starting a 29gallon reef

jibbittyflibbit

jibbittyflibbit

Member
hello,
i currently have a 29 gallon FW setup, and im getting a 75 gallon to move everything into. since ill have the extra 29 gallon tank, i was considering making this a SW tank. i would like to eventually get a 75 gallon saltwater, but since im currently renting a apartment, im going to hold off on that for another 2 or 3 years till i get a house.
ive been reading about all this stuff for 6 months now, but i would still like some input.
but anyway.. the tank isnt pre-drilled or anything.. i would like to try the berlin method for setting this up.
i would get maybe 75% southdown play sand from home depot, and get the other 25% live sand. i dunno how many lbs. i would need to make a 4" DSB. any ideas?
i would have about 25-30lbs of LR.
as far as stock is concerned, i would be happy with 2 percula clownfish and a bubbletip anemone (ill add this once the tank 'matures') and some hermits and shrimp. perhaps a red scooter.. not sure about any corals at this point.
for equipment, ive been looking at the CPR bak pak 2R - the one for reef tanks. im probably going to try and get power compacts to produce about 3 watts per gallon or so. ( i would invest more if needed because of the eventual anenome )
well, thats all i can think of at the moment, .. theres no rush here,... im going to concentrate on my new 75 gallon freshwater at the moment, so getting all this stuff is 2-3 months off.
any suggestions as to my ideas for the setup? stocking suggestions? mechanical filtration? would the anenome eat the other fish?
thanks for helping me out.
regards,
jib
 
jibbittyflibbit

jibbittyflibbit

Member
thanks for the info.. i figured on a 110 pc hood, so that basically is about 3.6 watts per gallon.
since this is my first SW tank, im going to take it nice and slow, and build my shopping list over the next week or so, going by what feedback i get here.
for circulation, im thinking about 2 rio powerheads, 1 for each side of the tank.. not sure on what models (500) ? i, of course, dont want to blow my fish out of the water :p
skipping the skimmer for the first 2 months are so is fine by me, itll save me about $150 dollars on that bak pak.
i think ill skip the MH lighting for now, .. like i mentioned, eventually ill be getting a 75 gallon.. so thatll be the one with 2 MH and 2 atinic's.. and over 1500 bucks invested. this 29 gallon is more or less something to feed the bug for the time being.. maybe ill have a coral or two, but itll be depending on whatll work with what i have, rather than building around the corals needs.
oh, btw.. ill be using half distilled water from the local store, and half tap. cant really install a RO in my landlords plumbing. water changes would probably be once every 10 days.. probably 3 gallons distilled and 1 or 2 gallons tap. (declorinated, of course).
from what ive read, reef crystals works better for this type of setup, as opposed to instant ocean.
i dont think the sump option is the way i want to go at this time.
ill probably feed live/frozen brine shrimp and bloodworms - im not too big on feeding alot of flakes.. even with my FW fish.. the only get flakes 1/3 of the time, the rest is either frozen or live.
regards,
jib
 
krux

krux

Member
my ro unit attatches right to the kitchen sink faucet, and requires no plumbing changes or anything. it was under 100 dollars. you might look into that.
 
jibbittyflibbit

jibbittyflibbit

Member
not sure on the filtration at this point.. the bio would be done by the LR and LS. im open to ideas on that issue. maybe a emporer 400 or something. maybe even a magnum 350.. the return would eliminate the need for 2 powerheads?
krux - what kind of RO are you using? model?
im wondering about the 100% distilled water.. i think ive heard thats "too clean" and theres no minerals or anything in it that would be used.. like calcium, ect. where i live, i have high ph (like 8.2) and very hard water. has a good buffering capacity, though..
rios or mags? i dont have a opinion on either yet...
if i were to buy this stuff tomorrow,i would probably get everything from this site.. dont really trust the 1 or 2 local SW LFS..
should be simple enough to get the southdown, then order 50lbs live rock and the live sand.. and the 2 shrimp... later after the cycle, i would get a reef package
regards,
jib
 
