Reddit reviews Fluval Advance Electronic Aquarium Heater (300 Watt)

I also started my first saltwater tank a few weeks ago and I'm 14. Now I went for a nano and it went just fine. First you need to learn about cycling. This is probably the most important thing. Ammonia and nitrite are extremely toxic to fish. There are bacteria colonies that make these into nitrates, the nitrates are only harmful in large quantities. Fish waster produces ammonia, which is transformed into nitrites by bacteria which is transformed into nitrates by bacteria. When you setup your tank, you need to throw a deli shrimp inside to produce ammonia. Then, with testkit you will test the water until you have 0 ammonia, 0 nitirites and less then 20 ppm of nitrates. Nitrates are removed through water changes. You will need ocean salt, RO/DI water, a heater, a hydrometer, a test kit, sand, live rock, a powerhead, and a filter. First you clean up the tank. Then you add sand that has been rinsed. Mix your saltwater and fill the tank about halfway. For a 20 gallon, I would purchase around 30 pounds of live rock. Place the rock in the position you like. The live rock is probably the most important thing in the tank. It houses the bacteria that keeps your fish from dying. This should be done within 2 hours. When satisfied with the placement, fill the tank up. Let it run for a day with the heater, filter and powerhead on. Check for leaks. Also, when making saltwater test it with the hydrometer do the specific gravity is between 1.021 and 1.026. Most fish prefer 1.024. The next day drop in the shrimp ad start testing. It will take around 3 weeks until your tank is ready for fish sometimes longer. The cycling process cannot be rushed. Any fish placed in earlier will DIE. Now, you wait. Also pH can be an issue. Use a marine buffer to take care of this. Algae is a bitch in saltwater and you will need a good cleanup crew. Go to reefcleaners.org and look at their recommendations and go from there. What do you plan on stocking? Use aqadvisor.com to see if you will be okay. Don't buy any products that claim to provide bacteria and shorten the cycle. They don't work and result in dead fish. When you get your fish, use the drip acclimation method for 2 hours before placing them in your tank.
Here's some supplies you will need
http://amzn.com/B000260FUW
Inside the filter, remove the carbon and add this,
http://amzn.com/B0002A5VK2
Also, put pieces of live rock inside the filter.
http://amzn.com/B000256EUS
Use saltwater when doing a water change and use reverse osmosis or distilled water to replace water that has evaporated every 2-3 days. Draw a small line at where the water should be so you know how much to add.
http://amzn.com/B00019JOSO
When measuring salinity, hold the hydrometer and tap it a few times to get rid of bubbles which can affect the results. A refractometer is more accurate but more expensive.
http://amzn.com/B0002A5W9M
This is a pretty good buffer.
You will need around 25-30 pounds of Sand which you can get at your local fish store as well as the live rock.
These are some good heaters
http://www.petmountain.com/product/aquarium-heaters/11442-526438/viaaqua-quartz-heaters.html
http://amzn.com/B001VMSK0I

Order a few of these for accurate temp measurement
http://amzn.com/B008SJ1H7A

This is a good high quality fish food and there is a lot of it for a good price
http://amzn.com/B0002E7ITK

For a background I like all black backgrounds so I got this for my tank
http://amzn.com/B002DWVIBI

I wouldn't suggest doing corals because they are pretty hard and sensitive.

As for lighting, this is pretty good http://amzn.com/B008K37X7C
But I don't know your tank dimensions. Someone else could probably offer better advice on lighting and what powerhead to get. Powerheads are also necessary.

Try to get a glass canopy for your tank. They are pretty useful.

