New aquarium

[emskim]

Hey I’m brand new to this hobby and this website. I got a 20 gal tank two weeks ago and as of now it’s looking pretty much fully cycled. Every aspect of my water is looking perfect like salinity my nitrates and nitrites and my ammonia. I’m getting two clowns today and I need more advise to continue this hobby and keep them healthy.

 

[Gumbies R Us]

Read up on this thread! This will give you a good basis of what you should know when starting your tank!

The Supreme Guide To Setting Up A Saltwater Reef Aquarium

The Supreme Guide To Setting Up A Saltwater Reef Aquarium Introduction The marine environment is one of the most complex systems on the planet. The aquarium you are about to set up is only a tiny sliver of the vast ocean, but it is nowhere near simple. This task is going to take patience, a...

www.reef2reef.com

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

The best advice is do a lot of reading and research, start with the article above, it explains filtration and water movement. Not to get down on you, but I see issue's with the tank, you will have challenges......

The tank needs more rock, rock is the foundation of the saltwater tank. You should have 25-35 lbs of rock in your tank. Rock is the biofilter of a tank, it provides hiding spaces for fish so they feel safe, and provides breeding space for micro critters. I would suggest to get more rock before the fish, the new rock should cycle before the fish are added.

Need at least one powerhead in the tank, 2 is better, Water movement is important, and most important is to agitate the water surface to help oxygenate the water, the surface should not be flat it creates a low oxygen environement. Algae also loves low flow environments, algae will grow in this tank. Remember we are replicating the ocean, ocean has strong water movement.

Get proper test kits, not API. Get salifert testers or hanna.

You basically built a freshwater tank, but this set up doesn't work well with saltwater hobby. Read the article above for help to prepare the tank properly before you add the fish. Good luck.

 

[BryanM]

Everything you need to know and more is in that article.

But as was said above, more rock is essential when you want to keep fish. Swim lanes and hiding places.

 

[emskim]

The best advice is do a lot of reading and research, start with the article above, it explains filtration and water movement. Not to get down on you, but I see issue's with the tank, you will have challenges......

The tank needs more rock, rock is the foundation of the saltwater tank. You should have 25-35 lbs of rock in your tank. Rock is the biofilter of a tank, it provides hiding spaces for fish so they feel safe, and provides breeding space for micro critters. I would suggest to get more rock before the fish, the new rock should cycle before the fish are added.

Need at least one powerhead in the tank, 2 is better, Water movement is important, and most important is to agitate the water surface to help oxygenate the water, the surface should not be flat it creates a low oxygen environement. Algae also loves low flow environments, algae will grow in this tank. Remember we are replicating the ocean, ocean has strong water movement.

Get proper test kits, not API. Get salifert testers or hanna.

You basically built a freshwater tank, but this set up doesn't work well with saltwater hobby. Read the article above for help to prepare the tank properly before you add the fish. Good luck.

Thank you! I’m getting a wave maker soon and I’m getting some more live rock today!

 

[mckennamichael407]

Dont feel rushed. I have done this many times and end up with dead fish or outbreaks that cost more in the long run then just waiting. It seems like you are on a good start but there is still more to be done. Its hard to fight the urge to add new fish (at least for me) but also look into all of the species you may want to get. Some are very finiky eaters and you will need to get the food supply up and running for them before you actually get them. Even if you only wants clowns, id at least suggest looking into a live rock box with some arch ways so you can create cover and definitely a power head. I dont know what type of lid you have, but i prefer the mesh tops on salt water tanks and you call add a little turbo fan to get great surface agitation.

Its not as hard as many people think, but its also not as easy either. The main suggestion i have is to get your tank set up built out before adding fish and as the above comments say, read, read and read some more and in that time all of your live rock and media can be cycling.