48hughey
Community Member
This is my first attempt at keeping any aquatic animals, so I am about as new to this hobby as you can get. I started reading/planning over a year ago, and just got my first fish into the tank a week ago. Until I was sure I am capable of successfully keeping a reef tank, I did not want to dump a lot of money into my setup, so I decided to start with a 29 gallon all in one. Here's what has transpired so far:
I started with a 29 galling PetCo special and painted the back black (to best hide the equipment/cords that would be in the tank).
I ordered 20 lbs of dry Pukani and began the cooking process. After brushing, picking and pulling as much as possible off the rocks, I placed them in a bin in the garage and let them soak in the dark in heated RO/DI saltwater (with power heads blasting the rocks) for almost two months.
The dead organics left on the rocks started the cycle, so I moved the rocks to the DT, added sand and let the cycle complete.
I was not happy with the stand I purchased, so I built a new one out of some spare 2x4s and fence boards I had in the garage.
After the cycle completed, I added a CUC (various snails, 2 scarlet leg hermits, and an emerald crab). I had a decent diatom bloom (which has now subsided and transformed into some neon green algae on the rocks). I added a lawnmower blenny just over a week ago.
I'm looking forward to continuing to learn as the tank matures. I'm sure I will be asking plenty of questions along the way.
I started with a 29 galling PetCo special and painted the back black (to best hide the equipment/cords that would be in the tank).
I ordered 20 lbs of dry Pukani and began the cooking process. After brushing, picking and pulling as much as possible off the rocks, I placed them in a bin in the garage and let them soak in the dark in heated RO/DI saltwater (with power heads blasting the rocks) for almost two months.
The dead organics left on the rocks started the cycle, so I moved the rocks to the DT, added sand and let the cycle complete.
I was not happy with the stand I purchased, so I built a new one out of some spare 2x4s and fence boards I had in the garage.
After the cycle completed, I added a CUC (various snails, 2 scarlet leg hermits, and an emerald crab). I had a decent diatom bloom (which has now subsided and transformed into some neon green algae on the rocks). I added a lawnmower blenny just over a week ago.
I'm looking forward to continuing to learn as the tank matures. I'm sure I will be asking plenty of questions along the way.
