first saltwater, reef tank

[Scarycakes]

So i wanted to make a reef tank, i wanted to use a 20g long. I have been doing some research, and i still have a couple more months until im home so ive got a lot of reading time. My questions are :

For filtration, i was reading primary filtration is from liverock, and a protein skimmer wont be necessary. Would that work for a 20g? I read as long as you do frequent water changes a skimmer inst necessary. For the power head i believe it was about 7-10 times the tanks total water volume. Would that be to much water movement for a 20 long though?

I also was trying to figure out which source of lighting would be best. I read Powercompact lamps hands down are the best, However VHO fluorescent lights were great.

Also i was trying to figure out exactly what types of corals would be best. I researched a few of the easier beginner corals. Zoanthids, Green Star Polyps, Pom Pom Xenia, Chili coral, branching montipora, Torch Coral, Turbinaria. Those were just a couple i was researching.

Anyways those were the main questions. I will probably have a couple more, as i continue my searches, but i appreciate you guys reading, and helping. Thanks

 

[Kevin8888]

I think you will find alot of that info out of date. Here is a quick up to date for ya.

-sand does more bio then rock hands down (lots of people will argue but they are wrong) 1 cubic foot of sand has something like 8000 sq feet of surface for bacteria to grow on for bio filtration (for 0.125mm sand)

-no you dont need a skimmer (silly on small tanks anyway considering the cost), but it means you will have to do more water changes, unless you get an algea scrubber (still need waterchanges just less) volume being irrelivent.

-PC lights suck, old tech low lifespan, same with VHO (dont cut it for high light corals) unless you only want low light corals like mushrooms. Go with T5s properly cooled T5s can last 2 years (though those fixtures cost a ton, and have a fan for every bulb).

-water movement would recomend 200gph with corals requiring highest flow being nearer to the powerhead.

 

[Kevin8888]

dont cycle with damsels its cruel to the fish, and unnessisary and its impossible to add new fish after as damsels are unbeliveable agressive, so you would have to get rid of them which is again cruel. a 60g-100g skimmer would be wayyyy to huge for this tank there is a such thing as over skimming contrary to popular belief (in my books any skimming is over skimming). I agree with the cycle before corals though, its a good idea to have the tank cycle for 2-3 weeks (or more if you have the time) and then have it established with fish for a month at minimum before you add corals. HBO filter is a good idea if you dont intend to have a sump.

 

[Scarycakes]

Well time is no issue, i have all the time in the world haha. I still want to research some more. What corals are nicer? High light corals? I think the ones i liked most were high light. Thanks for the advice guys...any advice really would help.