Starting a 29G tank in the Future... Thoughts/Advice??

[lucky2bebc]

Ok i am trying to start a saltwater tank again and I would like to do it right this time. I have been doing alot of research and will set one up once i go on active duty shortly.

So I will just post what I plan on purchasing or already own. I am thinking of doing a FOWLR but possibly adding corals or something later

1. 29G tank w/ stand- Own
2. Biowheel rated for 60G tank - I dont think this was suffecient enough the first time could be wrong
3. Reef sand- thinking of going with black
4. live rock- 30lbs I do have this but its just 2 big rocks not the best looking and have just been sitting in a non flowing tank for a while. I am thinking of adding uncured rock to help cycle my tank at the beginning
5. Protien skimmer- No idea what type to go for
-height: 15px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 2px; padding-left: 0px; ">
6. Power heads- I know i need 580 gph with the skimmer, filt, and powerheads
7. Lighting system- have standard hood and light- pretty sure i need to upgrade
8. Saltwater test kits
9. Heater- Own
10. Thermometer- own
11. hydrometer- own

So basically my biggest ?s are the filtration system do i need to upgrade was thinking of doing canister. Lighting I read that what I have for FOWLR is fine but what to upgrade to If i plan on adding corals for a 29G tank. Also good brands for skimmer and filter system. And also If i am missing anything or have something listed i dont need. Thank you in advance Really want to do this right this time.

 

[flower]

Well you really have a good layout plan. Not all corals require bright lights, mushrooms are very pretty and I believe they are fine under PC lights. Then there are a whole bunch of non-photosynthetic corals you could get into later on. Sponges add great color and need no light at all, also feather duster fan worms look great in a fish only tank. Both are filter feeders so they help clean the water.
A canister is a good idea, and using a spray bar to move surface water is a great thing so you free up your power heads to move the water mid tank. A sump if you can at all do it is better. However I have used canisters for many years and just now am going to be setting up my first sump system.
I personally would not recommend black …salt is a way of life and black does not look good for long at all. I had black and in just a few months it began to look worn out or something. It’s hard to describe. Now, keep in mind I was using one of those cheap stands they sell, I don’t know about high end ones. I eventually went with the honey stained pine wood. Years later and it still looks good.
If your rock has been in saltwater it just needs to cycle, add any rock you like to your tank during the cycle. Make a cave if you can, fish love them. Also consider painting the back outside of your tank, coralline forms on everything eventually so a nice background gets lost. However a painted back really makes the tank look good and the darker the better, it makes the colors of the fish really pop.
With no sump, I can't help you on a skimmer, I have had so many hang on the back types that I hate...I could give you a list of what NOT to get.

 

[anti]

I think he meant black SAND not STAND

 

[lucky2bebc]

Ya i ment sand...I already have a stand..Its in good shape and looks pretty new. Thanks for the input though flower. I'll have to look into a spray bar never heard of one

 

[tlsohio]

I think that you really need to consider what you want as an end result, because IMO it's hard to flip from fish only to fish with coral using the same components . I agree with "Flower" that there are some corals that will be able to go into a FO tank, but you will be very limited. For instance, if you pick an Angel, trigger & wrasse for your tank and then decide you want corals, your choice of corals will be very limited, due to the fish in your tank. I think that you need to decide now if you want to eventually convert to a reef system. And only buy fish that are reef safe.
I am not a fan of bio wheels or canisters for a reef system. I am not saying that they cannot be used but there are much more efficiant ways of filtering reef aquariums today. You could use these to start your tank with FO but when you decide to start adding corals you will need to upgrade filtration. IMO a refugium/sump is the only way to go. Algea scrubbers are also an efficiant means of filtration, but take up more room than a refugium/sump will.
I have no opinion on black sand as I have only ever used white.
You're going to need to purchase alot more LR for a reef tank, you'll want enough rock to make a nice reef scape, some bridges, caves and such. The rock gives your fish places to hide/rest/retreat if necessary and places to place your corals. Dry rock is fine to use when starting a tank, just realize it will probably take several weeks to cure and don't plan on any livestock for several months.
As far as protein skimmers go, there are very different opinions derived from experience. Some of your decission will be whether you will HOB or put it in a sump. Either way there are many choices and CPR and AquaC both make nice HOB and Octupus and Tunze make nice In sump models, others may have additional advice on this matter.
On a 29g you could probably get 2 Koralia 1's and be fine with flow, as long as you have other return flow coming into the tank from others filters, but this will all depend on what else you decide to use. Flow will be a combined total.
Lighting will also decide on your choice of inhabitants. Fish ony can probably get along with a PC fixtures, while most corals have more lighting requirements. I would recommend either a HQI MH combo T5VHO or T5VHO fixture. Similar to plants, corals and many invertebrates require light for photosynthesis to generate energy and food. If your corals and invertebrates do not receive enough light for photosynthesis from your aquarium lights, they will not survive. You should really do your own research on your lighting choice as it is the most important decission you will make on your tank.
If you decide to go reef it would be wise to own a refractometer for you salinity testing, it is the most accurate way to measure salinity.
Well, I've rambled on long enough. Hope some of this information proves useful to you.

 

[lucky2bebc]

Thanks...Ya i think for now for a while I'm going to stick with a fish only with some easy corals until i feel like Ive learned enough about saltwater tanks, fish, etc and then maybe in the future when i have a larger tank and am rich i will move on to a full reef. Thanks for your input though PC fixture? whats that? I guess figuring out what I want to do for filtration is my biggest ordeal at the moment. I have been reading the benefits of the sump but don't want to get into one now So I'm leaning towards the canister or the wet/dry system. Also one more question i have is do i really need a protein skimmer? I would get a HOB since I wont be doing a sump but I'm curious if they are necessary? Thanks guys for the help so far.

 

[smartorl]

On one of my tanks that I bought with a HOB, I added a second one, they are side by side on the back of the tank and personally, to anyone using HOB's I would recommend the setup. Because I do also have tanks without mechanical filtration, I rely on the HOB's alot for water flow. The two certainly keep things moving well and evenly. By adding a carefully placed ph in the front to direct the flow, that tank has the best water circulation of any tank I have right now without being overkill.
I use black sand and really like it. Granted, the oldest black sand tank I have is three years old, but I haven't seen any of the fading and dirty looks that others complain about. The sand I got did have a slight mix of regular sand so maybe that has something to do with it.