What equipment upgrades should I buy to have success keeping beginner corals?

MaverickReef · Dec 11, 2019

I have a Fluval EVO 13.5 gallon. My current equipment/media filtration is as follows: Stock lighting, stock return pump, and the Chamber 1 InTank Media Basket upgrade (I run Filter Floss, Chemipure elite, and PhosBan in this chamber). My 2nd chamber only has a heater, which I am willing to move into the display if its necessary to add something else to chamber 2. The 3rd chamber has my return pump, and my tank is stocked with two Ocellaris clowns, 2 blue legged hermit crabs, 6 nassarius snails and 5 turbo snails, 10 lbs live rock, with a 1 inch sandbed.

I have had this setup for 4 months now and I think I am ready to begin keeping corals for the first time, but I don't know if I have a good enough setup to successfully keep them. I want to start by keeping the hardiest corals that I can, and just experience keeping something more challenging than two clownfish.

My tank is silent right now, so I want to avoid adding noise to the system, but I am open to getting a protein skimmer or converting chamber 2 to a refugium, but I need some advice if that is what is best to keep basic corals.

I don't want to spend a lot of money on equipment (I'm a college student on a budget) but I am willing to spend a little bit ($50-$150) on equipment and coral.

*Also ~ I don't have any way to make/get RO/DI water so I have to use tap water with dechlorinator and PhosBan to make do.

Any advice on what I could do?

Thank you!

JohnRiv · Dec 11, 2019

Having a budget 20 g, I can tell you first of all to get a good light, I got the hipargero for $60 on amazon and I know there's a Lominie asta 20 for $50 I believe. Either of these would be great for your tank, you can even keep some sps with the Hipargero. You can get fresh RO/DI water from any LFS I bought the 5 gallon jug for $12 and then it comes to about $2.50 for refills. Other than that you should be good with the filtration, just keep up with water changes. I'm sure there are some cheap powerheads availiable butt well, I got the Sicce voyager nano pump for $32 on amazon and it works great.

GreatSouth BayReefs · Dec 11, 2019

I also have the fluval 13.5. For beginner corals i think its perfect as it comes. No need to upgrade parts for easy to grow soft corals or easy LPS. The fluval protien skimmer is a waste of money. Totally useless 90% of the time, when you get it going good it only works for a few days then needs to be re-adjusted. Personally I took out the stock filter pad, and use a strip of 200 micron filter sock instead. i also added a aquamai kps wave maker and a 8'' reefbrite actinic led strip into the hood. Im growing everything well. MOST IMPORTANT thing about keeping the small tanks happy is stability. Checking parameters and dosing very very slowly. Also Distilled water you can purchase at the store is probably better then tap water but not as good as RODI