Gettin Salty

[Fishboy93]

I'm considering converting my 29 Gallon into a Planted Marine tank. My plan:
Living out in Fl. I can collect almost every plant I could desire, plus my grandma has a place in the Keys so that will provide even more ideas. I wanted to make my own live rock by getting limestone and putting it down in the keys until it gets some algal growth. I started an artificial reef down under the dock which is now thriving.

As for equipment I already have a powerhead that I found deep in my garage that works. What i was really wondering was if I need a protein skimmer? Or can I turn my filter into a skilter. What would you suggest.

Also, for substrate can I just get some sand from a remote area that is hardly ever visited and is nutrient rich or should I buy some argonite sand? L

And lastly for lighting i have a 65 watt pc but was considering upgrading. Is this neccesary for keeping plants like algaes and sea grasses?

Thanks,
Sean

 

[piercho]

I wanted to make my own live rock by getting limestone and putting it down in the keys until it gets some algal growth. I started an artificial reef down under the dock which is now thriving.

I can't think of a better way to start a planted tank if you want to use rock. There are numerous threads on making your own "reef"-looking rock from portland cement, crushed coral, and shell, and I can locate such a thread for you if you want. Or just search the term "aragocrete". All my rock is this "aragocrete", my only advise along that line is its better to only use a couple of pieces and save most of the space in the tank for fish and plant growth instead of filling it with rock.

As for equipment I already have a powerhead that I found deep in my garage that works.

Just make sure that the powerhead ("PH") is suitable for saltwater and restarts reliably after power interruption. Many are not OK for salt and don't restart reliably. The best PH I can recommend is a Maxi Jet 1200, which moves about 295 gallons an hour and is a bomb-proof restarter, making it very suitable for use on a timer or wavemaker powerstrip.

What i was really wondering was if I need a protein skimmer?

You don't need one for a planted tank and I've gone long stretches (years) without using a skimmer on my stony coral and clam tank. A protein skimmer does help to force gas exchange, which can be an issue for heavily planted, brightly lit tanks. But there are other ways to improve gas exchange, like using a sump. For the amount of money a skimmer costs, I'd rather buy an overflow and return pump and operate the tank with a sump.

Also, for substrate can I just get some sand from a remote area that is hardly ever visited and is nutrient rich or should I buy some argonite sand?

If possible, look for a place to collect relatively white sand that is not too highly sedimented. Beach sand is OK but lagoonal sand will have more life in it and lagoonal worms and bugs will be more likely to survive transiton to a captive system. If you have access to fairly fine sand (sugar-grain sized or smaller) there is no need to use aragonite. On the gulf side of Florida, the sand you encounter may have a fairly high calcium carbonate component in it any way. "Aragonite" is just a particular type of calcium carbonate.

for lighting i have a 65 watt pc but was considering upgrading. Is this neccesary for keeping plants like algaes and sea grasses?

A 24" PC bulb is well-suited for a 29G tank, IMO. As far as intensity, that will depend of the bulb you select, the quality of the reflector, the distance from the bulb to the water, and what obstructions (glass tank covers) the light has to push through. Its important to use a bulb sold as a "daylight spectra" if you want to get the most useful light out of the bulb for plants. You also should use a good reflector, forego using glass tank covers, and mount the bulb as close to the water as practical. You will NOT be able to generate intensities of light in your tank similar to shallow water with PC. However, many plants including some seagrasses do fine under PC light in fairly shallow tanks.

 

[piercho]

Also, welcome to the RC Marine Plants forum and I hope you will visit often and tell us your progress with your tank, as well as post pictures.:wavehand:

 

[Fishboy93]

Alright, thank you very much my light is the odyssey polished alimunim or whatever with a 6700/10000K light. What would(if any) for an invert/cleaner crew? Also, what is the best way to cycle a tank like this?(Im used to the good old FW toss in some danios and wait a few weeks method)

 

[Samala]

We do love pictures. Please do look into any potential legalities with harvesting rock that you have placed into the ocean, even as an artificial reef. I would not want you to end up with a fine or worse. One of the major aquarium companies was just busted in the States for importing live rock from illegal areas. Not pretty.

>Sarah

 

[piercho]

my light is the odyssey polished alimunim or whatever with a 6700/10000K light

Sounds good to me.

What would(if any) for an invert/cleaner crew?

See what comes in with your rock and sand. Micrograzers - bugs, teeny molluscs and worms - generally import with good live rock/sand, and these are the most useful grazers of microalgae and detritus, as well as sand stirrers, IMO.

what is the best way to cycle a tank like this?

Dieoff from living things on the sand and rock will provide enough cycling nutrients, IME. Its likely you won't see an ammonia rise and only a slight nitrite rise, unless you have a LOT of dieoff. Ammonia and nitrite should both be not detectable once you are cycled. Nitrate should rise and then come down to under 5 meq/L, and after that you should be ready to start adding large animals like fish to the system. This will likely take 1-2 months, so some patience is in order. During this time the population of microcritters has a chance to establish itself before you chuck in animals that will eat them, so this is also a good reason to wait. The plants will assist the bacteria to control these nutrients, but there is generally a lag time as they adjust to their new environment.

Permits and such are required to plant and harvest rock in FL, as well as harvest plants, and some plants aren't allowed. However, for a single hobbyist farming for himself under Granny's dock, I'm thinking if you keep your head down fish and game won't be staking you out. Start advertising and selling your stuff and you might be more likely to get nabbed. Sarah's the FL collector though, so she should know.

 

[Edge]

Right, what pericho said. It'll be hard to prove what rock is yours and what rock is natural to a Fish and Game or Marine Patrol agent. Harvesting rock is out of the question in FL. TBS has a lease on some land for them to do it.
Even if Granny own's beachfront property doesn't mean anything as far as what's in the water.
Look at the fish and game website for what you can collect and what you can't with a SW fishing liscence.

just be careful. This is some serious business. They don't take poachers lightly.

I know I'd narc you for the $10,000 reward. J/K.

ED

 

[Fishboy93]

Thank you for the suggestions, I'll just buy LR(which sucks because its 7.50/lb) I live on a canal and on the walls are netrite snails and ghost shrimp would these be good additions for inverts??