First Tank - 29 Gallon

[Faccia di Pesce]

I am working on my first saltwater tank (29G).

I am on a budget and have a few questions.

1. After I put Caribsea Life Rock in the tank, how long before I can add coral (ball park estimation) And, can I wait until then to invest in a good coral light. I have a basic LED now (Nicecrew). I could use the money now to buy other needed items.

2. How much RODI would I need to produce on a weekly basis for a 29 gallon? If I can get away with a cheaper RODI unit for now I could use the money on other needed items.

Should I buy this:

AQUATIC LIFE RO Buddie Three Stage Osmosis System, 50-gal - Chewy.com

Buy Aquatic Life RO Buddie Three Stage Osmosis System, 50-gal at Chewy.com. FREE shipping and the BEST customer service!

www.chewy.com

Or this

3. I plan on building my own Sump Pump using a 20 gallon tank. I purchased a Coral Live Super Skimmer 125G for 100.00 never used. What is the best budget pump to use and what is a refugium and do I need that in my sump?

Just a few questions

Thanks for your advice and I am excited to start this new adventure.

Steve

 

[Faccia di Pesce]

Greetings,

I tried to post this once but seems it did not work. Let me try again.

I am about to start my first saltwater tank (29gl). I have a few questions.

1. I just bought some Caribsea Rock from a local guy who has three tanks. (see attached video) How should I handle it regarding setting up my new tank? I read in a forum that I should acid wash it or do something to it before adding to tank. But I assume that only applies to an already established tank? Since its a new tank can I just place it in the tank and add new water? Sorry if I sound green, I am

2. How long before I can add coral (ball park estimation). I need to be a good light for coral as I only have a 20 dollar cheap Nicecrew LED. So I want to know if I can wait till I buy coral before spending money on a good light?

3. I am going to build my own sump with a 20 gallon tank. Do I need a refugium?

4. With a 29 Gallon how much RODI water will I need to produce? I am wondering if I should buy a 60 dollar RODI unit or a 150 dollar one?


Just a few questions . Thanks for your advice.

Steve

 

[40g Nano]

1. If it is live rock, you don’t NEED to wait at all. The nicrew will be fine for low light corals(shrooms) and other softies.
2 You don’t need too much RO for the tank for top off only a gallon or two a week plus water changes. Also, the RO buddy only does 6-12 tds (my tank has been doing fine with a different RO and great growth with 11 tds)
3. You can see my 20 gallon sump on my build thread. A fuge is optional, but I did not put a slimmer in mine. It holds macro algae or mangroves( I’m doing both) to take out nitrates and prevent algae in the display
A good pump is sicce or Eheim but do your research I will be following along

 

[piranhaman00]

Patience grasshopper. Was the rock wet when you put it into your tank? Or dry rock? Either way, let the tank run for a few weeks then add first few fish. After at least a month you can start with soft corals. If its dry rock you are adding, I recommend Biospira for cycle tank.

I will recommend the viperspectra led light, you can grow any coral for 120$. It is what we call a "black box" led light, it is considered the best of the black boxes. IT can always be turned down, but other less powerful lights cannot be turned up (obviously).

The RO Buddie is awesome! I used it for months when I had smaller aquariums. It will work great for a 29 gallon, given your tap TDS is not through the roof, did you purchase a TDS meter? I would get four 5 gallon pails and have them all filled and covered with RODI water. You will then have plenty on reserve. When you run out make 4 pails worth again. When making water with RODI it is better on the unit to run it fewer times for longer periods.

Keep asking questions!

 

[725196]

Welcome to R2R!

Read as much as you can before you buy equipment, livestock foods etc.

To answer your questions: You dont NEED a light until you have something that needs a light. This will also keep algae growth down. With. 29 gallon I am not sure, IMHO, you need an RODI unite if you can source the water locally from a LFS or another aquarist. However, if you want one get the best you can get and dont think, "Ill upgrade later" it will cos more in the long run. When you ask about a pump, I am assuming a return pump. You wont need one as strong as you may think. Water flow through the sump, while important, is not nearly as important as flow in the tank. Don't use a return for flow, that is just to circulate water to the sump. Read up on this and learn it well. It will be a benefit to you and your aquarium. Lastly a refugium is a "safe place" to cultivate pods, usually in macro algae. This does a few things. It give a safe haven to pods that in turn become food for the inhabitants. When using macro algae it helps keep phosphates down in the tank, thus helping combating the bad algaes but you will need a light for the fuge.

