29 Gal Budget First Reef Tank Equipment Check

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Hi all, lurker into poster.

I'm looking into setting up my first mixed reef tank and I would like my equipment critiqued. I'd like to keep my entire build (minus livestock) under $900. I plan to buy LFS saltwater until I'm ready to invest in a good RO/DI + salt mix.
Item TypeNamePrice
TankAqueon 29G$60
FilterAquaClear 110$85
Media basketInTank AC110 + AC 110 Surface Skimmer$150
SkimmerTunze 9001 (fits inside intank basket)$130
HeaterHydor Theo 100w (fits inside intank basket)$24
WavemakerJebao slw-10$80
BacteriaTurboStart - 4oz$24
Zyme 9 - 1 gal$33
RockLFS rock$50
SandFiji pink$30
Salinity CheckerRefractometer$20
LightNicrew Reef 150$185
Light controllerKessil X (Will buy in a few months)$100

I'm still way too new to reefing to decide on my livestock list beyond 2x frostbite clowns. What are some good first reef 29g tankmates for clowns? Good first corals that aren't boring looking?
 

ying yang

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Algae magnet for glass and all the little things like nets/ food,coral dips,test kits for amnonia and nitrate if want track cycling then if get corals,mag,p04,calcium,alk,some test ph and sone don't bother,
Glue and mortar if want make nsa or just make structure more solid ( I got 80g dt and spent nearly £ 100 on just glue but my country expensive and had to buy lots small 50 ml glues x19) I used glue and sand method then used reef safe mortar to mortar the joints after.
Reef safe putty if want to stick frags down.
Gravel vac.
Empty buckets for water changes and just useful to have.
The list just goes on and on lol
I'm 9 months into my tank and still thinking if stuff to buy.

I'm not trying to scare you off but just saying can make do with simplest of items but to make life easier then lots things to buy and all little things add up rather quickly .
And I bought extra pump to make my saltwater but it also acts as spare pump if my return pump fails and spare heater etc.

Good luck ^_^

Can also get ato's that go in tanks without sumps and think maybe in return pump chamber of a aio I think I've read somewhere so salinity more stable as you probably read over and over as you lurking stability is the key ^_^
 

Jekyl

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Good suggestions. Do you have any favorite 29 gal compatible wrasses?

An Inkbird has been added to my list.
Spare heaters also. I keep 2 in my tank and one for mixing water for changes.
 

Aqua Man

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I'm looking into setting up my first mixed reef tank and I would like my equipment critiqued. I'd like to keep my entire build (minus livestock) under $900. I plan to buy LFS saltwater until I'm ready to invest in a good RO/DI + salt mix.
Welcome to R2R!

Most important ingredient in a reef is clean water. IMO an RODI system is top priority.

Could always add a skimmer later. Skimmer is not essential equipment.

Only need the turbo start to cycle.

What are some good first reef 29g tankmates for clowns? Good first corals that aren't boring looking?
Starry Blenny or Bi color blenny are neat fish with personality. Zoanthids come in a variety of colors and most are easy to keep. Ricordia mushrooms also.
 

gbroadbridge

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First priority is RODI water. Make that the top of the list.

Don't forget water testing and mixing. You'll be doing a lot of both. You need to test Alk, Nitrates and Phosphates to start with, maybe ammonia if you're in a hurry and want to watch the tank cycle.

I just checked my Excel on the amount I have spent on my new 90g tank, and it's over $8k in 12 months.

There is always something to add you forgot. Don't keep a spreadsheet, or if you do dont let the wife see it.

My greatest fear is when I croak my wife will sell all my gadgets for what I told her they cost.

Regards
Graham.
 

tharbin

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Welcome to R2R!

Your list is pretty good but like it has been mentioned, you will find lots of little things you need. I would add a glass cleaning magnet and a small RO unit to the list (for a 29 gallon something like an RO Buddy is sufficient) and delay the purchase of the skimmer. You won't really need it for a long time, if ever. You will need RODI though, very often. Buying your SW from your LFS in the beginning is fine if you trust your LFS, some are better than others. RODI though is needed daily for top off. It will get old VERY quickly running to the store for RODI.

R2RWelcome.jpg
 

tharbin

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My water is terrible, can cheap RO units handle very high TDS?
Usually yes, if you mean RODI, not just RO. The more expensive units can handle more gallons per hour (makes the water quicker), having pumps to increase pressure can reduce waste water and extra filter cartridges (beyond the standard 4) can handle difficult issues like chloramines, high silicates or reduce the number of times you need to replace the DI resins. The main thing that will happen with high TDS source water (mine is between 400 on a good day and 600 on a not so good day) is how quickly you deplete your media.
 

BanjoBandito

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Ahh I understand, got it.

That saves me $130 so I'm happy to hold off on it for now.
skimmers are great machinery, but on small systems they are not necessary and can strip beneficial bacteria and nutrients from your water - over filtering out of the gate can cause dinos and you'll be out of balance. Get a good amount of QUALITY live rock (maybe a couple pieces from KP + dry rock to save dough), get good pumps and let it do it's thing! Good luck!
 

zaga

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Welcome! I will echo skipping the skimmer and put the money towards an RO/DI and a salt mix. When I switched from buying water from a LFS and setup an RO/DI, it paid for itself within 3 months. Buying water really adds up.

Did you already buy the tank? If you skip all this:
TankAqueon 29G$60
FilterAquaClear 110$85
Media basketInTank AC110 + AC 110 Surface Skimmer$150
SkimmerTunze 9001 (fits inside intank basket)$130
BacteriaTurboStart - 4oz$24
Zyme 9 - 1 gal$33

I feel like you can get a nice AIO setup, at least a used one. An AIO would include the tank, filter area, and surface skimmer. If you get at least 10 pounds of quality live rock, you will not need any bacteria in a bottle.
 

Sgchick

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I started with a 29 gallon biocube AIO and I never did get a RODI setup. Too easy to go by my LFS and get 5 gallons of seawater and rodi. I had that tank up and running for 6 years before I moved. I was very religious about my water changes though as I didn't have a sump. And since you asked, I kept a beautiful blue star leopard wrasse for 5 of those years and ended up selling her with the tank.
 

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zaga

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I agree that skipping the RO/DI would not be that big of a deal if you have a reliable LFS. The LFS I was buying from was charging $25 for (2) 5 gallon salt mix and (1) 5 gallon RO/DI for top off. It adds up quick since I do water changes every week.

Having good water from the get go will prevent a lot of headaches though. 4 months back in it and I have only dealt with cyano due to some negligence and failed tinkering on my part.
 

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