Considering a SW

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MCHRKiller

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Aug 20, 2007
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Im seriously thinking of making a 29G tank into a little FOWLR. I was given the tank for free by a co-worker that just kinda dumped it on me...it is kind of a nice tank with a nifty little stand. I have kept brackish fish for years and have run a few salt systems in the past. I had a 150G reef going for about a year until a power outage wiped it out completely...it was very high tech tho and this time around I want a very low key simple tank that is very easy to deal with. And I dont want to get caught up in costs with another big marine tank again :) Anyway here is my plan,

Standard 29G tank, Penguin 350 power filter...and a Penguin 125 Power filter, Double bulb strip with 2*10,000K bulbs(15watt each). 30lbs of crushed coral substrate, and about 20-25lbs tonga live rock. I will probably set up a small pump to push water over the live rock...but as far as a skimmer goes...I think im going to skip it.

Stocking would be very minimal...but attractive. Id like to keep a single Black Percula, a Coral beauty dwarf angel, and 1 other small fish(under 3"). Id keep a few turbo snails and a couple of cleaner shrimp and call it done. I may get into some marine plants...havent decided yet. Any comments or suggestions?
 
that sounds like a pretty good setup. I would get the dwarf angel last after the tank has matured a bit. if your going to get another smaller fish get like a 6-line wrasse or a goby of some sorty. they are hardy and do well in small enviroments. I would consider getting a smaller skimmer just because its one extra step to having a very healthy tank. IMO i would get live sand, about 3.5 inches worth so you get some better de-nitrification going on. One small powerhead will be fine. i would recommend a hydor koralia just because the have a lot of output but dont throw the fish around.

are going to get an anemmone??
 
I will probably do the live sand, I just dont want sugar sized aragonite ever again...I had enough of that in the past :) I doubt my lighting is going to be intense enough for an anenome to really trive...as Im only going to have 3*18watt bulbs...I may try some non-invasive marine plants tho. As well as maybe some urchins or something to help keep upo on detris.

Ill be feeding my LR to get some good coraline algae going and he plants can help with nitrates and any extra trace elements. I may get something like a Blue damsel to be the pioneer fish as they are cheap and very hardy...then get the clown...then get the dwarf angel.

Thanks for the tip on the pump, Ill have to look for one :)
 
sounds like a plan to me although you might want to scrap the penguins and go with a single E400 with supercrtrages. Might want to rethink the skimmer as well. Smaller tanks are harder to keep stable than large ones...long term and a good skimmer would certianly help out with that even if it was only a micro skimmer.
 
MCHRKiller;1419855; said:
I may get something like a Blue damsel to be the pioneer fish as they are cheap and very hardy...then get the clown...then get the dwarf angel.

Thanks for the tip on the pump, Ill have to look for one :)
Click to expand...

Skip the blue damsel. Pure concentrated evil. I'd use chromis or mollies or just put some blue/red leg hermits in there first instead.
 
I do hate Emporer hang ons personally, I do run super carts in my Penguins tho...wouldnt use those crappy blue pads again for anything. I may add on a small Skilter hang on to my Penguin 350...I hear the skimmer isnt much but In my previous years of marine keeping I never found a skimmer that I liked or did much. Id much rather be on top of waterchanges and have a good amount of circulation than mess with a skimmer. Ive used Prisims, BakPaks, and a few smaller internal jobs...they all eventually found their way into storage, come to think of it I may still have one or two of them.

I never really thought of the blues as an aggressive fish, granted I only had them in much larger systems in the past...this nano thing is new to me. A green chromis would probably provide a good alternate splash of color and they are from what I hear more mild manored in smaller thanks. Thank you for that :)

Ive also decided against the Tonga rock and may get the Lalo rock from liveaquaria.com it looks very nice in the pictures and is way diffrent looking from the standard live rock and fiji ive had before. :)
 
honestly the LR from Liveaquaria is pretty darn good. One of my tanks has that for rock and it covered with coraline faster for whatever reason. i know its not water or light because all the other tanks are the same. i just assumed it was the rock. neways you could skip a skimmer if your good with water changes but if not i would break one of the older ones of yours out.
 
I think I may try one of those small Skilters, they are fairly cheap and if nothing else Im sure theyd do decent as a general filter...worth a shot really. I have heard wonderful things about liveaquarias live rock, and their Lalo rock just looks fantastic...granted any of their rock looks good.

I also saw some sand called Arag-Alive, anyone used that? It was fairly cheap about 20 dollars for a 20-25lb bag(cant remember specifically). Its supposidly alive...but pre-packaged in a bag.
 
all of my tanks consist of that brand of sand. i like it personally and think it does a great job keeping the sand critters alive and happy lol. all of my tanks look pretty good but i think i could spend some more time with them lol.
 
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