29 gallon reef (first marine tank)
- Thread starter ZackGraham
- Start date
Hi, I'm currently setting up a 29g as well, and this one's my second tank.
First, find a very good local fish store (you may have to drive quite a ways to get a really quality store.) Make several there and figure out what you want to put in the tank. Fish? Soft Corals? Hard Corals? Don't decide "as you go" because what you choose to build the tank will influence what you can keep in it.
Secondly, don't underestimate how much things cost. Obviously, different budgets create different tanks, but to keep things alive and happy you really need to invest in:
- Good lights. (Either 3x or 4x56w Compact Flourescent, or like I'm doing, 175W Metal Halide + 2x36w CF Actinic) Make sure to include the cost of a quality hood/canopy for the lights.
- Good Filter. Get an AquaC Remora. You'll hear them almost universally recommended for tanks of this size.
- Good Live Sand & Rocks. Quality Live Sand and Live Rock can make all the difference. For a Deep Sand Bed (DSB) setup I think you'll need 40-80 pounds of sand, and ~40 pounds of rock. (others may recommend more or less, depending on the desired setup)
Other mandatory equipment:
- Heater & Thermometer
- Hydrometer or Refractometer to measure salinity
- Fans & timers for the lights
Other things to consider than aren't 100% necessary, but can make a huge difference in tank quality:
- Auto top-off & dosing system
- Auxillary water movement via powerheads and possibly a wavemaker
Make a shopping list. Figure out what you need, and what you want. Get all the dry goods up front, and have everything ready to go before you even consider adding water.
Last of all, and I can't stress this enough: Take Your Time! Don't expect to fill it with water and have a beautiful aquascape that day or even the next week. It'll take upwards of 4-6 weeks before your tank is ready for inhabitants other than just rock & sand, possibly even longer.
Steve
First, find a very good local fish store (you may have to drive quite a ways to get a really quality store.) Make several there and figure out what you want to put in the tank. Fish? Soft Corals? Hard Corals? Don't decide "as you go" because what you choose to build the tank will influence what you can keep in it.
Secondly, don't underestimate how much things cost. Obviously, different budgets create different tanks, but to keep things alive and happy you really need to invest in:
- Good lights. (Either 3x or 4x56w Compact Flourescent, or like I'm doing, 175W Metal Halide + 2x36w CF Actinic) Make sure to include the cost of a quality hood/canopy for the lights.
- Good Filter. Get an AquaC Remora. You'll hear them almost universally recommended for tanks of this size.
- Good Live Sand & Rocks. Quality Live Sand and Live Rock can make all the difference. For a Deep Sand Bed (DSB) setup I think you'll need 40-80 pounds of sand, and ~40 pounds of rock. (others may recommend more or less, depending on the desired setup)
Other mandatory equipment:
- Heater & Thermometer
- Hydrometer or Refractometer to measure salinity
- Fans & timers for the lights
Other things to consider than aren't 100% necessary, but can make a huge difference in tank quality:
- Auto top-off & dosing system
- Auxillary water movement via powerheads and possibly a wavemaker
Make a shopping list. Figure out what you need, and what you want. Get all the dry goods up front, and have everything ready to go before you even consider adding water.
Last of all, and I can't stress this enough: Take Your Time! Don't expect to fill it with water and have a beautiful aquascape that day or even the next week. It'll take upwards of 4-6 weeks before your tank is ready for inhabitants other than just rock & sand, possibly even longer.
Steve
read read and read more...good info on links below:
http://www.reefs.org/library/newbieguide.htm
http://www.reefs.org/library/subject.html
http://www.reefs.org/library/newbieguide.htm
http://www.reefs.org/library/subject.html
How much do you have to spend on this project. I had a 29 set up for almost a year. Now I have a 100 gallon. It is going to cost you about $750 to set this tank up. I myself would recommend starting with a larger tank like a 55 or 50 breeder that will cost you just a little more. I included liverock,powerfilter(optional but I like them),power compact light,sand,salt,heater,aquarium,and skimmer.
Wow, I think you guys are coming in pretty low on those price estimates. Here are some real-world numbers from the 30g I'm setting up now:
Tank & Stand: $245
Skimmer (AquaC Remora): $165
Overflow box for skimmer: $30
Drain fitting for skimmer: $15
Lights (Icecap 175w 10k Halide Retrofit): $250
Circulation Powerheads: 4x$15 = $60
CSL 2x36w Actinic Retrofit: $130
So, thats the bare minimum, no hood/canopy, and its ~$900
Yes, I could have gotten cheaper lights but everything else is a fairly good deal, and very high quality, all electronic ballasts, etc.
I could have bought a hood for about $150, but decided to build my own, and its costing about $100, plus my time.
And there's still a ways to go:
- Refractometer (~$70)
- Live Rock & Sand (40 lb each, ~$250)
- Heater ($30)
- Electrical: Timers, Switches, Powerstrips, Extension Cords, etc. ($100+)
- Livestock ($250+)
- Wavemaker ($50-$300 if you go with a full blown controller)
- Auto top-off system ($25 DIY or $50+ for a topoff product)
I think $1500 is fairly conservative for a full-blown stocked system, and reasonable for a very high quality unstocked (except for rock & sand) system. Yes, I'm a perfectionist, but I've learned that getting it right the first time is the true key to success. Mistakes are very hard to correct.
