New 29 Gallon Tank Questions

CodeBlueMedic

CodeBlueMedic

New member
Hello All,

First off, name is CBM and I'm happy to be here. I've been researching and reading up on saltwater aquariums for the better part of a year, just trying to absorb as much information as I can before I step into it. Well, I finally decided to get started. I already have a 29 gallon tank/stand setup that I plan on using. I know it's a little small for a marine aquarium, but I'm fine with that for now. I do have plans to have a larger setup later on, but it simply isn't possible right now. The goal is to have mostly reef, with a few fish (works out given the size of my tank). I don't really have any specimen picked out yet, I just know that I want as much color as possible, as this will be a focal point in one of my rooms in the house. I'd like to get feedback on not only the equipment that I have decided to get, but also the steps in which I plan on following.

Based off of the research that I have done and the recommendation of a couple LFS in my area, I have purchased the following equipment to get started:

CoraLife Lunar Aqualight (love the lunar lighting) - $170
MarineLand Pro Series BioWheel Emperor 280 Filter - $30
EHEIM Jager Heater 150W - $25
Hydor Karalia 425GPH Power Head - $25
HDE Digital Thermometer - $15

I still need to purchase live rock, live sand, test kits (any recommendations) and am planing on buying pre-mixed saltwater from my LFS, as I do not have my RO system installed yet.

Once everything arrives, I will hook up the filter, lights, heater, powerhead, thermometer and fill the tank with fresh water and allow to run for 24 hours. After that, I will drain it and fill it with the pre-mixed saltwater, where I will let it run for another 24 hours. Following that run, my plan is to add the live rock (20-25lbs roughly) and let that begin to cycle the tank for approximately 1 week, prior to adding in my live sand. After the live sand is in, I will continue to monitored for nitrites and nitrates and wait to add anything to it until it is fully cycled. I may throw a cheap fish in to help it along during this time.

As for questions, do the above steps/timeline seem right? Also, should I add fish before I add coral? Ideally, I would like mostly coral with 5-6 small fish to go along with it.

Also, I have been planning on buying an RO system from lowes or home depot and installing it for my drinking water (my water is currently going through a softener). Will this be sufficient for top offs post evaporation and future mixing of salt?

Thanks so much,
CBM
 
Sounds like a good start, but don't forget a protein skimmer. Nearly every source I've ever read/watched has said that a skimmer is the backbone of healthy reef tank filtration.

I've heard that drinking water type RO systems are not as good as those specifically designed for an aquarium. I think you'd be better off just waiting.

I know it's hard to save up and wait until you can afford all of the best equipment, but in the end it'll be better when you are more successful. I'm slowly accumulating equipment for my next project: still got another $800 to go before I have all the equipment I need to get started up again. In fact, next April is my target, and that seems like a really long way off.

I've heard most people say they add corals first, then fish, but I'll let more experienced reef keepers chime in on that one.
 
Once you have tested the tank with tap water, I don't see any advantage to not adding first the live rock and then the saltwater (initially 3/4 full) then sand (dry washed sand is preferred), then top off with saltwater. If you fill the tank first with saltwater and then latter add rock and sand you will be wasting several gallons of saltwater due to displacement. There is no need to have the rock in the tank for a week before adding the sand, speed things along and add it all from the start. I would have recommended using two 75 watt heaters instead of a single 150 watt heater. When one heater goes bad (they usually stick in the on position when they do go bad) you are less likely to crash your tank than if all your wattage is provided by one heater. Do not add a cheap fish to "help things along", it is cruel to the fish and completely unnecessary. Add a dead raw shrimp to the tank when you start up the tank, forget the live fish. I would lean towards a maximum of 4 small fish; 5-6 will be too many for a small tank. Salifert still makes the best test kits, but red Sea Pro kits are good and less expensive. If you are going with easy to care for corals I like to add them first or at the same time as you add fish (which first should go through a quarantine period). You would be much better off with a full RO/DI water filtration system. A simple RO system will not remove many of the toxins and nutrients found in tap water.
 
thegrun said:
Once you have tested the tank with tap water, I don't see any advantage to not adding first the live rock and then the saltwater (initially 3/4 full) then sand (dry washed sand is preferred), then top off with saltwater. If you fill the tank first with saltwater and then latter add rock and sand you will be wasting several gallons of saltwater due to displacement. There is no need to have the rock in the tank for a week before adding the sand, speed things along and add it all from the start. I would have recommended using two 75 watt heaters instead of a single 150 watt heater. When one heater goes bad (they usually stick in the on position when they do go bad) you are less likely to crash your tank than if all your wattage is provided by one heater. Do not add a cheap fish to "help things along", it is cruel to the fish and completely unnecessary. Add a dead raw shrimp to the tank when you start up the tank, forget the live fish. I would lean towards a maximum of 4 small fish; 5-6 will be too many for a small tank. Salifert still makes the best test kits, but red Sea Pro kits are good and less expensive. If you are going with easy to care for corals I like to add them first or at the same time as you add fish (which first should go through a quarantine period). You would be much better off with a full RO/DI water filtration system. A simple RO system will not remove many of the toxins and nutrients found in tap water.
Click to expand...

