bratyboys 29 gallon build

[bratyboy2]

Hey everyone!

Im going to be up grading my 10 gallon tank into my 29 fresh tank as the saltwater fish are feeling cramped and im ready for more space anyway lol. good excuse right?

So as a spoiling advantage to me and kind of a learing experience im going to do some DIY and creativity building for myself.

The plan: 29 gallon with black trim.

40 lbs live sand
i dont know how much live rock i want to add seeing as i have alot of base rock in which i believe became live over some time sooooooo i might add some to get coraline algae going when the tank becomes cycled, or before idk.

the fish with in and i have to say i have them all in the 10 already yet they are still small: ( oh im going to get yelled at!!!)
1 YASHI GOBY
1 YELLOW WATCHMAN GOBY
1 COPPER BANDED BUTTERFLY FISH
1 MANDARIN GOBY
1 YELLOW TAILED BLUE DAMSEL
2 COMMON CLOWN FISH
(PLEASE DONT YELL AT ME LIKE I SAID IM UPGRADING)
INVERTS:
2 PEPPERMINT SHRIMP
1 BLACK BRITTLE STARFISH
5 HERMIT CRABS
? SNAILS...
1 PISTOL SHRIMP

okay all the plan is to get my tank to look as nice as ROCKBOX 40gallon.
im doing PC though about 130 watts( 2-65 watts) 4.8 watts maybe i will do 3-65 well that is 6.7 watts and im not sure i really want to blast the tank with that much light.

would it be okay to design the lights like this? 65 watt PC 2 14 watt T5's then another 65 watt? that would give me a bit less at 5.9...hmmmm we will get back to that. so! i will have a fuge. what you all think?

OH SORRY!!! corals are prob just going to be like ROCKBOX LPS AND SOFTS no im not copying the layout on the tank i have a dif scape but i really enjoy the colors and textures of the tank.

 

[nanoreefsrcool]

get a bigger tank dude that copperband isnt gonna be happy in a 29

 

[goldenmacman]

also that mandarin, unless it eats prepared foods will die cause that 29g is not yet seasoned enough to house enough copepods... just a thought
plus thats 7 fish in a little aquarium......

 

[ReefLady]

Agree with both of the above. Sounds like a nice tank, but to house all of those fish, you're going to need more like a 120g.
IME, CBB's can be pretty tough to keep, and I wouldn't even attempt one in less than a 75g. The Mandarin, well, the tank has definitely got to be very mature, with a *lot* of LR, and I'd say a 75g would be a bare minimum size tank for that fish.
In any case, you're going to want fish that don't need a lot of swimming room, and no more than 2-3 fish (tops) that will reach a max of 2" - 3" at adult size.

I'd nix the idea of the damsel altogether - they tend to be quite aggressive/territorial, and a small tank is only going to intensify that.

Personally, I'd tend to go heavier on the snails than the hermits, but a couple very small blue-legged hermits probably would not hurt. Keep the snails small, so they don't grow too large and knock over rockwork. A few Astreas, Margaritas, Nassarius (if you have sand).

I'd definitely do the 'fuge if you can.

 

[bratyboy2]

hey all i knew i would get smacked around for the good.

i was thinking today about all the possibilities i could go with as to tank size and fish i would like to get and keep.

I find that very hard to believe that i cant get away with a few more fish then 2-3 in that 29 gallon as if im adding on a 20 gallon fuge?!?! ha now i have 49 gallons. So lets see...im keeping all the fish and the real plan with the mandarin is to get the fuge loaded with pods from doctors foster smiths website and buy about 4 bottles. and then praying they all dont go straight to the tank and sorry yes he is eating prepared. trying other stuff on him these days as well. im planning on giving the damsel to the store for a small credit. the gobies and the clowns i refuse to part with and the copper is still yet very small and eating so im not giving up on him yet. time will come when another big tank will come like 75 or 125.

no comments on how the tank lighting would be? or how i should do the filter?

 

[bratyboy2]

could i keep montiporas in this tank?

 

[new reefer 03]

1 YASHI GOBY
1 YELLOW WATCHMAN GOBY
1 COPPER BANDED BUTTERFLY FISH
1 MANDARIN GOBY
1 YELLOW TAILED BLUE DAMSEL
2 COMMON CLOWN FISH

umm... i dont think i can have a copperband butterfly in my 55g...

and the mandarin gobys eat pods all day everyday, it might starve even if you get it on mysis. that fuge will need tons of chaeto, and pods for some constant food suply

also if you're not to attatched to the damsel, you might want to give away while you can in that 10g. they are known for nibbling some corals

i would have "yelled" at you, but i have a tang in my 55g soo... ill let lynn, al, doni and some other people "talk" to you

 

[new reefer 03]

i see you already got griped at

just ignore my post, its like teris post (i didnt copy you.. )

 

[Emg]

Haha.....braty, I'm like you...I like fish in my tanks and have a really hard time resisting the urge to pack em in.......but I do resist because I hate having to deal with the consequences of too many fish in small tanks.

