this is my 1st saltwater tank! help

[psyika]

ok I have a 20 gallon tank. I set it up with only a filter. Put in live sand and the salt. That was all the guy at the pet store told me to get. When i went back today someone told me that I needed a protien skimmer. What I wanted to know is if the tank is okay to run with out the protien skimmer for now. And what else whould i do to it. It's only been set up for a few days so far.

 

[mbrands]

You don't necessarily need a protein skimmer, but it will help to keep your tank clean.
What do you plan to keep in the tank.
Do not add anything until your tank has fully cycled, which typically takes around 4 weeks.

 

[oceana]

like said above you dont NEED one but most if not everyone here will tell you to get one. IMO they are a vital part of a reef and FO tanks.

 

[wbilton]

You won't need a protein skimmer until you start adding fish, but please listen to mbrands and wait for your cycle to complete before adding any fish.

 

[snipe]

In such small tank "IF" you have a large amount of live rock and a dsb I might even go completely filterless. But IMO I would still at least have a skimmer.

 

[cupcake]

Having the same problem, i have a 24 gal nano cube and have asked several of the different LFS about a protein skinner for my tank. they have all told me that with a tank as small as mine i don't really need a skimmer, but my weekly 10% water changes are really important. I have a 3 step filter and about 15 pounds of LR. I have always looked for a skimmer that would fit on my tank anyway and the smallest that i have found is for up to 100 gal and is almost 1/3 the size of my tank! are there any smaller skimmers? and if so where could i get one?

 

[santi2]

with a 20gal tank, you could get 30lbs of lr and maybe get 3lbs of real ls to seed your sandbed and you should be good to go. keep up with 10% weekly water change and you should be good without a skimmer, but the skimmer would help. i wouldn't do a dsb in a 20gal, it would take up too much room.
good luck

 

[psyika]

thanks for the replies so far..
How long and when will I know that the cycling is done??
Then I think at first i'm just going to put in a few clown fish and anemone...

 

[psyika]

oh yeah.. and when should i add the live rock to my tank?

 

[snipe]

(You will have 0 amonia 0 nitrites and your nitrates will be low to if there below 20ppm then its fine if there above do a 20% water change to get read of them. Only do the water change after the amonia nd nitrites are 0)
(It will have to be a small anemone since it is going in a 20 gallon you will have to research and find one that stays small and you will have to research clownfish and see if they will host that anemone)
(Add Live rock to the tank now while it is cycling. If you wait till its done then you will have to pay premium for cured rock or cure the rock your self taking around 2 weeks for that.)

 

[sonofkrono]

without a protein skimmer you'll be having to do water changes about every 2 days. spend the extra $150 and get yourself a decent protein skimmer.

 

[snipe]

I agree on getting the protein skimmer but I have seen ppl go completely filterless no skimmer no filter no nothing except live rock and live sand and they dont have to do a water change every couple of days. You can go skimmer less many ppl do but most ppl will tell you to get one it just pulls out extra nutrients you dont want.