# Thinking of setting up a 20 gallon experimental fish only tank. Any thoughts?



## Richbinduga (Apr 4, 2013)

Hello. My girlfriend suggested to me that since I love going to the aquarium so much why don't I setup a salt water tank at home. I currently only have a freshwater system. I just thought maybe it wouldn't be such a bad idea to try out this old 20 gallon tank I have laying here. I figured maybe just fish only or fish only with live rock could be cool without too much of a problem. It is only experimental. I would probably only stock it with a mandarin fish or clown fish. What are your thoughts? Or tips or warnings?


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## Sully (Oct 31, 2012)

http://www.aquariumforum.com/f67/what-you-might-need-start-your-41978.html

First off, the above link is an all inclusive list for SW start up. It is an excellant referance to use.

To start with, a mandarin is probably not a good idea. They need a well established tank with copeapods and a refugium that you can breed copapods with to replenish your main tank. Clownfish would be an excellant choice. There are many other gobies you could look at that will eat most anything you feed your clownfish. You'll have lots of questions along the way and we'll help you out.


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## Reefing Madness (Aug 12, 2011)

Yea, I'd stay away from the Mandarin for a beginning fish, they ate tough emiugh as it is, let alone you having to dose a new tank with PODS. Plenty of other colorul fish to choose from.


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## catfisherpro (Apr 5, 2013)

U can get some damselfish the are hardy an forgiving if u do some wrong. plus are good to cycle a tank wit cause they are cheap


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## Richbinduga (Apr 4, 2013)

Thanks guys. What kind if filter should I use for a 20 gallon?


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## Reefing Madness (Aug 12, 2011)

If your just going with a FOWLR, any filter rated for your tank size is fine.


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## Goby (Mar 21, 2012)

Richbinduga said:


> Thanks guys. What kind if filter should I use for a 20 gallon?


How to Start a Saltwater Tank - Video Series - Bulk Reef Supply

The link above will take you to a short video. Bulkreefsupply.com is more than it’s name implies. I’ve found their video library helpful.

I use live rock and a protein skimmer to filter a 55-gallon SW tank with a 40-gallon sump. I keep a few common SW fish, a few coral and sponge, inverts like stars, urchins, shrimp and crab, but mostly sessile inverts- some touchy when it comes to water quality. I don't know how much live rock I use to filter my tank...over 100lbs but less than 150. I've read that one pound per gallon is enough. I've read that 2 pounds per gallon is better. I also keep macroalgae in my sump. Have you learned the benefits of using live rock and macroalgae yet? If not, the videos at bulkreefsupply.com can teach you about it, and about the benefits of using a sump or refugium too. You likely won’t use a sump with your 20-gallon tank but regardless, it’s still need-to-know information and if you’re like most, you’ll be upgrading sooner rather than later. I have an upgrade project in the works that’s taken on a life of its own. Back to live rock…I'd kept freshwater fish for years, and initially had a hard time trusting that rock could filter a SW tank but discovered it works beautifully...better than mechanical filtration IMO. 

However, like RM said, any filter rated for a 20+ gallon tank will work for a 20-gallon fish-only tank, as fish can tolerate the nitrates that mechanical filters leave in the water. (Some corals and inverts however, have a much lower tolerance for nitrates.) In addition, it's useful to have a place for a filter-cartridge to run carbon or catch debris on occasion (not that you couldn't just use a hang-on-back filter temporarily when needed). 

Here's a link to the filter I use with my 20 gallon SW quarantine tank. I don't keep live rock in it. I like Tom products. I think I paid $40-some bucks for that filter new and I think that included the media inside. 

I have a 10-gallon tank to raise pods and brine shrimp. I feed that tank heavily and its only filter is one large live rock. That single rock keeps the water in the tank more than safe enough for fish.

FYI: For what it’s worth, if I were starting a 20-gallon SW display tank, I wouldn't cycle it with fish. Instead, I'd cycle it with 5+ pounds of uncured living rock purchased from a licensed aquaculturist. They'll mail it to you moist. At the same time, I'd also place 20+ pounds of dry/dead rock in the tank. Bulk Reef Supply is one source for dry rock but there are many others. At the end of the cycle, I'd have 25+ pounds of living rock. Those concerned about "hitchhikers", could use 5+ pounds of cured rock instead...also available by mail or LFS. Beyond that, some people make their own dry rock...I think there's a video about it at BRS, if not, try youtube...they use Cheerios believe it or not.

Good Luck


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