To Start a Salt tank....

[R_sustaita]

so after seen how many of you are starting their salt tanks i think i have been drag to your side.

i have a spare 29g tank and since you guys say the more volume the better so hit me with what will i need for a real basic salt water tank.

my goal is a FOWLR, what i have.

Stand
29g tank
T5 Single Bulb light

i know i need at least 29lbs of live rock and at least a 30g rated filter and a heater. i will get a 10g tank to be a sump as a 20 wont fit.

so hit me up with what you think i can need to get it going.

[eklikewhoa]

Money

[myjohnson]

Do you want to convert to reef someday?

[R_sustaita]

Do you want to convert to reef someday?

yeah, maybe in 3-6 months to see if i really like the salt tank. it would be cool to have some corals. but i want to start really basic and move on.

[myjohnson]

Gotcha. If you want to convert to reef someday than you want to use RODI water to mix salt.

On the most basic level all you need is LR, water, and a power head. The LR is the filter media that houses beneficial bacteria. You want to let it cycle first before adding any fish. That's about it. Everything else is truely extra.

[R_sustaita]

by LR you mean like a HOB filter or something like that? does the t5 flourecent lights works or i need a MH by force?

[myjohnson]

LR = live rock.

You can use the t5 for now. Just like FW, fish don't really need light. T5s are ok for corals depending on the coral and coral placement. You are not forced to use MH for corals.

How many bulbs does the fixture have?

[R_sustaita]

oh Live rock duh. yes i will add LR. the t5 has i think i bulb. i do have a 4 bulb t5 mh light system. but thats what i use on my fw tank.

[myjohnson]

Yeah, a single t5 bulb is not going to cut it.

For a 29g, you will want a 4 bulb fixture if you want to go with a t5 set up.

[R_sustaita]

Yeah, a single t5 bulb is not going to cut it.

For a 29g, you will want a 4 bulb fixture if you want to go with a t5 set up.

that will be when i go into reef style right. just for fish i am good with that light.

[myjohnson]

Exactly.

You should take a look at some of the sticky links.

You maybe surprise how easy a reef system is to maintain. On smaller systems like yours just a small 10-15% water change is all you need.

[johnnymisty]

Get ya an aquaclear 70 or 110 and throw on you can even get a media basket for the to tue them into a fuge or get a piece of egg crate and put in there to keep the cheato from coming out throw a light over it an you got a cheap fuge

[R_sustaita]

yeah, i am reading those as we speak. if everything goes as plan i will start the set up at my office Tomorrow.

[R_sustaita]

Get ya an aquaclear 70 or 110 and throw on you can even get a media basket for the to tue them into a fuge or get a piece of egg crate and put in there to keep the cheato from coming out throw a light over it an you got a cheap fuge

you seem to be speacking on some sort of code or something. i always get confuse with your descriptions lol.

[myjohnson]

Lol, if you got a sump than don't worry about the HOB fuge.