My 1st Saltwater Journey (29 gallon) Now 40g AIO

[CrimsonTide]

Which do you use? That Ehiem is big and ugly lol

I have a 150w aqueon pro that I've been happy with so far and it can go in straight up and down and not touch the bottom or stick out the top. They don't have the greatest reputation for lasting years but I wanted a 150 that would fit. There are others that will last longer and are better quality but I have had zero issues with it. I also got it essentially 40% off bc of the right timing in the year. Like I said though I also have a backup if it ever goes out but the backup is a preset and I keep it preset to 76 degrees. It hasn't came on except during a waterchange.

 

[CrimsonTide]

I agree with @TexanCanuck in the sand department. You may find that you have leftover water bc the sand will take up some of the water space. Just an add on to what he said.

 

[TexanCanuck]

If you want a smaller heater, I'd advocate for the BRS titanium heating element. In the size it will be only 10" long and 1" in diameter.

However, you will have to plug it into a controller (like the Inkbird) as it doesn't have a built in thermostat.

However, it will last much longer and give you an easy upgrade path in the future.

 

[JL15219]

I would definitely put your sand in as well. Bacteria will stick to it and the rock. Plus the carib sea has a little bit of beneficial bacteria in it as well so it can help you with cycling and begin to establish its self. I have 20lbs in mine and it is definitely enough. Too much sand and your powerheads will create sand tornadoes.

Yeah, put your sand in...more diverse bacteria and all that.

I might end up putting the sand in there this weekend

 

[TexanCanuck]

One other thing ... not urgent, but something to put on your radar.

If you ultimately want to get into corals, at some point you will find that a good protein skimmer will be a great tool to help manage water quality. Think about it as an extension of your mechanical filtration - it can remove dissolved organics that are too fine to be collected by your HOB filter.

So if after all this drama with getting the tank setup and running you find you still have energy left over, think about taking the plunge and adding that protein skimmer now ... it will help you get through the curing process on that dry rock faster.

However, to be clear, it is NOT essential to add it now. Just want to give you something to think about.

 

[zukihara]

I might end up putting the sand in there this weekend

If you buy one of the white eggcrate lighting thingies from Lowes or Home Depot, you can cut it to fit then add sand and rock. This will give your rock something to kinda bite into and make stacking the aquascape a bit more stable.

 

[JL15219]

I concur with @zukihara - no need to get rid of your current dry rock. You can proceed with your cycle just fine with everything you've already got, and add some "aquaculture live rock" when you get a chance.

Here's what I'd recommend:

1) Drain all the water out of the tank that you can (it makes working with the sand much easier) ... don't throw the water away ... just drain it into a clean trash can as a temporary holding place

2) remove all of the rock EXCEPT for the pieces you want on the very bottom (i.e. the rocks that will touch the glass on the bottom) - you want your rock touching the glass, not sitting on top of the sand

3) with the water out and the bottom-most rocks in, now add your sand ... try and spread it evenly over the bottom and "tuck it in" around the rocks. Make sure to add all the water that is in the bag of sand (that's where all the good bacteria is!). When the bag is completely empty, partially fill the bag back up with a little water you stored in step (1) and swish it around in the bag to make sure you got all the bacteria that was in the bag, then dump it in the aquarium

4) now put the rest of your rocks back in. make sure the pile is sturdy, because some livestock like to brush stuff around and you don't want your stack tubing over in the future and squishing a pet. If necessary, use aquarium-grade silicone or SuplerGlue to glue the rocks to each other

5) now SLOWLY put the water back ... don't let the water fall directly into the sand ... let the water trickle down slowly over the rock until the tank is full

6) try adding the Dr. Tim's again, making sure you follow the instructions on the bottle TO THE LETTER

Relax and enjoy your favorite cocktail ... its the start of a wonderful journey.

Key for the next few weeks is to GO SLOW, don't rush the process, and follow the guidelines on the Dr Tim bottle exactly!

If you have any questions about anything, post them here!

Okay thanks but why add the Dr. Tim's again? I would have to order it again not sold locally just the Instant Ocean one

 

[JL15219]

I have a 150w aqueon pro that I've been happy with so far and it can go in straight up and down and not touch the bottom or stick out the top. They don't have the greatest reputation for lasting years but I wanted a 150 that would fit. There are others that will last longer and are better quality but I have had zero issues with it. I also got it essentially 40% off bc of the right timing in the year. Like I said though I also have a backup if it ever goes out but the backup is a preset and I keep it preset to 76 degrees. It hasn't came on except during a waterchange.