I might suggest, if you're going to upgrade....to think about a 50breeder size tank. They're about the same height as a 29, but they're longer and wider. I much prefer a wider tank to the more narrow ones. I just use a coralife 192watt power compact florescent fixture over my 50 and I can keep plenty of the soft lower light corals on that lighting....I also have some montipora in there as well.

Have fun setting up that tank ! I'm sure as soon as you get that one going you'll be thinking and plotting about what size to go to next.......those fish most likely won't be in that 29 for very long......

 

[motocrosstcw]

i agree with emg i have a 29gal tank right now setup and i have a clark clown and a cinn. clown goby and i followed the fish rule too just because of the fact of agressiveness of some fish i like agressive fish but i am not running a fuge or anything i have a nem that the clown host's 3 head neon green candy cane, green star polyps, yellow polyps, and my tank is doing great i have about 45-50lbs of sand mixed with crushed coral and i have about 50lbs maybe more of live rock but like the others said go a little bit bigger on your tank it will make life easier on you i wished i did i am gonna upgrade to a 75 with my 29 as a fuge less water changes thuss equaling more FISH lol but post some pics of the project would love to see it as another 29gal is born......... any questions feel free to ask i have my post on here you can check mine out look at Thomas's Tank thread the only thing missing is the puffer he died yesterday

 

[motocrosstcw]

EMG's post

Have fun setting up that tank ! I'm sure as soon as you get that one going you'll be thinking and plotting about what size to go to next.......

alright here is my main one lol

 

[bratyboy2]

well the larger tank is out of the question at his point but i think i can handle moving the butterfly to a friend of mines tank.125 i might keep him for a bit till he gets to big....anywho i cant wait to get rid of all the fish in the 29 fresh tank so i can start playing with the setup. :dryer: im thinking im going to put 3 65 watt CF over the tank and see what i can do from there. thats over 6 watts per gallon so im going to be doing the LPS for sure.

 

[bratyboy2]

hahaha okay as soon as i say the larger tank is out of question i get a phone call from a friend saying that he has a 125 and i could have it for $140 for the tank and hoods. okay now yah i want that tank but im going to make it a simple fish only tank. if anyone has read the 3 part story in TFH the last couple months on setting up a salt tank(something like that) well i love that tank idea and im going to stick with it.

okay well i went to a friends and they have a larger tank as well that is a reef and they said i could come over and frag some stuff that i liked. since their stuff is still growing i still managed to get some nice stuff. i got a umbrella leather, 2 green hair mushrooms(we think they might be rics we dont know) and i got a frag of green tree. well im just going to do my nano reef right now till i get around to making the 29 i know dumb right. i will get pic up soon as i can.

VHO? what you think about them?

 

[goldenmacman]

all your fish will outgrow that 29g before you get a big enough tank cycled and ready, even if you start today.. id would say that 5-6 fish is the max on that tank.. even with a fuge... its not water amount in total but SPACE IN THE TANK!!!!!
you really need to learn about the saltwater thing.. and go slowly.. you ask if you can keep MONTIPORA using PC lighting.. OUT OF THE QUESTION..
I would ditch all your fish and let your tank cycle, then get a big enough tank to support the fish and coral that you want..
but it looks like your not listening to anyone so this is just a lost cause...
w.e and good luck i guess...

 

[bratyboy2]

its not that im not listening to anyone thank you im asking questions to help the future tank thanks!:closed:

yes the fish will out grow it i understand that. but i do know it does take a litle bit of time to grow as well. the fish have no signs of disease nor are they having issues eating. i setup another 10 gallon last night and the clowns will be in it to be housed with a goby. the copperbanded is making a new home in my friends tank. all is left in the other 10 is the mandarin which is still eating the watchman goby and the citron goby. i have the room so i really dont need yelled at and told i dont understand the salt thing its just i have made some mistakes like everyone else noone is perfect like they think(coughs)

///but it looks like your not listening to anyone so this is just a lost cause...
w.e and good luck i guess.../// and dont give me that. have a good one

 

[goldenmacman]

Okay- if you really truely feel that your right, ( you verses 20000000 others) then don't come crying back when they start mysteriously dying back here... Were just trying to help you.. An extra 10g isn't gonna help. Those fish will outgrown that tank in a month or two, they are already cramped.. But it's your money

 

[RockBox]

So how many fish are going into the 29 now? I have a total of 5 small fish in my 40. I'd stick with 3-4 in a 29. Anything more than that and you will have a hard time replicating a tank like mine. Its good that you found a home for the copperband.

 

[bratyboy2]

Rockbox i love your ease of talking. lol i really do love your tank so much but the only fish im going to be putting in the tank as of now are going to be the yashi goby maybe the waychman goby or mandarin and the pair of clowns.

Rockbox do you think it is possible to keep an anemone with in tis system like a bubble-tip? just curious you have helped me alot.

as with the copperbanded im planning on getting him back when the 125 is cycled and good. im so excited for both these tanks!!!

 

[RockBox]

The thing with BTAs particularly the RBTAs is that you put one in your tank and soon you will have several. They like to move around a bit and can be troublesome. If its something you really want to do then be patient and wait until your tank is established a few months.

 

[bratyboy2]

is there another anemone that you would suggest? i was really just looking at a simple green. idk just easy to find and if something happens to it i didnt lose to much money. you know?