# 29G Saltwater tank: What do I need?



## andrewr2488 (Sep 20, 2009)

Alright, I am not new to aquariums, just to saltwater aquariums. I have a 29G aquarium sitting that I'd like to set up as a saltwater tank. What woul I be getting myself into as far as cost of setup. I know what fish I'd LIKE to have but I don't know if they can all coexist with each other. 1 Red Striped Goby, 1-2 clownfish, and 1 Flame Angelfish. For my goby, I like the striped goby but I saw one in a saltwater tank at a local hospital that I liked. I don't even know for sure if it was a goby. I'll describe, hopefully someone can I.d. It. Basically it was a deep teal color, with orange "pin striping." it never swam in open water, it was always either bellied up to rock or sand. Any help would be great. Back to setting up my tank, what all do I need besides light, filter, heater. I would assume a powerhead? Someone make a list so I can get it setup correctly


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## Pasfur (Mar 29, 2008)

andrewr2488 said:


> Alright, I am not new to aquariums, just to saltwater aquariums. I have a 29G aquarium sitting that I'd like to set up as a saltwater tank. I know what fish I'd LIKE to have but I don't know if they can all coexist with each other. 1 Red Striped Goby, 1-2 clownfish, and 1 Flame Angelfish.


Your stocking list is fine. I see no problems at all, and these are all hardy fish.

The key difference in saltwater compared to freshwater is 2 things. One, nitrates need to be kept near zero. This makes the use of almost all freshwater filters difficult, because they are all designed to process nitrogenous wastes with the end result of Nitrate. Water changes are NOT sufficient to lower nitrate in a marine tank. Second, the long term concern in a marine system is creating a stable environment, rather than an environment which constantly changes and requires water changes to keep stable. This means you have to carefully monitor alkalinity and calcium levels, and adjust these when necessary with buffers and calcium supplements. This is easy to accomplish, just different than what you are used to.

For the basic setup you will want a protein skimmer, live rock, and aragonite sand. This will be the entire life support system on your tank. Adding other types of filtration will not improve water quality, but will degrade water quality by increasing nitrates and depleting carbonates from the buffer system. The live rock and sand will do all you need to process nitrogeneous compounds, and the end result will be NITROGEN GAS, as opposed to nitrate. (This is not possible with FW designed biological filters, such as biowheels, sponges, etc.)

I would recommend that you begin with an order of dry rock from marco rocks. They are a very reliable supplier of dry rock. Dry rock will then be "seeded" with actual live rock. By creating the bulk of your reef with dry rock you will save a fortune on the cost of rock. I would suggest ordering this:
40Lb Bahama Aragonite sand <br>(shipping included) - BAS40 and this
25 Pound box Key Largo Dry Rock, <br>Pre Cycled - DS-25

You will then buy 5 to 8 pounds of cured live rock from your LFS to complete the reef structure. Let the aquarium run without livestock for about 3 weeks. This will allow time for the tank to mature, and allow microfauna such as copepods and amphipods to spread throughout the sand and into the dry rock. Bacteria will also spread from the live rock to dry rock and sand. As you add livestock these bacteria supplies will continue to develop. 

It is likely that you will never see an ammonia or nitrite reading if you start with cured live rock as described here. This is not uncommon. In a marine tank we do not really discuss the tank being cycled, so much as we do the tank being mature. The tank is mature when you see populations of the microfauna rapidly spreading. In a few short weeks there will be so much micro life in the tank that you will actually be able to see copepods scurrying about on the glass. Another sign of a mature system is the diatom bloom, which will come almost overnight and then disappear just a quick. Finally, watch for coraline algae to spread over the rock and glass. These are much more important things to watch for than anything a test kit can tell you.

You will need to purchase a protein skimmer very soon. I would have it on the tank within the first week or 2. Your easiest option will be a hang on skimmer, such as the AquaC Remora. You can buy one online at a great discount:
AquaC Remora Protein Skimmer with Maxijet 1200 Pump
You will need the surface skimmer box also:
AquaC Surface Prefilter Box

If this skimmer is simply out of your budget, you could use the Coralife:
Coralife 65 Skimmer Coralife Super Skimmer 65

I would strongly encourage you to use the AquaC Remora. It will easily pay for itself by more effectively removing organic wastes, resulting in less nitrate accumulation and less carbonate depletion. This saves money on salt mix and additives, and seriously reduces stress on livestock.

The obvious things you need:
Instant Ocean salt mix
A hydrometer
Test kits for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, pH, alkalinity, and calcium.
A buffer & calcium supplement. I use Kent Marine Super Buffer DKH and Kent Marine Liquid Calcium Chloride. The BIonic 2 part product is also reliable and popular.

Finally, you will also need a quarantine tank. A 10 gallon tank can suffice. This is another long and boring topic that comes up daily, so I wrote an article on this one. Link here:
http://www.tropicalfishkeeping.com/...s/saltwater-setting-up-quarantine-tank-35693/


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## andrewr2488 (Sep 20, 2009)

I found out what the fish was that I described. Not a goby, but a Dragonet. Mandarin dragonet


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## njudson (May 21, 2009)

A 29 gallon is not going to be big enough to support enough copepods to feed a dragonet. Really pretty fish though, one of my favorites.


