Greg's 29 Gallon Start

[VAReefDog]

Long overdue tank thread.

Greg's 29 gallon fixation
I have had freshwater tanks for many years but have always wanted to try a saltwater tank. Research on forums like this one- made me think that I could actually keep saltwater fish and corals. So after many months internet surfing- I decided to take the plunge and start with an all-in-one. My 29 gallon biocube is 11 months old.
I am now completely nuts about saltwater and reef-keeping.

The basics---- 29 gallon Coralife Biocube with stock PC lighting- 36W Actinic Blue and 36 watt 10,000K Daylight and a couple of stunner strips. I have upgraded pump to MJ1200 with the bulkhead split with Loc-line Y tube. Added Koralia nano 550 on right side for extra flow and later added a Tunze Turbelle Nanostream 6015 to back left as well to get rid of some dead spots in the rock work. In the back- I have the Intank media basket with filter floss, chemipure and purigen. Also have fuge light and fuge basket from Intank with chaeto. Hydor 100W heater in chamber 1. Started with 20# of sand and approx 35 pound of LR.
Maintenance- 15% water change weekly, Instant Ocean Reef Crystal Salt
Tank is 11 months.
Here is the tank at the start- with just live rock and finishing its cycle last year


Here is Sept 1st FTS

Thanks

 

[Billybatz9]

Nice tank.

 

[VAReefDog]

Thanks.
I will try to fill in the details as time allows.
First up- yellow watchman goby.
Here is a current pic.

 

[ReefWreak]

Beautiful mature tank. Thanks for sharing pics!

Proof that you can do a LOT with stock PC lighting. I ran a beautiful system for a long time on the stock 64w of PC on my old 24g nanocube many years ago. Now I'm in a 29 with LEDs and just cycling now.

 

[Billybatz9]

Beautiful mature tank. Thanks for sharing pics!

Proof that you can do a LOT with stock PC lighting. I ran a beautiful system for a long time on the stock 64w of PC on my old 24g nanocube many years ago. Now I'm in a 29 with LEDs and just cycling now.

What do you run in your chambers?

 

[ReefWreak]

What do you run in your chambers?

I just posted it in the Biocube thread here.

I will be running GFO and live rock rubble, and maybe some carbon/Chemi-pure, depending on water clarity.

 

[VAReefDog]

Currently- I have Aquaticlife skimmer- 115 in chamber 1. Have intank basket with floss on top, chemipure elite, purigen and then another basket for fuge- with chaeto.
In chamber 3 now resides the heater and return pump.
I just started using the skimmer about a month ago- started to have some GHA. Clearing up very well since adding skimmer.
Here is a pic of the skimmer with mods to get it to fit in chamber 1.

And here is the hole I had to dremel out of the back side corner of the tank to get the skimmer to sit


Thanks for the kind words.

 

[Billybatz9]

I just posted it in the Biocube thread here.

I will be running GFO and live rock rubble, and maybe some carbon/Chemi-pure, depending on water clarity.

Thanks for the long response

Currently- I have Aquaticlife skimmer- 115 in chamber 1. Have intank basket with floss on top, chemipure elite, purigen and then another basket for fuge- with chaeto.
In chamber 3 now resides the heater and return pump.
I just started using the skimmer about a month ago- started to have some GHA. Clearing up very well since adding skimmer.
Here is a pic of the skimmer with mods to get it to fit in chamber 1.

And here is the hole I had to dremel out of the back side corner of the tank to get the skimmer to sit


Thanks for the kind words.

What light are you using for the chaeto?

 

[VAReefDog]

Jbj nanoglo fuge light.

 

[VAReefDog]

Here is yellow watchman on some dayglo war coral

 

[VAReefDog]

Here's another-
skunk cleaner on a favia.

 

[VAReefDog]

Some more of the inhabitants. 2 clowns- tank raised from fellow reefer and the photobombing shrimp. This is an early pic. I get distracted by the corals now- so I couldn't find a good pic of both recently

 

[VAReefDog]

Here is part of the CUC- the emerald crab.

 

[VAReefDog]

Here is one of the blue legged hermits in some GSP
Notice the stupid shrimp trying to get into picture- happens every time.

 

[VAReefDog]

Here is a couple of corals-
First some acan lords.

 

[VAReefDog]

Here is bubble gum monster chalice- starting to cover the rock nicely.

 

[VAReefDog]

Here are some zoas - just a mix of randoms- not sure of names.

 

[VAReefDog]

This is pink and an orange/red monti cap with spongodes.
Can see the edge of my frogspawn and some more zoas and trumpets

 

[VAReefDog]

Green candy canes with meteor shower cyphastrea. More random palys

 

[WunderWagen]

Nice coral selection for a Bio Cube!