29 gallon salt tank

[bubbagump]

hi i'm starting a 29 gallon salt tank with a hang on the back filter 200gph just havent desided wich one yet and an aqua clear 270gph power head. and 20 lbs of live rock. how much live sand dhould i get? i was wondering if i could get a crushed coral and live sand mix, will that work out ok? and now for the fish: 2 clowns (hevent desided wich ones yet but not a maroon) a spotted hawk fish, a scooter blenny, and maybe a coral beuaty anglfish. if i couldnt kepp the coral beauty, then maybe a royal gramma.

 

[moby da goby]

Just a quick note, I wouldn't suggest a crushed coral, live sand combo because the sand will eventually filter to the bottom of the tank under the crushed coral, better to go the live sand completely if you can afford it. Two percs clowns would be great, they ar funny little guys. The coral beauty I'd advise against until your tank is more than at least 6 months old. They are much more sensitive to water chemistry. The rest sounds pretty good to me! I'm on my way to buy a pixy hawkfish (orange spots)

 

[tru conch]

it sounds pretty good. like moby said, if you can go with just live sand, do it. i am running a 29 gal reef tank right now. all i have for filtration (sp) is lr/ls and a sea cyclone skimmer, with out any problems. (but i only have 3 fish in it) as far as clowns i would go with either the percs or seabe. both are comical in pairs. royal gammas go great esp since they dont get that big. i dont have any experience with hawkfish though. hth and good luck.

 

[bubbagump]

i plan on getting the coral bueaty after the tank has been cycled and has plenty of green algea for it to eat.if i could could i keep a royal gramma with the 2 clowns, a scooter blenny, a spotted hawkfish, and the coral bueaty? if i couldnt then i wont.

 

[bubbagump]

could i?

 

[joe's reefer]

get a sand tidy liie they used with the old undergravel systems it keeps our live sand on top and cc on the bottom <img src="graemlins//uhuh.gif" border="0" alt="[U-Huh]" />

 

[fshhub]

i'd go with all sand, personally, i have used cc and had much better luck wiht sand, but you do not need all live, if this is why you are thinking cc(as a filler), you could use part dry sand and just some live instead
as for the dwarf angel, wait a good 6 months, not only until you have plenty of algae
now for the rest of the fish, IMEO you should be fine with a pair of percula clowns, a scooter and teh spotted hawkfish
you may be able to add one more fish, but i woudl defintiely stop at that point, if your tank will allow the last one, which one you choose is up to you though, the cb is beautiful and so is th royal gramma, the cb may be a prob for corals if you intend to get them later on though
HTH

 

[bubbagump]

so thats good that i can keep the coral b. i'll go with a half and half on the live sand and dry sand. does that sound ok? and would that being half and half would the half that isnt live become live over time from the ls?and about the fish thing: someone told me that i couldnt keep a cb in anything littler than a 75, is that true? well could i add the cb last and add the clowns first, scooter blenny, spotted hawk, and the royal gramma? and about the cycling part:will it take six months to cycle if i use a piece of dead shrimp?if it doesnt how long should it take? and after it cycles could i add all of those fish above? or should i add one every other day or so? i will wait a long time for the coral b.do you think that the hawk will bother the hermit crabs and shrimp?