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20 gallon saltwater tank stocking help!!?
I was going to do a 55 gallon setup, and got advice from here on stocking, but I decided on a 20 because I had the tank lying around, so I thought I might as well set it up. I was wondering if anyone had any specific fish to stock a 20 gallon saltwater tank with? I have live rock in the tank, I also have the filter running and a power head. It just has to cycle with a hardy fish (or I was thinking about sticking a dead fish in there, letting it cycle with that). The filter is a 75 GPH old Aquaclear filter with a sponge as biomedia, I think this should be plenty as saltwater tanks generally need less mechanical filtration (I've heard because of the liverock/bacterial filtration). I just want a specific list of fish (the maximum possible) and inverts to stock the tank with! Thanks!!
3 Answers
- 1 decade agoFavorite Answer
Hey,I have a 20 gallon set up as well. Mine is stocked with a pair of ocellaris clowns and a blue devil damsel. They get along but only because the damsel has a nice hiding spot the larger more aggressive clown can't can't in, they sometimes chase eachother around.
I think an odd number of fish is the best because it spreads out some aggression, two may just have eachother to fight with.
Personally I think you need way way better filtration rule of thumb for saltwater is to have double the filtration it says for that tank.I have a aquaclear filter which I converted into a refugium its 250gph and I have another aqueon that 200gph with carbon phosban and some other stuff.
The live rock and live sand help I got about 12 pounds of live rock but the live rock doesn't help until it is full of benefital bacteria which takes a while, you can speed it up by adding rock with it already.
It also depends on what you want to put if you want to add corals you need correct light and probly a skimmer to get pristine water conditions. For just fish maybe no skimmer if you don't want.
Personally if I could do it over in my 20 I would put only one fish, a dwaf lionfish and just let him rule.
- Anonymous1 decade ago
1.reefs need about 10-15 times the tank volume in flow, that's 200 to 300 gph for you.
2.I don't know what you mean by needing less mech filtration, perhaps you meant biologic.
3.put a cut sponge over the filter intakes to protect the pump from getting clogged with critters, / protect the critters from the pump, if you get a bigger aquaclear you can put some live rock pieces in it as a "refugium"
4.if you want a healthy tank then less fish, really, like none or 2. there is no maximum, less is better.
5.too many inverts, fish , fish food, etc. will foul up the tank and you'll have a nightmare
6.do only hardy corals like mushrooms and zooanthids and you'll have a better time. especially at first.
7.no anemones, again, small tank, less waste, easier and healthier
8.you'll need good lighting, as much as you can fit over the tank. Check fish stores for fixtures with 2 or 3 power compact bulbs. 1, 10,000kelvin and 1, actinic bulb or something like that
So, more flow, less animals and you'll be good.
edit: no f'n damsels, those guys are little bastards
