How does this sound??

[thecaptain]

How does this sound for my first saltwater setup? The tank will be a 20 gallon long, with a 24" Nova Extrame HO t-5s. I'm just going to use an Aquaclear 110 for filtration, a Koralia 1 for extra water movement, and a 100 wat Jager heater. I'm planning on about 30#s of cured live rock, and 1-1.5" of aragonite. Probably half live, half dead.
As for inhabitants, I'm not positive... I know I would like a percula clown and one of the following: Lawnmower blenny, purple firefish, or a hi fin red banded goby. I'll also add some hermit crabs and brittle stars. I would also like a decorator crab, but I've heard that they're not always safe with corals. I will not add corals for a while, but when I am ready to add some, these are the ones I was interesetd in: ricordea mushroom, colt coral, leathers, metalic green plate coral, and various polyps.
Do these fish & corals sound okay for what I'm planning? Will they all be compatible? I'm very open to suggestions on any other fish or corals you think would do well in my tank. I was planning a 25% water change weekly, will this be sufficient?

 

[kyle]

that mite be a bit much for a 20g. i think ur HO mite be a bit much for shrooms too im not sure tho and clown fish do best in pairs

 

[Bifferwine]

All those corals would be fine. Mushrooms and zoanthids would do best placed near the bottom because they like lower light. Since you won't have a protein skimmer, 25% water changes weekly would probably be fine. You could put 3 fish in there pretty easily, 4 might be pushing it.

 

[thecaptain]

I am only putting in 2 fish. The clown and one of the others I listed. Or maybe a pair of clowns.

 

[daugherty]

a pair of clown would be good. and you should be fine with low light corals with those lights

 

[thecaptain]

So I'm finding out that clowns do better in pairs. Do you think I could keep a mated pair of clowns with one other small fish, or would that be overloading it? Which should I go with, Percula or Ocellaris? A couple places I've read say that the decorator crab is not reef safe. While I probably won't have any corals at first, I will add them eventually. Should I scratch the decorator crab off the list?? How many hermit crabs & brittle stars should I put in?

I know I ask a ton of questions, but I just don't want to get it running and then find out everything I have is incompatible or insufficient.

 

[daugherty]

i have had a decorator crab before and they can be very agressive and just plain A-holes. but they are neat looking. i would only have one star in your tank. if you plan on corals do not get a choc chip star. i think that you would be fine with three fish. maybe a firefish or some kind of goby.

 

[yote]

I think you would be fine with a pair of clowns and a couple of the firefish.I wouldnt add anymore than that though.
I also think you'd be alright with a brittle star.Just dont get the green one,There called green death for a reason.They eat fish.