New 29gallon Project

supra1997

supra1997

Large Fish
#1
Feb 16, 2008
270
0
0
43
Oceanside, CA
www.rdubphoto.com
#1
Ok so I sold my 12g Nano about 5-6 months ago before I moved. My cousin has a 29 gallon, tank, stand sitting in his basement and offered to give it to me. Of course I want it! So I'm going to start up a new Saltwater tank. My plan is to have a nice reef. I want to have some clams, and regular corals, and a few fish. I want to have an anemone as well with a clown to reside in. But I'm just wondering what lighting and filters I should go with? I really like the ease of use and pricing on the T5's but I can only find the 30" size in the Nova Extreme 48 watt setup. So maybe I could buy 2 of them and be ok? What do you think?

Also I was thinking of using a Fluval Canister and then buying a nice Skimmer as well. Any suggestions on either of those? Money isnt that big of an issue, but I would like to save as much as possible. So if I have to spend more in one area and save in another, I will.

Thanks!!! *thumbsups
 

sweetpickles7

sweetpickles7

Superstar Fish
#2
Feb 13, 2007
1,239
0
0
Central Illinois
#2
I dont think that youll need the canister filter. You should be in great shape with the skimmer and a few power heads, imo. I dont know alot about lighting but im sure you could buy 2, although it might just be easier and cheaper to buy something else.
 

supra1997

supra1997

Large Fish
#3
Feb 16, 2008
270
0
0
43
Oceanside, CA
www.rdubphoto.com
#3
Gotcha. I've always kept freshwater and my rule of thumb was to over-filter to ensure a nice quality of water for the animals. Seemed to work so far. I wasn't sure though with just buying the skimmer if that would do the job for me. I actually have never owned a skimmer so that will be a new experience all around. So maybe I can just spend a little extra and get a nice Remora skimmer and be done with it?
 

Lotus

Lotus

Ultimate Fish
Moderator
#7
Aug 26, 2003
15,115
13
38
Southern California
home.earthlink.net
#7
A couple of powerheads and a good skimmer (with live rock) will be all the filtration you need. I'm not so good on skimmer recommendations, so I'll leave that to others.

For the lighting, if you want clams, you'll need to get either T5 HO or MH lighting, PC lighting just won't cut it. The anemone should ideally have T5 HO or MH, too. It should be OK to use a 24" fixture on the tank, as long as you put lower light creatures at the edges of the tank. There's usually enough spread of light for the whole tank. However, you'll need to either suspend the fixture or make sure the legs will allow it to fit on the tank.

You should also be aware that you won't be able to put any corals within reach of an anemone. They'll sting/kill whatever they touch. You may want to consider two islands of rock for the tank (one for the anemone, one for corals).
 

supra1997

supra1997

Large Fish
#8
Feb 16, 2008
270
0
0
43
Oceanside, CA
www.rdubphoto.com
#8
I think I may throw some more money into the skimmer if I decide to not go with the canister filter that way it has enough filtration to keep me clean. I think buying the 2 T5 fixtures "Nova Extreme 30" may work out well. Its only 96 watts, but that should work for what I want in the tank correct?
 

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supra1997

supra1997

Large Fish
#9
Feb 16, 2008
270
0
0
43
Oceanside, CA
www.rdubphoto.com
#9
Yeah I have had an anemone before, and they like to move about and sting until they finally are happy with their position in the tank. I think I'm going to just buy the 2 Nova extreme's T5 HO - 96 watts lights and call it a day. I should be able to have some nice clams and an anemone with some corals. Any other suggestions on things I may need?
 

supra1997

supra1997

Large Fish
#11
Feb 16, 2008
270
0
0
43
Oceanside, CA
www.rdubphoto.com
#11
Thanks. I will post a ton of pics being a photographer I use any excuse to shoot pics!

I contacted a few LFS's and the one carries the Nova extreme lighting I need, but neither carry the Remora skimmers. One has the brand "CPR." I trust them because they are a really nice respected LFS that has been around since the beginning of time anyways. So I think I'm going on New Years Day to buy the (2) Nova Extreme T5 HO lights and any other side accessories I may need. i'm not picking the tank up until the 25th of the month, but I want to have everything ready to go. Any suggestions on my live rock? I always get live rock from my lfs, but should I go ahead and scrub it clean and let it sit out and dry for a few days? Or just buy it and drop it right in? In my 12gallon nano, I basically just dropped it in.

Thanks
 

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M

MatthewLaw

Large Fish
#16
Jun 29, 2008
490
0
0
PA
#16
I would set everything up, put the rock in there, wait a few days and then test to ensure that the cycle had started. no need to throw a 'cycling' fish in there; not even a nasty damsel! haha
 

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