There's a first time for everything : 29 g newbie

[count krunk]

to add some more detail, you do not need fish for an ammonia source.

You could just feed the tank.

I have a 10g holding tank i am using that had liverock in it for a couple of months before i added anything.

i just fed the tank with some pellets to keep the food source going. so yes i was feeding a tank with a few snails one hermit and 10 pounds of rock to get things happy.

 

[Stang67]

if you are starting with dry rock, you can feed the tank. and add CUC as needed.

it's not a bad idea, just trying to avoid you adding fish you don't want just to help it mature.

Got it. Thanks. I don't mind fish it's just not the main reason for doing the tank. I have a 55g cichlid tank w a 13 inch pleco in it. Just with all the horror stories on here about all these diseases out there (ich brook velvet etc etc) I don't want to have to deal with the hassle to be honest. If it shows signs it gets the cammode dip. I'd much rather do a dip on a coral then a fish too [emoji4]

 

[Stang67]

Went to se a man about a fish on Saturday....

 

[Stang67]

Went to se a man about a fish on Saturday....

Meet Bonnie and Clyde and Samuel L Jackson.

 

[Stang67]

My first corals. I also got 3 nasarius snails and 3 tiny hermits. Keeping an eye on all of them extra shells in tank as well. Everyone is eating well and after almost 48 hrs I'm finally relaxing a bit. Now we wait.

 

[count krunk]

be patient.

Those are some very white rocks.

 

[Stang67]

be patient.

Those are some very white rocks.

Yes sir! No more until after Vaca. May just end up waiting till July. I am going to the BBQ at tidal gardens so want to save up for that trip.

 

[Stang67]

weekly update
All is well and i have ALGAE!! yippee. the brown rusty kind so i am thinking Diatoms. from what i have read here that appears to be a good thing and shows my cycle is truly complete and now i get to go through the ugly stages.
I have discovered that i did move a bit too fast on getting my CUC as all the snails have either starved or were killed by the hermits. They were all about the size of a pencil eraser. I have been monitoring the ammonia daily and no spike yet. The zoa seems to be growing/stretching. the one mushroom appears to be moving off his pebble he came on and onto my rock instead? i will get some pix when the tank is awake as well. my light is the orig one i got see post 1 not the upgraded mars aqua. i haven't gotten a mounting/hanging setup for the 165w and everything seems happy under the El Cheepo light so we will keep it there until more is needed. lights are on 8-10 blue 10-6 white then 6-8 blue again. at least for this week.

 

[SeaDweller]

Can you hang your lights higher for better end to end spread? For these led units running blues at X amount and the white channel at 25% of X seems to produce the best results, visually and for the inhabitants.

 

[Stang67]

Can you hang your lights higher for better end to end spread? For these led units running blues at X amount and the white channel at 25% of X seems to produce the best results, visually and for the inhabitants.

Hi Titan,
I haven't started with the Mars Aqua CBB fixture yet still only using the Koval LED. i have it sitting right on top of the tank. It only produces approximately 2340 Lumens, 8000 Kelvins. So its not really a permanent light just one to use until i get the mounting for the MarsAqua figured out. there is also no adjustability on the Koval just on or off for both the blue and white.
once i get through the first few months and get the algae sorted out i was going to start with the Mars.

 

[Dr. Dendrostein]

We're going to give this thing a shot. With anything in life it just takes time and money and typically you don't have one or the other. So in my case I needed a new hobby to start. I scuba dive once or twice a year in the Caribbean so starting a SW tank made perfect sense. I could enjoy the underwater world all year long.
I am starting this as more of a personal journal for future reference as well as to help anyone else out there that may be looking for another opinion on how to get started in this hobby/addiction. We all know what opinions are like, am I right.
SO HERE GOES NOTHING.....
I do have a bit of experience with FW. I have a 55G set up now that I have been running for about 15 yrs. successfully I have a 13" pleco and 2 Ciclids in it with some plants. Nothing crazy.
Originally the plan was to convert the 55 to salt and move the FW family to a smaller tank (29g). I am limited on space that is suitable for a tank set up thus the 29g. Issue was the Pleco, he's really too big now to move to anything smaller. So instead I am reversing the plan a bit. Starting SW in the small with the intention of eventually converting the 55 and just use the 29 as the sump. I don't have a ton of money to throw around but I have managed to save up about 500.00 to start this project. The research is an endless maze of rabbit holes and digressions so its been very hard to stay focused. I found that as long as I kept the "end game" in mind it helped me to not go crazy with any aspect of the build. Plus it seems if you can make SW work in a small then you should have little to no trouble upgrading when the time comes. And the time will come.
So I found a spot for the new set up to live. I like to have all my tools ready before I start a project so I had a list, thanks to all that research from all over the interweb and my LFS. I knew what I "needed" and what I could "wait" to get. Yeah that worked great. So here is what I have ordered so far :
29 G starter tank set up from PetSmart (incl tank, heater, HOB filter, thermometer and lid w. LED)
Tank stand Petco Metal open front no shelving
Refractometer saltwateraquarium.com
All of the following purchased from Chewy.com cant beat free shipping plus $$ was right
40lb dry rock
40 lb live sand
Koval LED (to upgrade the light for Corals in the future)
Marineland Pump 400 and 900 (one for tank if needed and one to mix SH2O)
14 lbs of Instant ocean Reef salt (tank will be a reef tank)
Filter floss pads
Aqueon PRESET 200w heater
Aquatic Life RO Buddie 4 stage 50 gal RODI
Dr Tim's Ammonium Chloride
Seachem Prime
Eco 396 pond pump (water changes for both salt and FWT)
siphon covers
Misc items from HD and my local Ace Hardware
5 gal buckets, Acrylic sheet w cutter, egg crate, Plastic tubing, sponge rollers
So I have already pretty much blown the budget, but I think I have 99% of what I will need right out the gate and I have some backups, and multi use items and items for when I covert things over in the future.

