First saltwater experience

[brendan.oates97]

So i am jumping into saltwater. I have done freshwater for years now and have pretty good success with planted tanks and advanced fish care like freshwater puffers but i want more. I will be starting a 29 gallon with a 5 to 10 gallon sump (depending on what is available). My lfs does pre mixed saltwater from a machine so i will be using that as my primary source. Live sand will be used and most likely dry rock as i dont want pests and problems from the beginning.
My questions being with,
"¢should i make a fluidized sand filter?
"¢i want an interesting fish. Maybe a dwarf lion?
"¢can a clam permanently live in a 29 gallon?
"¢is a protien skimmer going to be useful in a small tank?
"¢any piece of equipment that should really be considered a must have to make things easier besides the obvious, lights, pumps, heater, timers, ect.

Any advice is welcome, thank you for helping.

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[fishchef]

Be sure to set-up an ATO and put all heaters on a controller. Read all stickies on water chemistry and set-up. You will need to test parameters based on livestock and make suitable adjustments. Lots of experimentation out there and opinions about proper care. Good luck. There's no one way to do this.

 

[Elricsfate]

So i am jumping into saltwater. I have done freshwater for years now and have pretty good success with planted tanks and advanced fish care like freshwater puffers but i want more. I will be starting a 29 gallon with a 5 to 10 gallon sump (depending on what is available). My lfs does pre mixed saltwater from a machine so i will be using that as my primary source. Live sand will be used and most likely dry rock as i dont want pests and problems from the beginning.
My questions being with,
"¢should i make a fluidized sand filter?
"¢i want an interesting fish. Maybe a dwarf lion?
"¢can a clam permanently live in a 29 gallon?
"¢is a protien skimmer going to be useful in a small tank?
"¢any piece of equipment that should really be considered a must have to make things easier besides the obvious, lights, pumps, heater, timers, ect.

Any advice is welcome, thank you for helping.

Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk

A protein skimmer is useful anywhere there is protein. Size of the tank doesn't really matter. Fluidized bed filters appear to have fallen out of favor. I haven't read a single post about them (until this one) since I got here.

A clam, depending of course on size, can live permanently in any place where the water parameters to maintain a clam can be met.

+1 on the ATO. Without one, in a small tank like that, the SG will bounce up and down as the water evaporates...and then you notice it and add some back...and then it evaporates again...and next time you don't notice it.

 

[ryeguyy84]

I'd be more worried about the Dwarf lionfish in the 29G tank than the clam

 

[brendan.oates97]

I'd be more worried about the Dwarf lionfish in the 29G tank than the clam

I have seen plenty of people that do it with great success. The other option is a group of smaller clownfish but i love the look of the dwarf lion fish

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[brendan.oates97]

Be sure to set-up an ATO and put all heaters on a controller. Read all stickies on water chemistry and set-up. You will need to test parameters based on livestock and make suitable adjustments. Lots of experimentation out there and opinions about proper care. Good luck. There's no one way to do this.

Is there a way to do an ato that is read by a 5 or 7 gallon bucket? I dont have a water supply close enough to plumb one in directly.
I will probably invest in a reef controller.

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[Reefbuoy]

Most aquarists prefer a stand alone container as safety measure against a disaster. A salt bucket, specialty acrylic container or some type of other plastic container from Walmart would work.

 

[brendan.oates97]

Most aquarists prefer a stand alone container as safety measure against a disaster. A salt bucket, specialty acrylic container or some type of other plastic container from Walmart would work.

I was thinking of using a 6 gallon jug because they are thin so it wont take much space.

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[brendan.oates97]

I'd be more worried about the Dwarf lionfish in the 29G tank than the clam

It would be the only fish in the tank. Is there a more compatible sized fish for this tank besides the dwarf lionfish. I like the solo predator tanks but i already have a freshwater red eye puffer so i dont want another puffer fish. They are high maintenance with food requirements.

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