[aivanoff]

Hello everyone. I have been running fresh water aquariums for quite some time now, but a few months ago I decided to switch to saltwater and build a reef system. For my first project I am reusing my 29g tank. After doing some research I have come up with the following configuration (hopefully not the worst one):

1. Lightning: 30 inch 2x65 Watt Current USA PowerCompact Orbit Fixture.
2. Protein skimmer:
   • Aqua Medic Turboflotor Hang On Protein Skimmer or
   • Red Sea Berlin Hang-On Protein Skimmer Package with Pump or
   • AquaC Remora Protein Skimmer with Maxi-Jet 1200 Pump.
3. Salt: Instant Ocean.
4. Substrate: CaribSea Aragamax Sugar-Sized Sand.

I would really appreciate any pointers/suggestions/critics. And a couple of questions I have so far:

What skimmer would you suggest?

How many powerheads do I need? (For instance, Maxi-Jet 900)

How many pounds of LR and sand?

Does aquarium need to be covered or not?

Should I use my EHEIM 2232 canister for filtration or sell it on eBay?

What else am I missing?

[Tonz of fun]

Very loaded question. Ok first off I would use that brand of lighting but go with a t5 fixture instead. If your new to the saltwater game I recomemend the Remora, You just plug it in and it works. Only one adjustment for the skimmer very user friendly. You want at least 10x of water flow. up to 20x. So a total of 290g would be the minimum. Maxijets create a lot of heat. research a power head that has low wattage less worries about heat. A cover is not needed. 1-2 pounds LR I say closer to two. 1 and a half lbs of LS. Your choice of sand is great. I hate canaster filters. They pull out the bad stuff but the thing is they leave them in the water unless you change the filter. Your LR will be your filtration. O ya most important. Did you ever use copper in your Fresh water tank?

[aivanoff]

No, I have never used copper.
When you talk about LR and LS you mean pounds per gallon, right?
What is wrong with PowerCompact? (I was hopping for lunar lights this unit has).

[Tonz of fun]

Yes I ment pound per gallon. PC will work. I was just saying that there is better stuff out there now. 4 bulbs of T5 will creat more light then a 250 watt MH in one years time. How long is your tank? Can you fit a 36 inch fixture? Also T5s are energy efficiant.

[aivanoff]

It is 30 inch. I doubt I can fit 36 fixture. Is there 4 bulb 30inch T5?
Also, if installation complexity was not an issue which protein skimmer would you choose (performance, efficiency, quality etc.)?

[Tonz of fun]

Not that I know of...If money wasnt a issue I would get a deltec skimmer. If I was on a budget i would get a AquaC. Best bang for your buck.

[aivanoff]

Another question: what online store/brand would you suggest to buy LR?

[FINDING_NEMO]

u might wanna get ur live rock at ur lfs, since u dont need that many lbs it'll be cheaper than online

[FINDING_NEMO]

but saltwaterfish.com has a good price on rock 45-50 lbs for less than 200

[Tonz of fun]

eBay Seller: mrmarine: Pet Supplies, Home Garden items on eBay.com
For 50 pounds of cured Fiji LR shipped to your door step for 140...I personally got my LR from him and its top notch.

[FINDING_NEMO]

Man that's a steal. I would get that in a heart beat..... I paid round 350 for 60lbs from the fish stores in my area

[aivanoff]

Any comments about Marine Aquarium - Live Rock - Corals - Tonga - Fiji - Vanuatu - Marshall Islands?

[aivanoff]

Got my equipment a few days ago. Filled the tank and fired up all the equipment. After running for 24 hours temperature went up to 84. I moved MJ 1200 powering the AquaC Remora outside and temp went down to 82:
IMG_0883_small.jpg

Three days later received 85 lb of Tonga LR. About 55-60 lb are in the tank. This is after two days of curing:
IMG_0911_small.jpg

Temperature is 79-82 during the day. Remora works really hard, have to clean every one-two hours. I wish I got a version with drain fitting.

I still have 25-30 lb of LR left. I am planning to use it in a samp later, maybe in a month, maybe in 6 months. Will LR reanimate?

[Fishhead Junkie]

are those real plants or fake ones? without your light on..the tank almost looks freshwater tropical instead of saltwater reef. keep posting pics.

steve

[aivanoff]

Those plants are background picture. This tank used to be freshwater, I have not changed the background yet.

[tank72]

keep the pics comeing

[FINDING_NEMO]

u need to flip ur background, im sure the back is blue..... ur rock is pretty neat. when are u getting ur sand?

[pyromaniac398]

Lookin good

[aivanoff]

Originally Posted by FINDING_NEMO

u need to flip ur background, im sure the back is blue..... ur rock is pretty neat. when are u getting ur sand?

It is more than just blue, it has a picture of a very nice reef. I am getting sand at www.marinedepot.com.

[aivanoff]

Finally got some time to document porogress. After one week of curing:
Temp - 80
pH - 7.8
Alk - 2.1
Ammonia > 0.28
Nitrite > 1

After two weeks looking much better:
Temp - 79
pH - 8.1
Alk - 2.8
Ammonia - 0.018
Nitrite - 0.2
Nitrate - 20

I start thinking about a sump. Because of space constraints it is going to be a small one: 20L x 10W x 12H (~10 gallons). What would you suggest for equipment: skimmer, return pump? Should I use 3/4" PVC or more? Should I even bother with such a small sump?