Starting Fresh (29G Tanks)

[SaltNoob]

Hi everyone! My name is Tyler, I am 24 and live in UT. I need a bit of advice if anyone could offer me their two cents.

So I got the urge after doing a lot of reading, to go buy the stuff for a salt water fish/reef tank. Here is what I got.

Tank: 29 Gallons (was told to start with this)
External Filter: Charcoal Canister for up to 50gal tank.
Heater for up to 35gal.
A decent hood with an "Ocean Sun" 10,000K 24" bulb.
A salinity/thermometer reader
Double bubbler (LOUD) do I really need for this size tank?


I rinsed and placed in 2" of substrate into the tank with some sand on top threw water in, added salt and have been running everything for approximately 12 hours now. The salinity is almost dead on at 1.024 ishhh and the temp is hovering at about 81 (shooting for 79-80?).

Do I need a protein skimmer for this smaller tank? Do I need a bubbler for this tank (the canister filter throws a lot of bubbles into the tank and moves the surface water quite well).

I started adding the Biozyme to avoid the cost of live sand.

When do I first check pH? How often after that?

Should I choose SOME live rock and get the rest as "base rock?" I am patient I can wait for polyps to move around.

How long should I wait before I get a snail/gobie/ or a shrimp?

If you have any other fun tips I would greatly appreciate it!

Here is what my current setup looks like!

 

[lljdma06]

Hi, welcome to the salty side.

What do you want to keep?

What substrate did you use?

You might not need a filter even. Many of us, especially with smaller tanks just opt for 1-2kg of LR per gallon and use powerheads. The LR will act as a biological filter, while the powerheads provide circulation. Many here aim for 20x water turnover.

I strongly recommend that you have the following...

1. refractometer - more accurate than a hydrometer
2. Test kits for ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate, and pH. Depending on what you want to keep, you'll need more tests later
3. Powerheads, 20x turnover done with 2 powerheads
4. Buckets to mix SW for waterchanges and an extra power head. The water needs to be mixed a day prior at least and then agitated. For the first fill, it's ok to do it in the tank, though.

What water did you use? Much better to use RO/DI water. Tapwater has too much stuff in it, especially if you want to keep invertebrates.

Others will chime in with other things. Feel free to ask questions, but I recommend that you read a few books if you can get your hand on them. The New Marine aquarium by Paletta and the simple guide to mini-reef systems by Kurtze are two starter books that are easy to understand.

L

 

[SaltNoob]

Hi, welcome to the salty side.

What do you want to keep?

What substrate did you use?

You might not need a filter even. Many of us, especially with smaller tanks just opt for 1-2kg of LR per gallon and use powerheads. The LR will act as a biological filter, while the powerheads provide circulation. Many here aim for 20x water turnover.

I strongly recommend that you have the following...

1. refractometer - more accurate than a hydrometer
2. Test kits for ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate, and pH. Depending on what you want to keep, you'll need more tests later
3. Powerheads, 20x turnover done with 2 powerheads
4. Buckets to mix SW for waterchanges and an extra power head. The water needs to be mixed a day prior at least and then agitated. For the first fill, it's ok to do it in the tank, though.

What water did you use? Much better to use RO/DI water. Tapwater has too much stuff in it, especially if you want to keep invertebrates.

Others will chime in with other things. Feel free to ask questions, but I recommend that you read a few books if you can get your hand on them. The New Marine aquarium by Paletta and the simple guide to mini-reef systems by Kurtze are two starter books that are easy to understand.

L

We are looking for a couple clowns. Gobie (sorry if I spell wrong) + a peppermint shrimp maybe? With plenty of snails and crabs. What do you think?

The substrate is a courser crumbly shell on the bottom with a fine/medium sand on top. I wish I had gone with a coarse sand instead now, but it will do for now (12-18 months, until bigger tank).

Of course as being new I did not know to use RO water. I learned a lot at "aquarian dreams" in Clearfield, UT here today about it. He said it will be ok for the first time, but with the first change to use the premixed stuff. They sell SW for $0.75 per gallon and RO for $0.35 per gallon which I will be using from now on.

He also said I can put the LR in now or anytime now and to wait ~2 weeks before adding my clean up crew of crabs/snails.

I will get test kits as soon as possible and I will get a powerhead. Should I take the backpack filter out and store it for later? I noticed it cleaned the tank well and agitates the water awesome. The sales associate mentioned I should take most of the charcoal out to keep it from being TOO clean.

 

[lljdma06]

A pair of clowns, if they are either percs or ocellaris should be ok along with a goby. I wouldn't get peppermint shrimp. If you can find either skunk cleaners or even fire shrimp, all the better. Usually you can only have once species of hermit crab per tank. My favorites so far are Electric blue hermits. I've got two in my 8g pico. Active, but not overly aggressive. I also have an emerald crab, but sometimes they can be, well, crabby. I got lucky, mine just hides and eats the leftovers from my Fire shrimp's meal. Or he'll walk around and eat algae.

