Setup

Tank:

The tank is an all-glass 30 gallon aquarium.

Filtration:

The only mechanical filter that I use is a simple canister filter that is kept underneath the tank. It contains three layers of filter media. The top layer contains a nylon filter mesh that traps most of the unwanted material. It is also the home of beneficial bacteria which breaks down harmful ammonia (fish waste) into less harmful compounds. The second layer contains Activated Carbon which helps to keep the water crystal clear. The third layer contains nitrate removing gravel. Nitrate can be harmful in large amounts. I also keep about 30 lbs. of Fiji Live Rock (not pictured) which acts as a biological filter.

Lighting:

Lighting in the tank is done using one 30 watt normal output (NO) 10,000k superdaylight bulb and one 30 watt NO actinic blue bulb. Both lights are on a timer to be kept on 11 hours each day. You should be careful to pick the lighting that best suits your needs. There is no need to spend hard-earned money on those expensive VHO (very-high-output) and Metal-Halide light fixtures. Keep in mind this is for a small 30 gallon tank. If I had a larger tank I would probably then consider a VHO lighting setup.

Protein Skimmer:

I have a hang-on-the-back "Sea Clone" protein skimmer. Its main purpose is to collect much of the waste (in the form of a yellowish nasty foam) that the mechanical filter cannot. It works well most of the time, but it requires constant adjustment and cleaning.

UV Sterilizer:

I had decided to purchase and install a UV Sterilizer after a bad outbreak of Ich (Nasty-Ass Fish Disease) seemed to have taken over the tank. I must have lost at least a dozen fish to this disease. I shopped around and did some research and decided on the Emperor Aquatics 18 watt UV Sterilizer. Was this purchase a waste of money?? Well... let's just say I haven't had a single fish die of Ich to this date.