New 20gal+ setup

[clownfish4life]

Me and my wife have been thinking about seting up a small tank in our living room and would like to know, what's the best type of Lighting, Filters/Protein Skimmers, Test kits etc.... to buy. Any help would be appreciated.
Thank you,
Clown

 

[dindi]

It depends on what you like. Let us know. Type of fish, do you want corals etc..

 

[clownfish4life]

maybe 1 really medium sized fish, maybe a maroon clown or a purple tang, but i think purple tangs have to be in a 40gal+. corals would be nice to add into my tank also.

 

[irenicus]

I believe a tang would need a bigger tank.

 

[dindi]

With a tank that small maybe you should go reef, lots of color (boatloads of work and loot) with small reef safe fish Do your research, not just here but really good books as well

 

[ntvflgirl]

Clownfish4life...to answer a few of your questions...
Lighting is a major issue. You need about 8 watts of VHO lights per gallon of tank water. Or more, depending on the kinds of things you want in your tank. It's a preference, really whether you want VHO, PCs or MH. Just research it, and you'll understand a little better.
Secondly, you won't need an actual filter, if you get enough live rock, and use live sand as your substrate. Plenty of information on this here on this board if you need it. A skimmer is a great idea. Get one that is double the size needed for your tank. For example, if you have a 20 gallon tank, get one that is for a 40 or higher.
As far as test kits go, the Salifert test kits are pretty easy, and accurate.
Keep one thing in mind. You would think smaller tanks are easier to start with being a beginner. The opposite is true. Smaller tanks, less that 20 gallons, are called nano tanks, and require a good bit of attention. You will have better water conditions, and more room for error in a tank of at least 55 gallons. That way, if something goes wrong...which often happens...you have a better chance of saving your system. Good luck, and welcome to the boards. Here's a link you may want to check out.
http://www.simplifiedreefkeeping.com/faq/faq.htm
Hope this helps

 

[ntvflgirl]

One other thing, if you only want fish or fish and live rock, you will have a lot more flexability with the lighting, which can be pretty expensive. Not a whole lot is required for this type of tank.
Good luck

 

[majakarot]

30g tanks are a nice inbetween size (36") i think it would be stable enough if you didn't want to jump right in w/ a 55- i ran a 29 for years and i see many others on this site do too

 

[koiman6]

If you buy a 20 go with a 20L instead of a 20h because you will have more surface area in the 20L. Ive had a pearlescale butterfly in my 20L and a Coral Beauty. The Pearlescale lasted a
1 1/2 monthes and the coral beauty lasted for about 3 monthes. Not sure why they died, no visible problems but i would stay away from buterflies for a while because they are hard to keep and they also eat invertebrates. I have a hawkfish in my 20 and ive had him for about 7 monthes now and he is thriving. I also have two false percs who have been in there for about 8 monthes and they are doing great. I also have a bicolor blenny who is doing very well. I would say 4 fish in a 20L is about the limit. Tangs get fairly large and require lots of algae and swimming room. Other fish you could try are cardinalfish, gobies, damsels (oonly for cycling), basslets, and wrasses. Good luck with your tank and keep us posted.