starting a 20 gal hex

[enzofreak2001]

I'm going to make my 20 gal hex in my living room into a saltwater and i want to know what all would i need to set it up and what kind of fish i should get.

 

[YahooFishKeeper]

you will probably need a couple of powerheads, live rock, a new filter (trust me, i saw the old one), sand (i would get aragonite), new lighting if you plan on keeping corals, and lots of money.

 

[enzofreak2001]

how much do you think that stuff would cost?

 

[YahooFishKeeper]

powerheads=$20-30
live rock=about $5 per lb. you will need around 20-30 lbs.
sand=not sure but not too much
new lights... hmmm halides maybe?=$100 plus dollars.
and salt... like $20 for the big box.

 

[enzofreak2001]

ok thanks and i would still like more info on what kind of fish i should start off with

 

[YahooFishKeeper]

you can check out the profiles here, they have some good info on fish

 

[SkwidsLair]

ok thanks and i would still like more info on what kind of fish i should start off with

You two with your avatars are confusing the hell outta me. lol

Anyways, with a 20g you won't be able to go with anything too big, obviously. I'm not very familiar with saltwater, yet, but clowns are always good for small tanks. Being that yours is a hex (and likely more vertical) you may want to consider a seahorse tank, as they like to swim vertically.

 

[enzofreak2001]

ok my parents like saehorses so that would be a good idea

 

[YahooFishKeeper]

seahorses need to be fed live food i think, and i am pretty sure they need to be fed often. i have also heard they are very advanced fish, hard to get a hold of, and hard to keep alive... so you might want to do research. im not sure what everyones imfatuation (sp) is with seahorses, nemos, and dorys is, but it gets on my nerves. sorry if i crushed anyones hopes and dreams.

 

[Zman16]

sorry if i crushed anyones hopes and dreams.

How could crush my dreams like that? ..lol.. Just kidding. I do know that my seahorses do eat ghost shrimp.
And my lfs has at least two all the time.

 

[fish outa wata]

my lfs has them but they seem to be finicky eaters, so I have stayed away. ghost shrimp huh?
Hey Zman how big is your seahorse?

 

[enzofreak2001]

my lfs doesnt have any sw fish and i need some place else to go and thanks for telling me what they eat

 

[Joshua76]

most seahorses eat brine shrimp since they will stay in the tank long enough for the horses to get to them. They are slow eaters which is why any competition is not good(hence the species only tank) if you get some make sure they are tank bred (most are nowa-days they breed readily in tanks) make sure you can get live brine shrimp from a lfs. There's lots of good info out there on seahorses, keep up with the research.

 

[Pure]

This is one of the best online shops I know of. Darn cheap Live Rock too. Saltwater Fish, Corals, Invertebrates, Clams & Live Rock

 

[YahooFishKeeper]

enzo, you can go to the one i go to. they have lots of stuff, and pretty good prices on live rock. if you buy lots of stuff they give you good deals. the guy there gave me live sand for free.

 

[Zman16]

my lfs has them but they seem to be finicky eaters, so I have stayed away. ghost shrimp huh?
Hey Zman how big is your seahorse?

Sorry about that I don't have seahorses. I must have been day dreaming at the time. But I have seen them eat ghost shrimp.

 

[enzofreak2001]

what lighting should i go with for it? since its tall im not sure.

 

[Zman16]

what lighting should i go with for it? since its tall im not sure.

Depends. Do you want coral? If so what kind?

If you don't want coral, you could probably get some cheap 17w or so light that will cover your tank.

 

[enzofreak2001]

yes i would like to get coral. im thinking about getting either a mushroom or a zoo because i heard they are easier than some other corals.

 

[enzofreak2001]

this is what my tank looks like i still have to take out the crushed coral though