Steve
Tank & Stand: $245
Skimmer (AquaC Remora): $165
Overflow box for skimmer: $30
Drain fitting for skimmer: $15
Lights (Icecap 175w 10k Halide Retrofit): $250
Circulation Powerheads: 4x$15 = $60
CSL 2x36w Actinic Retrofit: $130
So, thats the bare minimum, no hood/canopy, and its ~$900
Yes, I could have gotten cheaper lights but everything else is a fairly good deal, and very high quality, all electronic ballasts, etc.
I could have bought a hood for about $150, but decided to build my own, and its costing about $100, plus my time.
And there's still a ways to go:
- Refractometer (~$70)
- Live Rock & Sand (40 lb each, ~$250)
- Heater ($30)
- Electrical: Timers, Switches, Powerstrips, Extension Cords, etc. ($100+)
- Livestock ($250+)
- Wavemaker ($50-$300 if you go with a full blown controller)
- Auto top-off system ($25 DIY or $50+ for a topoff product)
I think $1500 is fairly conservative for a full-blown stocked system, and reasonable for a very high quality unstocked (except for rock & sand) system. Yes, I'm a perfectionist, but I've learned that getting it right the first time is the true key to success. Mistakes are very hard to correct.
Steve
ZackGraham":oxw9idry said:
ChrisRD":oxw9idry said:
To clarify, I was trying to say you could easily spend over $500 on just some of the basic components. I absolutely agree that you could easily spend $1000+ on a complete 29 gallon reef setup. I probably have over twice that in my current 50 gallon reef.
You could spend a million bucks on a 2 gallon. However, the trick is to get the right balance between price and equipment. For example, to light a proper reef on a 29, you r best bet is halides/VHO's, then VHO's, then PC's, and then stuff other stuff like NO and T5's. A halide fixture can easy run 350.00, and that's half right there. Tank aand stand will bring another 100 at least, then the skimmer and filter, about 70 each. And then the biggest hidden cost is LR-from 2-10 dolaars a lb./at least 1lb. per gallon, a reef will probably need more. I have 46 lbs. in my 29. Hope this helps, and good luck!
Reef_Monkey":1nf73q4b said:
Well.........hell....lets do a 120 gallon. LOL it will only cost about another 700+ (not including livestock) but will be much easier to maintain than a 75. I think the bottom line is to get the largest tank you can afford. I just put a 29 gallon together on paper that came out to $700 including tax but not including livestock. It would be a nice setup using My Redundant System that works for me. No sump!
I pm'd you quite a while ago, not sure if you ever read it...anyways, the stand and canopy could easily be diy'd, which would save you a decent amount of money. *Technically, for that size tank, you don't even need a skimmer, but hey that's just me. I personally think if you spent 700+ on a simple system for a 29g, you got ripped off.
Filter: LR and/or Hagen AquaClear 200/300 w/150 impellar (can act as refugium, storage, and provide water motion all in one). - $14 - $20. (Hagen). LR - $50. - $100, depending on how much you want.
*Skimmer: AquaC Remora - $163. (obviosuly less for used)
Lights; it is my opinion that halides for a 29g are overkill, unless you want sps, in which a 175w Ushio should be more than adequate: 2x55w PC's should be fine for what you want, plus you could always add-on later (depending on space). - $125. (2x55w PC's)
Live sand and everything else including: refrac, salt, heater, etc can be found pretty cheap.
You add up the basics, everything else, and even I can come up with under $300, once again if you can diy a canopy and stand. Feel free to PM me if you need any help
*Anyone can spend a ton of money on any size tank, but that doesn't mean everything bought is needed. I'm not trying to knock anyone, as there is always more than one way to reach your goal My view towards starting with a larger tank is that it maintains a much more consistant balance with proper care (as a starting point). Usually I recommend a 60-65g for beginners, but you can only buy what you can afford and/or have room for :wink:
Filter: LR and/or Hagen AquaClear 200/300 w/150 impellar (can act as refugium, storage, and provide water motion all in one). - $14 - $20. (Hagen). LR - $50. - $100, depending on how much you want.
*Skimmer: AquaC Remora - $163. (obviosuly less for used)
Lights; it is my opinion that halides for a 29g are overkill, unless you want sps, in which a 175w Ushio should be more than adequate: 2x55w PC's should be fine for what you want, plus you could always add-on later (depending on space). - $125. (2x55w PC's)
Live sand and everything else including: refrac, salt, heater, etc can be found pretty cheap.
You add up the basics, everything else, and even I can come up with under $300, once again if you can diy a canopy and stand. Feel free to PM me if you need any help
*Anyone can spend a ton of money on any size tank, but that doesn't mean everything bought is needed. I'm not trying to knock anyone, as there is always more than one way to reach your goal
My view towards starting with a larger tank is that it maintains a much more consistant balance with proper care (as a starting point). Usually I recommend a 60-65g for beginners, but you can only buy what you can afford and/or have room for :wink:Ok......he could start out with a fish only for $300....this includes a heater,normal flourescent light,sand,hangon powerfilter,stand,and aquarium. This could easily be turned into a Reef Tank in the future and I would highly recommend he take this route to learn the basics before doing a reef tank. The testing kit alone will cost between 25 and 50 bucks alone. Lets be realistic!
It doesn't take a whole lot to create a successful reef tank, just a little money and a little imagination go a long way. The skimmer isn't needed, as I pointed out. IF you were to add it, then I would have said a price tag of $400, give or take. Lighting is relatively cheap and so is filtration. A little diy and price checking, as I mentioned before, and it could be a very affordable, yet extremely successful reef tank!
*My philosophy: Keep it simple and your aquarium will reward you
*My philosophy: Keep it simple and your aquarium will reward you
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