $70 of this skimmer so im probly gonna get a Aquarium Systems Seaclone Protein Skimmer - 100 do you know if its any good and if it will crap out on me?

 

[airforceb2]

Originally Posted by Fatmatt
sry not to keep this in 1 big reply but i bin readin my light think and it says fluorescent fixture with lamps included so are those ok for coral and stuff?

What kind of light is it? If it is only the stock bulb...it won't house corals at all. You would need around 5 watts per gallon for the softies.

 

[byrnes]

build a 10 gallon fuge, with mag 5 return and you can put your heater and skimmer *whci hyou should have, in there)

 

[vanos]

I've heard mixed results with the seaclone but if your budget is $100 then go and buy it. I have a cpr bacpak.

 

[airforceb2]

If your budget is $100 get an Excalibur HV1. It is A LOT better than a seaclone or bakpak.

 

[fatmatt]

my budget for the skimmer is $70 so ill probly get the one im looking at..... but about the lighting... i think its a 20gal tank any1 know how to find out how many gallons it is? the bulbs the lighting came with compact fluorescent and its Coralife 20" 96 Watt Quad Aqualight Compact Square Pin. it useing 4 bulbs if the fluorecent bulbs are not good with bulbs are? about the tank... i rinsed it with hot water in my tub for good 20 mins and whent over it with a sponge. Do you think its safe?(if it was you would u still use it?) i do have a spare 25gallon long put it was a lizard tank. Also when you add live rock does your tank need to be cycled?

 

[byrnes]

get the 130 watt lihgt cause the 96 watt is only 20 inches and 20H tanks are 24" which the 130 watter is. the 20 gallon tank is uhhh 20 gallons

 

[fatmatt]

just want to mkae sure its 20gals lol and well i cant return the light i bought it on line... i have brackets so it will fit but i cant have any corals or anything? because its 96 watts? any idea about the other questinS?

 

[byrnes]

youll be fine, im sure once its hooked up youll be able to tell where the light is strong. just put the corals where the light is strong