jibbittyflibbit

jibbittyflibbit

Member
i dont HAVE to get a scooter.. just thought they were interesting when i saw them at the LFS
there are like 2 home depots within 15 minutes of me.. im pretty sure one of them will have it or order it... i havent looked yet.. im still in the planning stages...
how many lbs of sand will i need for a 4" DSB on a 29gallon?
after 2 negative comments on the rio's .. looks like ill go with a mag.
im still wondering about filtration.. anyone have any recomendations?
regards,
jib
 
broncofish

broncofish

Active Member

Originally posted by krux
my ro unit attatches right to the kitchen sink faucet, and requires no plumbing changes or anything. it was under 100 dollars. you might look into that.
Where did you get it?
 
josh

josh

Active Member
Hi,
I used 100lbs of sand in my 29 gallon tank, and my bed is roughly 5".
Why are you getting a mag? That thing will be huge in your tank. You aren't doing a sump right? Just get some Maxi-jets.
For filtration, just LR and LS nothing else, I don't even run a skimmer on mine. The magnum HOT filter is a nice one, but really they just don't do enough to justify their cost. I mean they are nice for carbon from time to time....but the LS and LR will be all you need. The HOT skimmers really just don't do much of anything, if you are set on getting a skimmer, get a sump first then get an in sump skimmer.
By all means, don't use tap water. At least buy the distilled water from the grocery store. Tap water, even a little, will only cause big headaches down the road with algae.
HTH,
any more questions???
Bronco: here is a pic of the sink water purifier. Just do a google search to see who sells it. It is made by API.
 
jibbittyflibbit

jibbittyflibbit

Member
ive seen those purifiyers at the LFS.. i think they run about 70-80 bucks..
although it seems like you have to replace the cartridge fairly often when you have hard water like i do.
would that purifier be a good investment? distilled water is like 55 cents a gallon
with a 4 " DSB, that really only leaves about 12" of space from the top of the bed to the top of the tank.. is that ok?
you are correct, im not going the sump method this time out.. in 2 years or so when i get a 75 gallon SW.. ill try the ecosystem method.
anyone have a link or anything to a place where it says what the recommended levels for ph, calcium, etc for this type of setup would be ?
regards,
jib
 
josh

josh

Active Member
yes they are pricey, you can get an RO unit for about that.
pH - 8.3
Calcium - ~450ppm
Alk - ~ 10-12 DKH
Temp - 80 deg F
Sp.G - 1.026 for corals 1.023 for FO
If it's a FO cal and alk really aren't that important, you will keep the levels up with water changes anyway. yes 12" is fine.
 
broncofish

broncofish

Active Member

Originally posted by josh
yes they are pricey, you can get an RO unit for about that.

petc0 has them for $39
 
jibbittyflibbit

jibbittyflibbit

Member
dont you need to route those RO's thru the plumbing under the sink ? i currently rent my apartment, and dont want to mess with the plumbing.
since i use distilled for my freshwater.. then eventually this salt water... i would probably use about 10 gallons a week (x4 x .55 .. its about 20 dollars a month.. so a 100 system would pay for itself in 5 months) maybe i should look into a RO more.. but again, im really iffy on doing plumbing to a house i dont own.
regards,
jib
 
jibbittyflibbit

jibbittyflibbit

Member
i was wondering, after reading some other posts on this board.
its becoming apparent that the southdown sand may be very hard to find,.. if i cant get that , what should i go with? im seeing silica sand being mentioned..
regards,
jib
 
jibbittyflibbit

jibbittyflibbit

Member
anyone know how many lbs of sand ill need for this 29 gallon ?
would 50 lbs give me a 4" DSB ?
also, if i dont use any filters.. just the dsb and live rock.. what happens to all the poop ?
regards,
jib
 
jibbittyflibbit

jibbittyflibbit

Member
would 1 maxi-jet 400 .. rated for 106gph be enough for this setup? or should i use the 600 model.. which is 160 gph
any other suggestions before i go out and buy all this stuff would be helpful. or something i may need which im forgetting...
regards,
jib
 
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