Fido's 29

[fidojoe]

So, if you've seen my other recent thread, I'm downsizing my tank. I'm going from my 50g to a standard 29 (30x12dx18h). This is going to be done the best I can within reason. I'm going to set this tank up as a barebottom with lots of flow in hopes of keeping some SPS, and my LPS seem happy now with lots of flow. Most of the stuff will be coming off the 50, but some stuff will be new.

Here's the list of equipment:
1-150w coralife DE Aqualight Advance 1 HQI clamp on fixture- should be here this week
1-AquaClear 500 filter converted to a fuge
1-Aqua C Remora w/ maxijet 1200
1-StoneyReef kalk reactor w/ 5gpd perilistic dosing pump
For now, 2x AquaClear 301 powerheads 175 gph each
200w ViaAqua titanium heater
29g AGA tank, and a cheapo open iron stand

I'm also considering:
2x Seio 620's
A sump running about 400-500gph, if this happens, it won't be until I move, so I can get the sump situated in a good place. Also with this, it will eliminate the AC 500. I will keep the Remora on as an HOB on the tank, or see if it works off the back of the sump, and I will have 1 seio 620 instead of 2.

For Livestock:
My pair of false percs
yellow watchman
sixline wrasse
coral beauty angel (might have to go if this seems overcrowded)
2 peppermint shrimp
1 skunk cleaner shrimp (eventually)
30-50 lbs or LR (depends on what looks good)

Here's the only pic I have right now. I will also take a few shots of the 50 before the change over.

 

[Gina]

Looks good!
When are you going to start filling it?

 

[mnreefman]

only concern is 5 fish in a 29..... otherwaise great set up... now get to work

 

[fidojoe]

That's my concern as well, the coral beauty might come out if theres any problems, leaving the smaller fish there. Just a thought...I was reading on nanoreef and it seems like a lot of people have 4+ fish in their 20's (clowns and gobies from what I've seen). Any thoughts on this? Is this a space issue or a water quality issue?

I want to start wednesday, but I'm mainly waiting on the light. I'm ordering it from www.ah-supply.com and its on back order. Jeff (the owner of ah-supply), said it will be in this week off backorder. They had the best price I could find anywhere, and shipping is incredibly cheap, since its a local company to me.

 

[cheeks69]

IMHO I would return the Coral Beauty although not an open water swimmer they'll need more room then a 30 gal will offer especially if you go with the 50lbs. of rock.

Is this a space issue or a water quality issue?

IMO it's both, with such a small volume of water alot can go wrong quickly. My Potter's angel eats and poop's all day, so the Dwarf would be a big bio-load for your tank.

 

[rckmtl]

That's my concern as well, the coral beauty might come out if theres any problems, leaving the smaller fish there. Just a thought...I was reading on nanoreef and it seems like a lot of people have 4+ fish in their 20's (clowns and gobies from what I've seen). Any thoughts on this? Is this a space issue or a water quality issue?
.

IMO it's both, with such a small volume of water alot can go wrong quickly. My Potter's angel eats and poop's all day, so the Dwarf would be a big bio-load for your tank.

Yeah, I definataly agree with cheeks. with my 20 gal, I noticed a Huge difference in water qualitly going from 3 fish to 4 fish. Enough that I moved the 4th fish to a different tank. While people do have good sucess with more fish in a smaller tank, it is ussually achived by doing more frequent and larger water changes, and by feeding sparser.
I also think that the wrasse would be far more interesting if it did not have the angel for compitition/ vise-versa. It seems like they would try and stake out the same territory and you'd have two fish hiding in rocks, instead of one fish out in the open more often.

Have fun setting up the tank! and let us know how that coralife light works. Coralife has such cool packaging it just makes me want to buy all thier stuff, even though it's ussually not the best deal! but I like how that light clamps on the tank.

 

[fidojoe]

Hrmmm, I think I may just end up getting rid of him. I waited like 4 weeks to get this one, I waited to get the "perfect" specimen.

Can anyone think of a way to add a 2x150w DE halide over my current tank (as long as it looks nice) over my current tank for less than $230? I just might be able to keep it if I can find a way to cut operating costs. The bulbs are what is killing me, the halides would still cost, but they would still be only 1/2 of what the PC's cost.

 

[cheeks69]

fidojoe IMO you could go with just 1 of those Clamp on MH light if you want to, I have only one MH on my tank and it's 30x30 but I do use 130w of PC actinics. Did you get the fixture from hellolights.com ?

Let us know how you like the Coralife fixture I'm thinking of starting up my 42 hex again and that light looks like it'll work great

 

[fidojoe]

The problem is, my 50 is 48" long, so I would need 2. I actually have not purchased the light yet, I'm waiting till its off backorder, then I'm buying it from www.ah-supply.com . They have the best price on it, plus I have a gift certificate for there that I'm going to use towards the light.

 

[fidojoe]

Alrighty, well I found something interesting about the coralife fiture I was gonna buy... You have to use coralife bulbs! There is no UV glass on the fixture, only a partially covering splash guard. The coralife bubls are made of UV resistant glass, not the normal quartz (so not a true HQI bulb).

So now I'm looking at the Aqua Medic AB ocean light pendant. I can't decide wether going with the 250w over the 150w is worth the extra $20. Will this be too much for the 29? I need your help! Whichever one I get will be using an XDE 20,000k bulb.

BTW, I did the tank swap, and until I get the halides, I ghetto rigged an old JBJ 2x65w retro into a $5 pine DIY hood.

 

[fidojoe]

BTW, I would like to order this tonight, so that it might be here by the weekend.

 

[Craig Manoukian]

150w should be plenty for your 29! 250w will be much harder to cool.

 

[fidojoe]

Very valid point! Thanks for saving me $20 Well, more than that actually, since I probably would have killed something with the heat!

 

[fidojoe]

Ok, now after asking this 3 other places, I'm almost conviced to go with the 250w anyways! Someone told me they run the 250w on a 20l, no sump or chiller just fine with a very similar setup to me. I also like the fact that if I keep the 20k bulb, the par ratings are a lot worse than say a 14k bulb, so the 250w makes up for it.

 

[Frankie]

Hello fidojoe. i need to add some input here about the fish you want to keep. Well one in particular. The Watchman. Im no expert and anyone with better knowledge please step in. I had a goby for a long time in my 90 with a dsb and found it to feed mostly on the substrate. I never saw it feed from the food i fed the other fish and am wondering if it will perrish from no substrate to sift and feed off of. Just a thought. When i went bb i lost most of my fish from ich so i never had the chance to see its feeding habits in this tank.

 

[fidojoe]

My watchman has been with me over a year, and from what I've seen, he eats anything and everything frozen/flake/pellets/live. While my tank was a BB a while back, he was fatter than he is right now!

 

[Frankie]

Great man! just wanted to share my thoughts. good luck with the new set up

 

[fidojoe]

I do greatly apreciate your concern I love my fish, and I try my best to keep them happy. Thats why I no longer have my mystery wrasse. He's now in someones 340 dream tank!

I took the plunge! I just ordered the Aquamedic 250w w/ 20k bulb. Not to shabby, $265 shipped from hellolights.com.

 

[fidojoe]

I'm soooo excited! The light shold be here within an hour! hellolights is very fast! I ordered at about midnight monday, it shipped out on tuesday at about noon, and its only thursday and ups tracking says its in transit to my house as of 6 am. I usually see the ups truck around noon (AZ time).

 

[Craig Manoukian]

Way cool. lots of pics to follow, eh?