Where I am today:
Stand assembled added a "top" from an old solid wood cabinet door so the tank made better surface area contact with the stand.
Painted back of tank plan on painting side tonight
Determined aquascape

Goals: (all subject to change as needed)
Next few days and this weekend: Hook up RODI machine to start water, rinse sand, add sand and scape to tank, mix salt water and after 24 hrs add to tank. let settle and warm up. add ammonia and bacteria.
2 wks : Cycle tank
3 wks: Add CUC
4 wks (aka May 1) evaluate and proceed accordingly 1 fish and a couple coral to start
2-3 months evaluate and proceed accordingly 2 fish Clowns and an anemone MAYBE
4-6 M eval and proceed once anemone settled pared up and doing well add addtl corals

I have taken a couple pix on my cell but I cant seem to get them to upload (work computer). Will try off phone directly tonight.

So this is where I am today. Let me know your thoughts, and if there is anything that I can clarify for you. Also PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE give me feedback and I welcome any and all opinions. I just ask one thing, that you don't tell me what I am doing is WRONG just because you prefer a different way. Again we all have opinions and we all know what those are like
THANK YOU !

Welcome, comrade, plan and take it slow

 

[SeaDweller]

Hi Titan,
I haven't started with the Mars Aqua CBB fixture yet still only using the Koval LED. i have it sitting right on top of the tank. It only produces approximately 2340 Lumens, 8000 Kelvins. So its not really a permanent light just one to use until i get the mounting for the MarsAqua figured out. there is also no adjustability on the Koval just on or off for both the blue and white.
once i get through the first few months and get the algae sorted out i was going to start with the Mars.

There’s a pic you posted with the CBB lights already up, right?

 

[Stang67]

There’s a pic you posted with the CBB lights already up, right?

yeah you are right but that hanger was made out of PVC and i wasn't happy with the stability of it and it was a bit too saggy for my liking. i am working on making a new one out of metal gas line instead. so in the mean time i am using the "back up" light. i only have one zoa and 2 mushrooms right now so the low level of light wont be an issue for the time being.

 

[SeaDweller]

yeah you are right but that hanger was made out of PVC and i wasn't happy with the stability of it and it was a bit too saggy for my liking. i am working on making a new one out of metal gas line instead. so in the mean time i am using the "back up" light. i only have one zoa and 2 mushrooms right now so the low level of light wont be an issue for the time being.

Nice. Or try aluminum t slot

 

[Stang67]

Nice. Or try aluminum t slot

Here are the pix. Current lighting and algae. Sorry not the greatest quality.

 

[Stang67]

Update diatoms are gone and what appears to be green Coralie algea is now starting. Levels remain consistent and 4 hermits and fish are very happy.

 

[Stang67]

Back from Vaca update. Levels are constant. Got a couple more red/blue hermits to help with the algae. Lfs doesn't think it's Coraline just more of the uglies. Got a small duncan and a dragons soul favia on Vaca and both are doing well after 5 days in the tank. Fed both w mysis the 3rd day and gave everyone some reef roids today. The unk zoa has 4 new heads coming in too. The mushroom is now the size of a half dollar and I never fed either of them until today! I will have to admit I got a mystery 4 pack a ultra orange mushroom a spitfire favia and a freebie coral at the wwc live sale this weekend. I know I know too fast for all that and it's too soon. But you only live once. I did promise my man no more until July. He is getting hooked too and was the one that picked out the dragons soul. [emoji4]

 

[Stang67]

Updated the light to the cbb 165w. Stand made out of left over gas line and rattle can rustoleum. Have a proper ato/skimmer coming and pump on friday. Parameters remain constant and within acceptable ranges. Noticed some small spots of purple coralline starting to form in random spots. Received my wwc order in the mail and everyone seems to be doing well. Now we wait until the tidal gardens BBQ in July and hope everything stays happy. There is also a frag swap the same day nearby so I have a feeling I'm gonna need the room.

 

[Jon Fishman]

I didn't read it all, but damsels are nasty little buggars.... I'd remove him personally..... otherwise, coming along nicely!

 

[Stang67]

I didn't read it all, but damsels are nasty little buggars.... I'd remove him personally..... otherwise, coming along nicely!

We call him Samuel L Jackson bc he's one mean mfer. He doesn't bother the clowns and some times Bonnie teases him. I'm not planning on any more fish so he's gonna stay for now. But thanks for the heads up [emoji4]