Good information and points that I didn't really consider. Do corals need to be QT also? I don't have anything setup for that yet and will have to purchase another tank for it. I'm sure I can find a cheap 10 gallon one or so on craiglist. I have seen mixed recommendations on how to set one up...Other than a hang-on-filter like I have already bought, heater and a thermometer, what else is absolutely critical for it?
 
For a 29 gallon tank, ime it's just as easy to buy your water from your LFS about every 2 weeks or so. Been doing that for a while and calculated the cost of an RO/DI plus yearly filter replacement cartridges. The amount of water used for top off and water change didn't justify my to buy an RO/DI system, but ultimately it's up to you. I go through about 4-5 gallons a week in top off and a 5 gallon water change a month. With my sand and rock I have 20 gallons of water in a 29 gallon standard tank, so thats a 25% water change monthly.
 
Your LFS will tend to recommend whatever they have on hand to sell you. I would absolutely go with an RO/DI regardless of where you live.

As for coral dips, not just in saltwater. Several companies sell dips with different additives designed to kill off any potential pests riding in on the corals. I don't have any specific recommendations. I'll wait for someone else to chime in there.
 
CodeBlueMedic said:
Hello All,

First off, name is CBM and I'm happy to be here. I've been researching and reading up on saltwater aquariums for the better part of a year, just trying to absorb as much information as I can before I step into it. Well, I finally decided to get started. I already have a 29 gallon tank/stand setup that I plan on using. I know it's a little small for a marine aquarium, but I'm fine with that for now. I do have plans to have a larger setup later on, but it simply isn't possible right now. The goal is to have mostly reef, with a few fish (works out given the size of my tank). I don't really have any specimen picked out yet, I just know that I want as much color as possible, as this will be a focal point in one of my rooms in the house. I'd like to get feedback on not only the equipment that I have decided to get, but also the steps in which I plan on following.

Based off of the research that I have done and the recommendation of a couple LFS in my area, I have purchased the following equipment to get started:

CoraLife Lunar Aqualight (love the lunar lighting) - $170
MarineLand Pro Series BioWheel Emperor 280 Filter - $30
EHEIM Jager Heater 150W - $25
Hydor Karalia 425GPH Power Head - $25
HDE Digital Thermometer - $15

I still need to purchase live rock, live sand, test kits (any recommendations) and am planing on buying pre-mixed saltwater from my LFS, as I do not have my RO system installed yet.

Once everything arrives, I will hook up the filter, lights, heater, powerhead, thermometer and fill the tank with fresh water and allow to run for 24 hours. After that, I will drain it and fill it with the pre-mixed saltwater, where I will let it run for another 24 hours. Following that run, my plan is to add the live rock (20-25lbs roughly) and let that begin to cycle the tank for approximately 1 week, prior to adding in my live sand. After the live sand is in, I will continue to monitored for nitrites and nitrates and wait to add anything to it until it is fully cycled. I may throw a cheap fish in to help it along during this time.

As for questions, do the above steps/timeline seem right? Also, should I add fish before I add coral? Ideally, I would like mostly coral with 5-6 small fish to go along with it.

Also, I have been planning on buying an RO system from lowes or home depot and installing it for my drinking water (my water is currently going through a softener). Will this be sufficient for top offs post evaporation and future mixing of salt?

Thanks so much,
CBM
Click to expand...
Welcome!
In my opinion,
Finding and asking questions on forum like this is the best way to start.
Here is my two cent! Most lfs will try to sell you anything, so check here first!

If you haven't setup your tank! Drilled it and add a sump.
I would ditch that biowheel filter and get a skimmer.
Once you set it up, cycle your tank using the "dead shrimp" method google it!
While your tank is cycling, start your list or determine what fish you want and research them.
As for coral, I do bayer dip (google it). Very effective and cheap!
As other mentioned you want to get a RODI, and extra DI stage is much better.
Since you have small tank you will not need to change filters as much. Beside filters and DI is not that expensive. The membrane is recommended replacement every 3 years depending on how much water you make.
(Note: I heard that you need to run RO or RODI Before the softener)
 
flooddc said:
Welcome!
In my opinion,
Finding and asking questions on forum like this is the best way to start.
Here is my two cent! Most lfs will try to sell you anything, so check here first!

If you haven't setup your tank! Drilled it and add a sump.
I would ditch that biowheel filter and get a skimmer.
Once you set it up, cycle your tank using the "dead shrimp" method google it!
While your tank is cycling, start your list or determine what fish you want and research them.
As for coral, I do bayer dip (google it). Very effective and cheap!
As other mentioned you want to get a RODI, and extra DI stage is much better.
Since you have small tank you will not need to change filters as much. Beside filters and DI is not that expensive. The membrane is recommended replacement every 3 years depending on how much water you make.
(Note: I heard that you need to run RO or RODI Before the softener)
Click to expand...

