Bad Feelings about New Tank

[martianarts]

The more and more I read, the more I feel like there is something I missed in setting up my 20 gallon tank.
Three weeks ago I set it up using treated tap water. I'm also using LR and 'live' sand. I've got a gimpy "up to 30 gallons" hang-on filter and a protein skimmer filtering the water.
All Ammonia, NitrIte and NitrAte levels are med-high but stable. I've seen no drops and any of them. Salinity is good, alkalinity is good. Water hardness seems high, but I'm not sure if that is normal for a SW tank.
Lighting is whatever cheap-o crap lighing that came with the tank cover.
So...if anyone sees any mistakes or anything ovelooked, please advise!
I'm planning on a few small colorful fish and an anemone. Maybe less (stupid 18 lbs of LR.. -_-) What kind of lighting would you recommend? What are good lighting guidelines?
Anything I can do to quickly finish up the cycling?

 

[birdy]

You are doing fine, here are a few suggestions though:
1. I would recommend using RO or distilled water you will have fewer problems with algae if you do.
2. Get more LR I recommend around 1.5lbs per gallon of water.
3. Your sandbed should be around 4" this will help keep nitrates low.
4. What did you cycle tank with? There is nothing you can do to speed up the cycle you just have to wait it out.
5. I do not recommend anyone getting an anemone. they are very delicate and do not live long in captivity (with few exceptions)
If you want something for a clownfish to host in many will go in hairy mushrooms (which are easy to keep with correct lighting and good water quality).
6. As far as lighting goes, it depends on what you want to keep. I am not the most knowledgeable person on lighting so I will just tell you to research what you want to keep and how much lighting it requires.

 

[marvida]

One of the problems in setting up your first tank is that there is way too much time between stages. This gives you a chance to second guess everything you have done and the doubt creeps in.
It sounds to me that you are right on track. Your basic system is set up & now you are waiting....and waiting. The important thing is to not rush things, of course if you don't, you will be one of a very small minority. The good news is this; you still have a few weeks to do some research into what you would like your tank to become. Do some searching in all of the different forums to determine things like how big the anenome that you want is going to get. What you put in the tank is going to dictate lighting. Do some research, kick back & enjoy!

 

[wrassecal]

Did I miss it? How much live rock do you have?

 

[krowleey]

I do not recommend anyone getting an anemone. they are very delicate and do not live long in captivity
thats a new one on me, if you do it right they live for years.

 

[birdy]

They live for a very very long time in the wild (I have heard hundreds of years) but in captivity people are lucky to keep them 6mo to a year. The only exception may be the BTA which can sometimes do very well and propagate in captivity, but most people do not have very good luck with them and most aquarist recommend they not be kept unless you have a very established tank and the proper lighting. This is kind of a sore area for me, I worked at a zoo for years and I saw them rip animals out of the wild only to see them waste away in captivity. It is one of the reasons I am no longer in that field. I feel anyone in this hobby has a responsibility to protect those animals that perish in captivity no matter how hard we try to keep them. There are plenty of beautiful creatures we can keep in our tanks that do well, why keep the one that wastes away in our tanks? Sorry to rant, I will get off my soapbox now

 

[beaslbob]

Originally posted by MartianArts
The more and more I read, the more I feel like there is something I missed in setting up my 20 gallon tank.
Three weeks ago I set it up using treated tap water. I'm also using LR and 'live' sand. I've got a gimpy "up to 30 gallons" hang-on filter and a protein skimmer filtering the water.
All Ammonia, NitrIte and NitrAte levels are med-high but stable. I've seen no drops and any of them. Salinity is good, alkalinity is good. Water hardness seems high, but I'm not sure if that is normal for a SW tank.
Lighting is whatever cheap-o crap lighing that came with the tank cover.
So...if anyone sees any mistakes or anything ovelooked, please advise!
I'm planning on a few small colorful fish and an anemone. Maybe less (stupid 18 lbs of LR.. -_-) What kind of lighting would you recommend? What are good lighting guidelines?
Anything I can do to quickly finish up the cycling?
The best thing you can do to finish up cycling is nothing. Literally nothing. no feeding fish, no water changes, and allow your filtration and lighting to continue. Your ammonia and nitrItes will fall to 0.0 shortly. When they start falling it will only take a day or two. And don't forget to replace water that evaporates.

 

[crazy8]

Listen to Bob on this. I am of that few minority that was patient on cycling my tank and so far it has paid off. I have a 55 gal and I bought rock on two different orders giving my about 90 lbs. My amonia fell a lot faster than yours, but my nitrites took forever. I am thinking I didn't use any LS and that slowed things down a bit. But now, I am rolling (I hope). I have added a clown, Domino Damsel, and coral banded shrimp and all look great. I had the smallest of spikes when I added them and all levels are down to 0 now (even nitrates are so low they don't show up).
To give you an idea, I cycled for over 6 weeks to get my levels down. My PH fell, I had more diatoms and that nasty red algae than you could imagine and my tank looked like crap, but every day someone asked me "you got any fish yet" I said no and I probably won't for a while. It was killing me, but now I am glad I waited. Just felt like telling you everyone worries about their startup, but if you followed the basics, just sit back and forget about your tank and start checking weekly instead of daily and you will be pleasantly surprised when it is ready. Remember, you haven't even got your ammonia to fall yet and that was the shortest part of the cycling for me.
Good luck.