20G Long x 2....ideas?

[FroggyFox]

Hey guys...you might have (probably not) seen that Im planning on replacing the 15G hex I have right now with two 20G long tanks. Now before someone suggests "if you can afford two 20G why dont you just get a 40G" or whatever...due to the size I have and the space I want it to fit in, thats what I decided on...so the tank sizes really aren't optional. EVERYTHING else is up in the air...since I haven't bought any equipment.

Only requirements are that between the two of them I have some LR, a firefish, two nassarius snails and a hermit crab to transfer over from the 15. I think in one tank I'd like a pair of firefish...so if you think you'd add anything to a 20G long with a pair of firefish a hermit and a snail, let me know. I'd like to try a little clown goby again...doesn't have to be right now...but its a thought. I could probably keep the 15 up as a qtine tank for awhile on the other side of the room.

I haven't decided if the tanks should be plumbed together or if there'd be any point in doing that since they're next to each other sitting on the same level and both very visible. I'll be mounting a shelf of some sort above them to hang lighting and do some kind of a hood that I can move or get past to do maintenance. Haven't decided what lighting so thoughts on that would be appreciated too. I'd like at least one tank to have some type of corals or what not that require more lighting...

Anyway...thanks in advance for any ideas

 

[OCCFan023]

Hmm this is a interesting idea. What I would do is make one a FOWLR, and then the other go all out on corals. Instead of just adding corals to each, I would focus on one and revolve the fish around the corals and then in the second tank (or coral tank) put the firefish nassarius and hermit in the fowlr. You really have any options, its just up to you.

The equipment will be annoying becasue it will all be doubled (minus the stuff you havein the 15). Get some nice lighitng for the one tank and a more reasonable one for the other, then powerheads and some more live rock and your set.


I think it would be really cool to have them right next to each other like ina line, or stacked on each other like one on a shelf and the other below it on a shelf.


You may hate this idea completly, but thats what I was thinking. Its ai ntriguing idea to do a dual 20 long tank. Good luck

 

[FroggyFox]

are there any little fish that do well with corals, or critters etc? I do like the idea of the tanks looking different rather than trying for both of them the same look. Oh no of course I dont hate it! The way they are going to be set up is end to end against the wall at the back of a countertop that I'm going to install in my office for some more desk space. (well...I'll HELP install...dad will do the installing I'm sure haha Froggy is a little constructionally challenged)

 

[lordroad]

With the firefish, I would add a banghai cardinal or a royal gramma... not that spectacular, but they would look great over some soft corals. I'd invest in a 96 watt PC light, or overdrive some NO fluorescents (never done that myself so I can't say one way or the other). There are zoanthids of all kinds of colors and textures, same with shrooms. My personal favorite is green star polyps.

For your second tank, how about something a little off the wall? I think one of those dwarf octopi would be cool. Someone had a thread about one on here a while back, very interesting. Thing with the octopus is the tank must be closed or otherwise it will likely crawl out.

A predatory fish or otherwise unsafe reef fish would also be cool, but I don't know of any appropriate for a 20 gallon off the top of my head.

 

[DustinKeating]

If you were to set them side by side you could use 48" bulbs, therefor saving on cost and adding extra wattage! I would also plumb them together, maybe have a communal sump...saving money on skimmers, macro...stuff like that. Not to mention added water volume.