Frag Tank Question

[Kenmx10]

I set up a 20 gallon frag tank as a Quarantine/Observation tank and am planning on keeping new corals in it for 3 months to monitor them before adding to the display tank. I have about 20 LBS of live rock that's been in my sump for about a year. And a hang on back filter for filtration along with a power head. Im not planning on adding any fish to the system. What would be the best way to provide nutrients to the tank for the corals and to maintain the bacteria? I was debating on adding a small Yellow Canary Wrasse but was afraid that if I feed it a couple times a day , it may add more nutrients than the 20 gallon system could handle without doing a lot of water changes. Thanks for your help.

 

[Jipolley]

If you are not planning on adding fish I would not get coral. If you don't add fish you'd need to dose nutrients. The issues with this is you run a chance of overdosing, it is expensive, and the liquid could be harmful in the long run to water quality. With fish they have a slow and predictable nutrient production and you can buy fish that help keep pests at bay helping your corals live. Having a couple of turbo snails would be important as well to keep algae down. I would start with two small fish and see how your nutrients change. Then go from there.

 

[SliceGolfer]

I dose ammonium bicarbonate and trisodium phosphate as needed to keep nutrients to spec in my fishless frag tank