Sump Pump Required On 20 Gallon?

[ara35]

Well I am making the big switch and I know a lot of people are going to ask the same questions over and over. I have read through many threads but never really got the answers I was looking for. I am talking about a 20 gallon tank reef

1. Do I need a sump pump or can I just have a couple power heads?

2. What is required to run a saltwater tank besides a heater, strong lighting, power heads, live rock and sand?

3. Without including the corals and the fish, how much is this equipment going to cost?

Any other comments and advice are appreciated and i will probably have questions when you respond.

THANK YOU

 

[Trod]

Well I am making the big switch and I know a lot of people are going to ask the same questions over and over. I have read through many threads but never really got the answers I was looking for. I am talking about a 20 gallon tank reef

1. Do I need a sump pump or can I just have a couple power heads?
Nope you don't need a sump, its a nice to have, not essential

2. What is required to run a saltwater tank besides a heater, strong lighting, power heads, live rock and sand?
A protein skimmer is always a good thing to have, and a lot of patients

3. Without including the corals and the fish, how much is this equipment going to cost?

How long is a piece of string, if you buy second hand stuff its a lot cheaper, I'd do a lot of searching on the internet to find some bargains

Any other comments and advice are appreciated and i will probably have questions when you respond.

What are your ultimate plans e.g FO, FOWLR or full Reef. If you can give us a bit more info on your plans I'm sure we can help you more

THANK YOU

 

[ara35]

alright i did some research. please let me know if i missed anything for a 20 gallon reef tank. i want LR coral anemones and some fish/shrimp.

-Tank

-Light (is this sufficient?) http/cgi.ebay.com/24-Power-Compact-Aquar...05|293:1|294:50

-Live Rock (how much does this cost for a 20 gallon?)

-2 powerheads http/www.marinedepot.com/ps_ViewItem~cat...ory~FIPHFF.html

-Heater (what wattage should I use?)

-Aragonite sand

- Salt (which type should be used for a reef tank?)

- test kit (what is a good test kit and what should i test for?)

-refractometer (do the non digital ones work well or do i need to get the digital?)

more questions:

do i need a reverse osmosis unit?
do i need to add anything for coral such as calcium?

suggestions, answers, comments and point out things i missed are ALL VERY WELCOME!!!!

 

[Trod]

alright i did some research. please let me know if i missed anything for a 20 gallon reef tank. i want LR coral anemones and some fish/shrimp.
Forget about anemones for now they are difficult to keep and are best in a large, mature tank

-Tank I would go as big as I could

-Light (is this sufficient?) [URL="http/cgi.ebay.com/24-Power-Compact-Aquar...05|293:1|294:50"]http/cgi.ebay.com/24-Power-Compact-Aquar...05|293:1|294:50[/URL]
Not sure I'll have to let someone else answer that one
-Live Rock (how much does this cost for a 20 gallon?)

Around 15Kg should be ok to start

-2 powerheads [URL="http/www.marinedepot.com/ps_ViewItem~cat...ory~FIPHFF.html"]http/www.marinedepot.com/ps_ViewItem~cat...ory~FIPHFF.html[/URL]

Yep looks good

-Heater (what wattage should I use?)

100w will be perfect

-Aragonite sand Yep

- Salt (which type should be used for a reef tank?)
Personal choice, have a look at, tropic marin pro reef. H20 reef. Instant ocean all are good

- test kit (what is a good test kit and what should i test for?)
Salifert, you'll need PH, Ammonia, NitrIte, NitrAte to start with.

-refractometer (do the non digital ones work well or do i need to get the digital?)

Yes, have a look on ebay there are usually lots of them on there

more questions:

do i need a reverse osmosis unit?
You don't need one, you can buy RO water from the LFS, but I would recommend getting one if you can, it will be a lot cheaper and easier in the long run
do i need to add anything for coral such as calcium?
Don't add anything to the tank that you aren't testing for, once your tank is up and running you can start testing for calcium and Magnesium then add if necessary

suggestions, answers, comments and point out things i missed are ALL VERY WELCOME!!!!

 

[ara35]

wont i need anemones for clown fish?

i cant go any larger than a 20 gallon for right now due to money and moving...

where can i get a cheap reverse osmosis unit and does it hook up to the actual water supply?

 

[Trod]

wont i need anemones for clown fish?
No, Most Clown fish are tank bred and have never seen an Anemone, they live quite happily without them

i cant go any larger than a 20 gallon for right now due to money and moving...

Thats fair enough
where can i get a cheap reverse osmosis unit and does it hook up to the actual water supply?

Yes. you can attach it to any mains fed pipe.
You can look for 2nd hand units, although I would give a word of warning here as most 2nd hand units will probably need new membranes which can be expensive. I would personally buy a new unit, Have a look at RO man They aren't cheap but they are worth it

 

[SkiFletch]

Going by the ebay link, I'll assume you live in the States. If that's true, go right back to ebay for a good price on an RO unit RO is RO is RO, so you don't have to buy an "aquarium" model. I personally have a drinking water type one. Just make sure whatever one you buy it comes with a flush valve/kit