If you put in your LR, I'd try to put it all in at once. I actually put mine first and then added the substrate, but I've got tempered glass in the bottom of my tanks and I didn't want the rocks to shift over the substrate.

yeah, RO really is the best. It's like working with a clean slate every time and you control exactly what you put in. I'd look into getting an RO unit if you can. You don't need one with a large capacity. Mine can make 100g a day, but you won't need anything near that. I also tend to do much larger water changes then your average reefer, almost 40-50% weekly, depending on the system. But then, I don't really have to dose anything and when you can make water at that capacity for just the cost of the salt, it becomes very cheap. I pay around .30 per gallon of SW if I make my own and I use Red Sea Coral pro, which is on the expensive side of salts. But for now, .75 per gallon isn't all that bad for SW and .35 is ok for RO. Miami LFS sell those items for significantly more. But on the flip side, I get livestock much cheaper.

Yes, I'd at least get pH, ammonia, and nitrite. I'd get two power heads. Two Koralia nanos should be great for your tank. I tend to have more flow. I'm not sure if you'll need a skimmer. Some use them, some don't. I don't, though I have a slim skim nano just kind of lying around. Ended up not needing it.

L

 

[ben1987]

If i were you and its filled with tap water, id empty it out and fill it with RO water. I wouldnt bother with buying premixed stuff either. You can get a decent RO unit fairly cheaply and a bucket of salt.

What if theres an emergency on a sunday afternoon and you need some water and your LFS is shut? you can make your own!
The waters the most important bit, so why risk leaving it to someone running a business to sort it out for you? you dont know what salt they use, how often the change the pods on the RO unit so it could be basically tap water anyway and they ofen sell mixed water at lower than 1.025-1.026 that you require to keep inverts and corals.
Also you would need fresh unsalted ro to top up evaporation aswel. So you would be lumping barrels of both to the car and out weekly.
Long term is pays for itself and it saves tiime and petrol money aswel as giving you the assurance youve checked its all ok before adding to your tank.

Id also highly reccomend that you do use a skimmer, when i was new the the hobby i didnt want to pay out and buy one. my tank ran ok for a few months without one, but never really thrived! I added a skimmer and WOW the amount of smelly junk that it pulled out was amazing! the corals instantly looked healthier, the water looked clearer and tehy started to really grow.

HTH so far

 

[SaltNoob]

WOW, thank you very much for all of the great information!

@Ben,

The place is pretty reputable and was recommended to me by several people as they only do salt water aquariums. I talked with a lot of them and would hope their water is good. He also did mention that they do make their water 1.025-1.026 just for corals after telling him mine was around 1.023ishh.

Now that I spent my current budget I will need to wait until Friday to get a RO unit. Also, because my tank is small do you think it really is worth it until I upgrade ?Would it benefit me to just do a water change now of 50% or really do it all? The salt I bought was The LFS recommended waiting 2 weeks and then test with kits. The skimmer sounds good. There are a lot of expensive ones, know any good brands?

So I want to make sure I get this right. Buy or make RO water, mix my own salt and RO water in a large container (bucket) and keep some RO water for topping off my evap.? Sound right?

 

[ALW]

Ok, I will add my two cents. I agree with ben scrap the water in the tank and re-fill with either your own made sw using ro or buy it pre-mixed. I would also scrap the external filter too as they can become more harm than good. As Liz as already told you, you want live rock. For that size tank off the top of my head about 10-15kg or it. Again you also really require a refractometer, some powerheads (at least two, test kits and a skimmer.

 

[SaltNoob]

Ok, sounds good Andy! This afternoon I will get the water out and mix/start with new RO water, grab some LR and put it all in.

What brand of Salt would you all recommend?

-Tyler

 

[ben1987]

im not sue whats salts are readily available over in the US, i use The D-D one myself

if you trust the LFS then you could use their water to get a taste for the hobby and buy your own RO unit later, but you need to get salted and fresh ro

as water evaporates it doesnt take the salt with it, so evaporation needs to be topped up with fresh RO

good call on emptying the tank

 

[lljdma06]

I want to clarify. I agree with using a skimmer. I'll give the reasons why I do not.

1. I keep picos, so not really feasible. So I opted for DIY refugiums instead.
2. The tank that I do have that is capable of having a skimmer will be a planted marine. The seagrass actually wants things a bit dirtier. More organic compounds in the water column. I just need to hunker down and order the plants.
3. Again, I do larger water changes than the average reefer.

L

 

[ALW]

Ok, sounds good Andy! This afternoon I will get the water out and mix/start with new RO water, grab some LR and put it all in.

What brand of Salt would you all recommend?

-Tyler

Depends on what is available, but i would try and get either Tropic Marine Pro-Reef Salt or Red Sea Coral Pro Salt.

 

[lljdma06]

I use Red Sea coral pro. I like the levels I get with it.

 

[SaltNoob]

I use Red Sea coral pro. I like the levels I get with it.

Awesome, thanks! I think this first change I will buy the water and get it right. And then place my LR this evening. I appreciate the help. I will post a pic tonight and I am sure I will generate new questions by the time I get that done.

 

[SaltNoob]

Oh one more thing. What size powerheads should I be using for a 29 gallon tank? I will take the filter back as it seems many people are all for live rock instead, and I will then get two powerheads of a recommended size?

-Tyler

 

[ALW]

I would go for 2 Koralia 1s or 3 Koralia Nano's