starting a 20gal saltwater, need filtration advice.

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savagly_raging

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
May 22, 2008
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Eureka CA
so i have a 20 gallon long tank that i want to set up with saltwater. its purpose is to eventually be a quarantine tank for my 30gal that will be set up later on. in the mean time i want to familiarize myself with saltwater by having a tank without corals or anything other than some neat fish, damsels and cardinals and such. when i eventualy set up the 30gal i'll be interested in things like corals and eels, but for now i want to get a good base set up. i have a heater already and really just need to figure out my filtration set up. i'm a college student and i therefore am looking for the cheepest way to filter my tank. i have much experience in freshwater fish keeping and am looking to make the move to saltwater. any help here would be greatly appreciated.

(could a regular old activated carbon filter work? cuz i have one of those lying around and i'd love to put it to use.)
 
if your tank is going to be a basic FOWLR (fish only with live rock) then a hob filter is plenty fine. Aquaclears work well because you have add some very some rock rubble or cheato (a form of algae which helps keep nitrate and phosphate down) and this would be more then plenty. Even if you decided to use just floss and maybe some carbon youd be fine. Id try and get a filter made for a 40 gallon tank becuase that extra turn over will help add current, and extra filtration power.

to answer your question about the carbon filter, im guessing you mean its air driven?? if so yes it would work but it would be rather un efficient on your tank. As i mentioned earlier i would recommend having floss to remove suspended crud in the tank and carbon or something along those lines.
 
filter floss is the white material that catches all the debris in the water. Its your form of mechanical filtration. When you purchase filters, they will have a filter insert with them.
 
ah, i just hadnt heard the term "floss" before. do you think i'd need a protien skimmer? im not really planning on doing any corals or anenomies or anything like that, just some fish and maybe a shrimp or two. i'd like to get it set up soon but im not sure whether or not im gonna need a skimmer.
 
:iagree:

unless you were going to stuff this tank full (which is just not common sense) it's a bit overkill
 
cool, i was just trying to avoid buying a skimmer if possible. i just want some damsels and some cardinals and a few shrimp, perhaps later i'd be interested in anenomies but not for now.
 
i wouldn't say SOME damsels AND SOME cardinals.. but they are two smaller hardy fish for a begginer
 
ya, i hear that they are good for those new to saltwater due to thier durability. i hope to have it up and running soon, i'll let ya know how the progress comes along.
 
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