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## Pasfur (Mar 29, 2008)

Very true. Oddly enough, dragonets are one of the smallest fish available, but they require a very large tank to provide the supply of copepods and amphipods that are necessary for their survival.


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## andrewr2488 (Sep 20, 2009)

hows this for my stocking list. 2 clowns (not sure what type yet), 1 flame angel, 1 blue starfish, 1 bicolor pseudochromis, and 1 flame hawkfish


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## Pasfur (Mar 29, 2008)

andrewr2488 said:


> hows this for my stocking list. 2 clowns (not sure what type yet), 1 flame angel, 1 blue starfish, 1 bicolor pseudochromis, and 1 flame hawkfish


The blue starfish is a definite no in a 29 gallon tank. They almost always starve to death in captivity, and in a 29 gallon tank have no chance of survival under any situation.

The bicolor pseudochromis is going to be to aggressive for this small of a tank. They are super territorial and nip like crazy. This fish selection would be fine for a 75 gallon tank, but not a 29 gallon tank including a pseudochromis.

If you make these changes then you should be ok. 2 Clownfish, 1 Flame Angel, and 1 Flame Hawkfish would be maxed out on a 29 gallon tank. Not because of bioload, but because of fish behavior.


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## andrewr2488 (Sep 20, 2009)

could I also fit a red striped goby


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## Pasfur (Mar 29, 2008)

andrewr2488 said:


> could I also fit a red striped goby


The fish most commonly sold as a Red Stripe Goby is really a nano reef fish, with a maximum size of about 1''. I'm not confident that it would mix with the species above. It could be a bite size snack.


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## andrewr2488 (Sep 20, 2009)

oh ok, could you recommend another fish that would be appropriate with them if there's room that is. I thought maybe a royal gramma basslet or another clown


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## Pasfur (Mar 29, 2008)

Its hard to explain until you have a saltwater tank, but you really can't decide on the entire stocking list up front. You just have to watch the fish to get a feel for when it is time to stop adding fish. I think the list above is complete, but if you determine when the time comes that the fish behavior is such that adding another fish will probably be fine, then Yes, a Royal Gramma would be a great choice.


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## andrewr2488 (Sep 20, 2009)

well, I've decided to use my 55g tank as my saltwater tank. can someone give me a list of what i'd need to successfully setup my 55g marine reef tank.


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## wake49 (Jul 2, 2008)

From start to fish?

For starters, I need to know if you are going to drill this tank. This is common practice in Marine Aquaria, as a lot of us use a sump-style system. The 29 gallon would make a perfect sump for the 55 gallon. I suggest you read Understanding Sumps. This will give you a detailed idea of the workings of a sump.

Working my up the tank from the floor: You obviously need a stand to store the sump uner (if you are going that route) and to hold the tank. Then you will need a Deep Sand Bed (DSB) for proper denitrification. Anaerobic bacteria that convert nitrates to Nitrogen gas (which leaves the system naturally) resides underneath 4" of sand, so we try to keep our DSB between 4" and 6". If you choose to not use a DSB, then use less than an inch of sand.

Next would be Live Rock. In a post earlier in this thread, Pasfur makes mention of Marco Rocks. Everyone on here that has used them has had nothing but good things to say about them. After filling the tank with sand, rock and saltwater, follow the advice of Pasfur earlier in this thread as to the maturing of a marine tank. 

Lights! To properly answer this question, I would need to know the exacts of what you would like to stock. I'm speaking more towards the invert side of the spectrum. Are you planning on corals? What kind if you are?

Skimmer! I believe that Pasfur made some very good reccomendations for skimmers that would be suitable for a 29 gallon. The Aqua C Remora Pro should be able to skim a nicely stocked 55 gallon.

Let me know if you have any questions, or can answer any of my questions.


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## andrewr2488 (Sep 20, 2009)

I didn't want to drill the tank but if i need to i will. I actually havent thought about my corals yet. I've picked my fish though.

2-3 Clowns *Probably 2 
1 Flame Angel
1 Green Mandarin Dragonet (was told on this thread it wouldnt survive in a 29g tank, would it be ok in a 55g?)
1 Spotted Cardinalfish

thats all i'd like to have as fish, i'm currently looking at corals. Can i have any type of anemone for my clowns being that theres coral?


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## Pasfur (Mar 29, 2008)

andrewr2488 said:


> I didn't want to drill the tank but if i need to i will. I actually havent thought about my corals yet. I've picked my fish though.
> 
> 2-3 Clowns *Probably 2
> 1 Flame Angel
> ...


If you don't want to drill a 55 gallon tank no problem. The Remora Pro can hang on the back of the tank. You will just need to purchase the surface skimmer box. No big deal at all.

No problem on the Clowns. I would suggest 2.
The Flame should be fine. Again, believe it or not, I would suggest 2. 
The Green Mandarin is out of the question. You need a MUCH larger tank.
I don't have experience with the Spotted Cardinalfish.


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