Help please!

[josh f]

I have a 20gal, not long, tank that I want to set up as my first marine tank. I know it's small and I will get a larger one soon, I have bay windows I want to put a 120gal in, but must reinforce the cabinets underneath first. There is a 55gal there now. What equipment would you recommend for my 20gal? Right now I have a biowheel 125, a profile 600 powerhead (85gph) are air features ok? I have an air pump and a few air stones in it now, but that was to mix up the salt well... can i leave them in? under some rock maybe, I dunno let me know! I am going to put in 40lbs live sand I'm not sure how much live rock, but I want to cover the back wall if possible... any ideas on how to do that? with crevices and such, like the rocky areas around the beach, you know what I mean. And I'm only going to add a few fish, not alot at all, are inverts ok though? will they make as much ammonia? what should my cleanup crew be? I want a peaceful setup, but might add some sea monkeys, i hear they get rowdy... j/k, and help would be great, and also, whats something good to make a constant current across the tank? not a light current either, is that ok for a reef tank?

 

[krazzydart]

a 20 gallon is a little small, but might make an ok mini-reef..... put in your crushed coral,sand,or what ever your base is gonna be, have your water made, add it to the tank.... leave 3 or 4 inches of room for water to rise after adding 20-25 lbs live rock, let it in the tank with NO lights on, for a week.... test water if amonia lvls high do a 50% water change.... (be sure to have all filters up and running as well as powerheads) wait a few more days do water test,,,, change 1/4 of the water.... start leaving lights on 2-4 hrs a day.... for a week ..... then build up to 7-9 hrs a day and when you start seeing brown algae turning green test water and if OK get a small clean up crew ..... wait a few weeks after the crew does its thing .... and in a tank that small you could get by with a 6-line wrasse, a couple of clown percs / anem., and a goby.... only start with the clowns.... wait 2 weeks before getting anything else, test water..... good luck

 

[burnnspy]

I don't recommend small tanks for reef beginners, because are usually unstable. A beginner doesnt need to learn reef maintenance in a tank that can change chemistry in a day of two, usually at the cost of dead livestock.
I would purge the 55gal and use that instead.
BurnNSpy