Okay okay, y'all talked me into it. I just purchased a RODI system that I will add a bypass to the DI stage when I want to drink from it. As for drilling and adding a sump, how critical do you think this is? I know it is ultimately probably better in the long run, but I'll likely be upgrading to a 90-100 gallon tank in the next year or so. I've read and my LFS recommended a biowheel for a 29 gallon.
 
Hmm, I am a newbie too and here is my input on the water issue.
I get the top-off RODI water at LFS for $.30 and salt water for $1.00 per gallon.
Purchasing salt at about $.50 per gallon ($.80 total) defeats the purpose of mixing it myself.
A cheap RO filter is $200 and a good one is more than double that (chime in if I am wrong).
CBM: considering the 20g tank, my suggestion is to buy the salt water at the the LFS and keeping additional 10g (2 buckets) in house ready to go 7/24.
-I have been keeping 5g RODI and 8g salt in-house for an established 55g tank and it worked just fine for the last 6 weeks . . . .
Veterans: I welcome your comments. . .
Tom
 
tzylak said:
Hmm, I am a newbie too and here is my input on the water issue.
I get the top-off RODI water at LFS for $.30 and salt water for $1.00 per gallon.
Purchasing salt at about $.50 per gallon ($.80 total) defeats the purpose of mixing it myself.
A cheap RO filter is $200 and a good one is more than double that (chime in if I am wrong).
CBM: considering the 20g tank, my suggestion is to buy the salt water at the the LFS and keeping additional 10g (2 buckets) in house ready to go 7/24.
-I have been keeping 5g RODI and 8g salt in-house for an established 55g tank and it worked just fine for the last 6 weeks . . . .
Veterans: I welcome your comments. . .
Tom
Click to expand...

This is what I planned on doing, but the wife talked me into an RO system, as she wants the water to drink. Right now we use bottled water for everything, but that is a pain in the *** and also gets expensive.

ETA: I was able to get an iSpring RODI system on amazon for about $240, so not too bad.
 
Benefits of having a sump.
More water volume, Space for equipment and filtration,
aerating the water, simplifying water changes, and keeping the water level stable in the display tank. There are probably a ton more!!!
Oh! You can also increase real-estate space in the tank by moving some LR to the sump.
 
What fish were you looking to get? I would make a stocklist based on all the fish you like( look on liveaquaria.com you will find many fish for a 29 gallon). In 29gallons 5 or 6 fish is a bit to many fish 4 would be a better amount. Remember not to trust your pet or fish store as they don't really care about your fish, they just see you as a walking wallet.
 
fishhuman said:
What fish were you looking to get? I would make a stocklist based on all the fish you like( look on liveaquaria.com you will find many fish for a 29 gallon). In 29gallons 5 or 6 fish is a bit to many fish 4 would be a better amount. Remember not to trust your pet or fish store as they don't really care about your fish, they just see you as a walking wallet.
Click to expand...

I'm wanting to get a Watchman Goby, Starcki Damsel, B&W Clown, Royal Gramma and MAYBE a blue reef chromis OR a sharknose goby. So, I'm looking at 5 fish. Obviously, I'll only be adding one at a time after a quarantine period, so there will be 2 months before each specimen. If my levels are difficult to manage, I won't be adding any additional fish.

As for coral, I'm wanting a Radioactive Dragon's Eye Zoanthid, Blue Spotted Mushroom, Frog Spawn, Green Star Zoanthid and perhaps a Florida Ricordea. :bounce1:

All my equipment came in today, so I'm gonna set it all up. Think it's necessary to run tap water for 24 hours before switching to salt? My tap water is terrible, and because I don't want a bunch of white deposits all over my filter equipment and tank, I'm gonna go buy some RODI water from the LFS to do the 24 hour "test" of freshwater, before adding the pre mixed saltwater.
 
CodeBlueMedic said:
My tap water is terrible, and because I don't want a bunch of white deposits all over my filter equipment and tank, I'm gonna go buy some RODI water from the LFS to do the 24 hour "test" of freshwater, before adding the pre mixed saltwater.
Click to expand...

If you think you are going to be in this hobby for the long haul might as well purchase a ro/di unit. Find them on craigslist or your local forum used. For me it's a really long drive to any of the LFS. So I'm paying for ro/di water + time + gas there and back. It adds up really quick. If you can snag a ro/di for $100-120 I'd personally go that route.
 
Fish N Coral said:
If you think you are going to be in this hobby for the long haul might as well purchase a ro/di unit. Find them on craigslist or your local forum used. For me it's a really long drive to any of the LFS. So I'm paying for ro/di water + time + gas there and back. It adds up really quick. If you can snag a ro/di for $100-120 I'd personally go that route.
Click to expand...

I've got one on the way...It should be here today, but it'll take forever to fill 30 gallons, so since I've gotta get premixed saltwater anyway (just for the first batch), I might as well grab some jugs of RODI
 
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