Here's some pictures of my tank, I also did a planted 30 gallon last year when I was 13.

http://imgur.com/WTMuqma

http://imgur.com/AhfkVu2

http://imgur.com/8X69aA1

http://imgur.com/meI9XCH

http://imgur.com/UFGoJYU

http://imgur.com/AN3juZa

My freshwater tank

http://imgur.com/Uvw0iM

http://imgur.com/wbWgKPY

http://imgur.com/jIJs0x5

http://imgur.com/HnkVhau

I have the fluval e300 and love it. They make a 200w version, you could go with that. What size tank is this for? The 300w version is only a buck more too on amazon. http://www.amazon.com/Fluval-E-300-Watt-Electronic-Heater/dp/B001VMSK0I/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top

Commercial turtle docks aren't very expensive. Just get one that is big enough, and it'll float. This way you'll be able to raise your turtle's water level to any height, which is really the greatest injustice here. There honestly is no real need to make your own unless you have many turtles or something. Just get a standard floating one, and allow you turtle the luxury of swimming a bit more.

This dock comes in multiple sizes, here's one of them: http://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-Turtle-Gallon-Medium/dp/B000256ELW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1371320098&sr=8-1&keywords=turtle+dock (If you're worried about the size, just get a larger one.)

These fluval filters seem expensive, but they really aren't, when you consider how low the maintenance is. You will end up spending more money with the filter you have now, replacing the carbon and such over and over agan, than you will with this filter. Also the time and hassle you save is priceless, of course: http://www.amazon.com/Hagen-A217-Fluval-External-Filter/dp/B005QRDCWA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1371320124&sr=8-1&keywords=fluval+filter

This is the heater I use to keep my turtle safe: http://www.amazon.com/Fluval-E-300-Watt-Electronic-Heater/dp/B001VMSK0I/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&qid=1371320208&sr=8-9&keywords=aquarium+heater Honestly, the importance of a solid heater cannot be understated. Dipping temps can quickly cause your turtle to get a respiratory infection. The reason I like this heater specifically is because it has the plastic casing around, so your turtle won't get burned or won't break the glass.

Even if you don't move your turtle to that 60 gallon soon, you should still seriously consider getting one of those floating docks. They aren't expensive, you won't have to worry about the basking area working functionally and you can raise the water level.

Let me know if you have any questions or need any more help. Keep us updated!

I've had the same Fluval E300 for two years with no problems. My tank is much larger than yours, so you could downgrade the wattage, though.

You set the temperature manually, and the display will light up red if the water goes within a two degree difference either way from your set temp. However, it is more of a temperature regulator than a heater. If you put it in 50 degree water and set it at 72 degrees, it won't be able to heat it that high. If you start at ~72, it will maintain that temperature. The changing display light is especially helpful when doing water changes. It does have to be totally submerged, but that only requires about 3 inches of water, which you should have anyway.

That's an M model. I'm sorry I ended up looking at the E model which does have a cage on it. https://www.amazon.com/Fluval-E-300-Watt-Electronic-Heater/dp/B001VMSK0I?th=1 In that case I don't think they'd be that different.

As far as lighting, I love the Finnex FugeRay series. It has done my plants a world of good, and LED lights really make your aquarium look great. Hygros start to turn a pretty purple/red on their leaves in high lighting, so mine have started that on the top leaves! Also, I keep my light on for far longer than most people suggest. Since I have shrimp and otos, I have no problems with algae from it, and my plants are growing great. A 30-inch FugeRay is what you would use for a 20 long.

With heating, I would suggest this Fluval. It is digital which lets you be precise in your temperature.

As far as algae like I mentioned earlier, I have no problem with algae from my plants and algae eaters. I usually have my light on for roughly 14 hours per day, and have no problems. It also eliminated the brown algae that I had in my tank at first.

I would be wary of having that many platys. They breed like rabbits, so unless you have a local lfs that purchases fish or takes donations, you will soon overrun your tank with them, and I don't think any of your current stock will eat the fry except the platys. You will still have many that survive. Personally, I would decrease your platys and add more tetras. It's better to have a bigger school with shoaling species.

Definitely get an aeration system. Your fish will need it. I also suggest you get more than one hygro. They really help with nitrate levels, and usually turn two different colors with high light exposure.

As far as shorter, foreground, bushy plants, you can try some micro swords, dwarf baby tears, and some marimo moss balls as possibilities.