1)I used not filtered enough water and I need to put new water in(although I've done water changes and this didn't help)
What kind of water are you using. Buy a good ro/di (accept nothing more that 1-2 tds)now and use it on the 29, you will need one for a big tank anyway. Give it a try and work with it now before you need 100+gallons a month (if your wondering what tds is we have found a problem already)
2) something in the system that is weird, there is constant brown algae build up on the glass and on the sand and this is actually something very bad for the fish but I don't know what it is Ive tried quite a few things and it always comes back I don't know if there is something in the BioBalls or in the filter or in the pump
First, refer to answer #1.
Second, ditch the bioballs
Third, what kind of filter do you have?
Fourth, Buy a skimmer, get the one you would want for a large tank and learn to use it and make the modification it will need. Practice.
Fifth, If you don't have the discipline to clean pumps and such now on a 29 what will you do when you have 4-6 pumps to clean on a monthly basis in a 100 gallon + tank?
3)the damsels got ick, the ick is gone, but the clown got snipped by the crab and got stressed and got something and died. I don't know, I'm sure I need more LR, but if I buy any more I'm going to buy some for the big tank. If I'm going to screw up, I'd rather screw up on the big tank.
Learn to Quarantine fish now. In a large tank you will waste a lot of money on killing fish by not doing things the proper way.
Did you let enough time pass between the damsels getting ick and you throwing some more fish in the tank, ick has a life span too.
Buy more live rock and throw it in a sump or in the tank, like you said it will be useful in the future when you upgrade
You don't wanna screw up small. Why would you want to screw up big. You need to do some research I think and find out some of the mistakes your making now before you drop some serious money and regret it later with simple silly mistakes.
I hope if you do upgrade it goes better for you but think about the amount of time you put in on a small tank and then think about how much time and moeny will go into a large tank. Do you want a mistake then? I know I would not.
On a side note, why isn't anyone else trying to help him solve his problems. I am a firm believer in Leightons slogan of "Go big or go home" attitude but you have to know what your doing before you genocide a whole tank of livestock. alterity I am not saying you will fail but your posts point out problems you know you have and you aren't fixing them now, why would it change when you get a larger tank?
You want it to be enjoyable I suggest research and asking a lot of questions.
