New to marine, need help!!

[Canada]

Here is what I have:

29gallon fish only with about 40 lbs of live rock. It contains 1 4'' queen conch, 2 2'' clowns, 2 6'' anenomies, 10-20 redleg hermits and 2 1/2'' urchins. Currently I am using a Skilter 400 loaded with bioballs and a filter similar to an aquaclear mini in which I put phosphate silacate absorbtion material. My lighting only consists of the original 20watt florescent that the tank came with. I also Have no sand bed as I found it caused problems with dead areas and I found it difficult to keep clean. So now I have a bare UG filter for added circulation and to keep the rock from cracking the tank. In the next few weeks I am going to be building a small sump for extra filtration and possibly a future refugium.

What I would like to achive in this setup is a stable system with healthy inhabitants to learn the art of marine aquaria. Once I am confident with this tank I would like to go bigger. But untill then I need to know alot. My largest goal besides the inhabitants health is I would like to see alot more growth of the coraline algaes.

I am asking a pretty brod question here, but I would like a brod opinion of what I can do and what possibilities there are.

Specifically, how much lighting is really needed, how many fish can I stock and is the lack of a sand bed a problem?

 

[ChrisRD]

What kinds of anemones do you have in the tank? A single NO fluorescent lamp is not going to be enough light for most photosynthetic reef animals, so plan on a lighting upgrade.

How many fish you stock will depend on what types of fish you want to put in, just as what lighting you use will be determined by what animals you want to keep. In a tank that size though, I wouldn't recommend putting more than a few small fish in.

Not having a sandbed is not necessarily a problem - there are many successful barebottom reefs out there. You can always add a denitrifying sandbed in the fuge/sump if you want one. I'd ditch the undergravel plate - the rockwork is not going to crack the glass tank bottom.

Personally, I would also pull the skilter and put a good skimmer on the tank (something like a Remora). If you're doing big enough, and frequent enough water changes you could get away with the skilter, but I'd prefer something more effective. BTW, you don't need the bioballs as the live rock is providing all the biological filtration you need.

I would suggest getting a few books on fish and corals and researching what animals you want to keep before deciding on upgrades. That will basically determine what direction you'll go in with the hardware. We have a reading list in the library that's a good starting point.

Also, you may want to check out the beginner's guide (also in the library).

Also, don't forget to make use of the 'search' feature here at Reefs.Org - you'll find a lot of information in past discussions. And, of course, don't hesitate to post questions here as well.

HTH

 

[Anonymous]

I'll expand a bit on Chris's great info, especially on lighting.

If you are serious about wanting to keep anemones, I would suggest a number of things.

1. Wait a bit. Anemones are among the most difficult to care for marine organisms. Most species require pristine water and intense lighting. As a beginner, you're still learning the ropes, and need some time to learn more about marine aquaria, as well as for your tank to settle in. Most people now advise waiting in the neighborhood of 9-10 months after a tank is set up before attempting any sort of anemone.

2. Lighting--While watts per gallon is something of an outdated gauge, I would shoot for at least 150 watts over a 29 gallon tank in order to think about anemones. Personally, I would go for power compacts over a 29. Metal Halides would be more intense, but also much hotter, so if you're not running a pretty large sump, you'll have a great deal of evaporation.

 

[Canada]

Condylactis passiflora or Condylactis gigantea. I am not sure which anenome I have. Both are local to here in Puerto Rico And most shops stock them as a very hardy low light creature. I have had them since March of this year. I had more but my skilter kept eating them.

Home Depot sells really cheap Mercury vapor kits. I know the bulb is useless but is the ballast compatible with MH's?

Seeing as I dont have a Calcium Reactor, what method or products do you suggest, if any, for replenishing calcium? I read a post the other day and it seems that most add only add calcium to their tank. Would you say this is genarally true?

 

[Canada]

Condylactis passiflora or Condylactis gigantea. I am not sure which anenome I have. Both are local to here in Puerto Rico And most shops stock them as a very hardy low light creature. I have had them since March of this year. I had more but my skilter kept eating them.

Home Depot sells really cheap Mercury vapor kits. I know the bulb is useless but is the ballast compatible with MH's?

Seeing as I dont have a Calcium Reactor, what method or products do you suggest, if any, for replenishing calcium? I read a post the other day and it seems that most add only add calcium to their tank. Would you say this is genarally true?

 

[Anonymous]

I knew I should have mentioned that condys are some of the more hardy and low-light tolerant anemones. I'd still want more light than you have on there now, even for condys, but yes, what you've heard is correct--they're among the easiest to keep anemones.