I was actually thinking of getting one of the aqueon pro at the beginning because they are all black but ended up with this one and I think it's kind of an eye sore

 

[JL15219]

If you want a smaller heater, I'd advocate for the BRS titanium heating element. In the size it will be only 10" long and 1" in diameter.

However, you will have to plug it into a controller (like the Inkbird) as it doesn't have a built in thermostat.

However, it will last much longer and give you an easy upgrade path in the future.

I will check them out....I actually was already planning on using a controller....have a few in my Amazon cart as we speak

 

[zukihara]

I was actually thinking of getting one of the aqueon pro at the beginning because they are all black but ended up with this one and I think it's kind of an eye sore

Those eyesore purchases soon become "emergency supplies" haha. Get what you want. You will find a use for the extras soon enough.

 

[JL15219]

One other thing ... not urgent, but something to put on your radar.

If you ultimately want to get into corals, at some point you will find that a good protein skimmer will be a great tool to help manage water quality. Think about it as an extension of your mechanical filtration - it can remove dissolved organics that are too fine to be collected by your HOB filter.

So if after all this drama with getting the tank setup and running you find you still have energy left over, think about taking the plunge and adding that protein skimmer now ... it will help you get through the curing process on that dry rock faster.

However, to be clear, it is NOT essential to add it now. Just want to give you something to think about.

Yeah I was thinking about it already and suggestions? How does it help with curing process?

 

[CrimsonTide]

The inkbird route is the best long term route in my opinion. If the giant thing is annoying you and you have to get rid of it. But it will work great to heat up water for a waterchange and you never know when a heater will go out. I think this hobby is a lot of redundancy and backups "incase" something happens.

 

[JL15219]

Those eyesore purchases soon become "emergency supplies" haha. Get what you want. You will find a use for the extras soon enough.

Lol very true!

 

[JL15219]

The inkbird route is the best long term route in my opinion. If the giant thing is annoying you and you have to get rid of it. But it will work great to heat up water for a waterchange and you never know when a heater will go out. I think this hobby is a lot of redundancy and backups "incase" something happens.

I just need to maybe figure out how to hide it better....I try to raise the temperature yesterday to about 81 degrees to help the bacteria multiple faster but it didn't work had to set it to 83 for the Thermometer to read 80

 

[JL15219]

The inkbird route is the best long term route in my opinion. If the giant thing is annoying you and you have to get rid of it. But it will work great to heat up water for a waterchange and you never know when a heater will go out. I think this hobby is a lot of redundancy and backups "incase" something happens.

I just need to maybe figure out how to hide it better....I try to raise the temperature yesterday to about 81 degrees to help the bacteria multiple faster but it didn't work had to set it to 83 for the Thermometer to read

 

[CrimsonTide]

There are a lot of HOB skimmer options you can choose. I use an aquaticlife 115 mini for 30gal. there are some that are bigger capacity that would work even better that are not much bigger than that one.

 

[JL15219]

There are a lot of HOB skimmer options you can choose. I use an aquaticlife 115 mini for 30gal. there are some that are bigger capacity that would work even better that are not much bigger than that one.

Yeah I think that was one of the ones that was recommended to me. I made a list but can't find it now! hahaha

 

[zukihara]

I would be wary of some tiny HOB skimmer honestly. Research some other ways to accomplish what you need it for on a 29 given your stocking plan.

 

[JL15219]

I would be wary of some tiny HOB skimmer honestly. Research some other ways to accomplish what you need it for on a 29 given your stocking plan.

Why is that? If you don't mind telling me. Also is gulfliverock.com where you got your live rock?

 

[zukihara]

Why is that? If you don't mind telling me. Also is gulfliverock.com where you got your live rock?

HOB skimmers have limited capability and you may be wasting your money. Research the hell out of it.

I did not use direct from the ocean live rock for my build because I did not want the crazy diverse life, but I think you would actually like it as far as a fascination factor goes. Nothing like it. If I had my tank right by a viewing area like you, I likely would have used gulf live rock.