A couple of rather newbie questions...

[cj7eagle]

First off, is there any corals/anemones I can keep in a 29 gallon tank with a 17 watt 50/50 lamp that i keep on for about 8 hours a day?
Second, How basic are your QT tanks? I dont have one as of now, I take my chances with just acclimenting the fish/inverts. At this pointif disaster were to strike i wouldnt be out a whole lot of money. and untill i move, I really dont have room for another tank. Are Qt tanks, just a complete other setup tank?
Third, Do people bother with sumps/fuges with tanks as small as mine? I love projects, and have off of work untill after Christmas, I thought about trying to make a mini sump/fuge for my tank. Is it worth the trouble? anyone have any ideas for me? the whole sump/fuge deal is pretty new to me, I still have some reading i need to do.
Any other ideas for projects i could work on, or perhaps suggestions for its setup now?

 

[garnet13aj]

My QT setup is pretty simpler. A 10 gallon tank with a filter, heater, light, and hiding place for fish. No substrate or anything to make it asthetically pleasing. You should look into getting one, there are places like the classifieds or local trading sites that people offer free or cheap small tanks to cut down costs. They are really good insurance and pretty hassle free. There shouldn't be anything porous in the tank.
As for a sump/fuge for that small of a tank I haven't heard of one personally but I'm sure it could be done.

 

[cj7eagle]

What sort of filter do you have on your QT? Do you do water changes often? Do you run the lights on a schedule?

 

[hagfish]

I wouldn't get any photosynthetic creature with that lighting. There are non-photosynthetic creatures you could get though. Those include tube anemone, sun coral, some sponges, some gorgonians, and feather dusters. There's probably some more too. Most of those are a little harder than photosynthetic corals though because you have to feed them, sometimes quite a bit. And that can be hard on your water quality, especially in a small tank.
Nothing wrong with adding a sump/fuge to any tank. It is beneficial no matter the size, and probably moreso on a small tank since it's a more significant increase in water volume. There are much smaller tanks than yours out there with sump/fuges.

 

[cj7eagle]

Originally Posted by hagfish
I wouldn't get any photosynthetic creature with that lighting. There are non-photosynthetic creatures you could get though. Those include tube anemone, sun coral, some sponges, some gorgonians, and feather dusters. There's probably some more too. Most of those are a little harder than photosynthetic corals though because you have to feed them, sometimes quite a bit. And that can be hard on your water quality, especially in a small tank.
Nothing wrong with adding a sump/fuge to any tank. It is beneficial no matter the size, and probably moreso on a small tank since it's a more significant increase in water volume. There are much smaller tanks than yours out there with sump/fuges.
perhaps i will just wait untill i have better lighting.
any idea where i can find plans for a DIY sump/fuge for a tank as small as mine?

 

[hagfish]

There are nano tank forums on other sites. There is actually a site dedicated to just that. And it's pretty good. You'll have to google it.
FWIW, 29 gallons isn't THAT small. The only thing you would do differently than on a big tank is you would want a small overflow box so it doesn't take up too much room in the main tank. I would imagine you can buy a fairly small one somewhere. I know some people make them super small though. You probably don't want a huge return pump either because it might be too much flow. I think I'd look for a 600 GPH overflow and return pump. Make sure that's 600 GPH at whatever height the top of your tank is, not at the output of the pump.

 

[hagfish]

Based on your picture, it doesn't look like you have a skimmer. Assuming that's true, I highly recomend one. Aqua C Remora or a Coralife Super Skimmer 65 or 125 would be decent ones that aren't too expensive.
Also, you could add a hang on back fuge instead of a normal sump/fuge. I know a guy that had a HOB fuge on a 26 bowfront.

 

[who dey]

please ask for a new background for christmas!!!

 

[renogaw]

Originally Posted by WHO DEY
please ask for a new background for christmas!!!

little silly but yea, you have a freshwater background in your salt tank

 

[cj7eagle]

Originally Posted by hagfish
Based on your picture, it doesn't look like you have a skimmer. Assuming that's true, I highly recomend one. Aqua C Remora or a Coralife Super Skimmer 65 or 125 would be decent ones that aren't too expensive.
Also, you could add a hang on back fuge instead of a normal sump/fuge. I know a guy that had a HOB fuge on a 26 bowfront.
I made the mistake of buying a skilter 250. After Christmas I plan on getting a skimmer.
as for the background... yeah it has been bothering me too, i actually turned it around this morning.

 

[crf230]

I just put a wet

dry on my 29 gallon and I love it. I think that 600 gph is too much water movement. I'm useing a mag 5 and that does the trick.

 

[hagfish]

I believe a mag5 is 500 GPH so it's not like it's a big difference. Also, you can split the return pipe in two and basically have two return pipes and the flow for each will be less but will cover a wider area.
I have 1200 GPH coming through my returns but the way I have the output set up there is less force in any given output than I can feel from my maxi-jet 1200's (300 gph).

 

[renogaw]

i've got a mag5 also, and i think i'm going to get a split return. i am 90% sure its blowing against my glass, and swirling down and upsetting my sand. you should make sure your overflow is also sized right for your pump, or you'll push too much water out of your wet/dry than is coming in and create a nice air storm in your tank.

 

[surfinusa]

Originally Posted by cj7eagle
I made the mistake of buying a skilter 250. After Christmas I plan on getting a skimmer.
as for the background... yeah it has been bothering me too, i actually turned it around this morning.

looks much better the fish stand out better with the black background

 

[cj7eagle]

Originally Posted by crf230
I just put a wet

dry on my 29 gallon and I love it. I think that 600 gph is too much water movement. I'm useing a mag 5 and that does the trick.
I am not exactly sure what a mag 5 is. Is that a brand of wet/dry filter?