Free advice: The most expensive part of this hobby is impatience. Figure out what you want, save up for it and only buy it once. Enjoy the hobby!

 

[Faccia di Pesce]

Welcome to R2R!

Read as much as you can before you buy equipment, livestock foods etc.

To answer your questions: You dont NEED a light until you have something that needs a light. This will also keep algae growth down. With. 29 gallon I am not sure, IMHO, you need an RODI unite if you can source the water locally from a LFS or another aquarist. However, if you want one get the best you can get and dont think, "Ill upgrade later" it will cos more in the long run. When you ask about a pump, I am assuming a return pump. You wont need one as strong as you may think. Water flow through the sump, while important, is not nearly as important as flow in the tank. Don't use a return for flow, that is just to circulate water to the sump. Read up on this and learn it well. It will be a benefit to you and your aquarium. Lastly a refugium is a "safe place" to cultivate pods, usually in macro algae. This does a few things. It give a safe haven to pods that in turn become food for the inhabitants. When using macro algae it helps keep phosphates down in the tank, thus helping combating the bad algaes but you will need a light for the fuge.

Free advice: The most expensive part of this hobby is impatience. Figure out what you want, save up for it and only buy it once. Enjoy the hobby!

Thank you!!!! I do want to take my time and do this right. So greatly appreciated.

 

[Faccia di Pesce]

Patience grasshopper. Was the rock wet when you put it into your tank? Or dry rock? Either way, let the tank run for a few weeks then add first few fish. After at least a month you can start with soft corals. If its dry rock you are adding, I recommend Biospira for cycle tank.

I will recommend the viperspectra led light, you can grow any coral for 120$. It is what we call a "black box" led light, it is considered the best of the black boxes. IT can always be turned down, but other less powerful lights cannot be turned up (obviously).

The RO Buddie is awesome! I used it for months when I had smaller aquariums. It will work great for a 29 gallon, given your tap TDS is not through the roof, did you purchase a TDS meter? I would get four 5 gallon pails and have them all filled and covered with RODI water. You will then have plenty on reserve. When you run out make 4 pails worth again. When making water with RODI it is better on the unit to run it fewer times for longer periods.

Keep asking questions!

Ok thanks. that is helpful. I was thinking of buying my first RODI at a shop but I might go with the RO Buddie and do what you said since i will not really need allot. I found it on Chewy for about 50 bucks.

 

[piranhaman00]

Ok thanks. that is helpful. I was thinking of buying my first RODI at a shop but I might go with the RO Buddie and do what you said since i will not really need allot. I found it on Chewy for about 50 bucks.

First thing is buy a TDS meter on Amazon and Hach Chlorine Test strips. From the results we can recommend an RO unit. I would never buy RODI from an LFS. Hastle, and you dont know if its truly RODI.

 

[Faccia di Pesce]

Well there goes the 29GL plan! My wife and I just adopted two girls. 4 & 5. Left my tank on patio to hose down and it now mysteriously has three large cracks

Think I am going to go bigger, 40 or 50 gallon? So now I probably need a good RODI. With all the "fails" of saltwater tanks, I was not expecting a five year old fail

 

[40g Nano]

If it is all live rock(still having bacteria inside) then one fish should be fine

 

[40g Nano]

Also, 40 breeder is a good size
See my build thread

 

[Rjukan]

Hi, I'm sending you a PM.

We are lucky to have a really active local community of reefers, and there are plenty of deals to be had with used equip.

 

[Faccia di Pesce]

I bought the 40 gallon, salinity is 1.026. Added rock. Now waiting for next step. Which I understand is a few weeks before adding fish? Still reading, studying, learning.

 

[40g Nano]

Cycle the tank for a few weeks with some type of bacteria(biospera) and ammonia
Or buy a kit

RapidCycle Aquarium Cycle Kit

Fishlessly cycle your aquarium in 5 days! In the past, it was common practice when starting a new tank to simply add a few "starter fish", such as damsels, which were considered hardy enough to survive the initial break-in period of an aquarium while natural bacterial populations colonized the...

www.bulkreefsupply.com

Then add a first fish like a clown

 

[40g Nano]

Got these yesterday in qt( a tank with no fish, but corals) to monitor them

Gladiator and black snowflake

 

[40g Nano]

Hard to see, but I circled them