15 year old wanting to get back into hobby-questions about 29g

[qazplm25]

Hey all!
This is my first post in a while, and I am glad to be back. A year ago I got rid of my 10g nano that I started when I was 12 because I was fed up with the death of all my corals and the hair algae that was everywhere. Just last week I came to this website and got addicted; constantly checking new posts for interesting topics and decided to post.

I will honestly say that I was extremely lazy with my first reef tank which led to its ultimate destruction. In its life of over 2 years I only did maybe 4 or 5 water changes! Also I did not top off as regularly as I should have and used tap water to do so. Thinking back, I realize that my tank made me so happy. I never had any fish so the creatures from the live rock were abundant and extremely interesting. I also at one point had two peppermint shrimp who had amazing personalities and even spawned once! My corals (many generously donated to me by members of this club) also thrived for the first year until getting overtaken by algae. It was really neat to see my yellow colonial polyps eat brine shrimp, my zoas with unique patterns, and my orange cap and green tree coral with their bright glow-in-the-actinic colors.

Anyway, I now really want a new tank and have some ideas followed by questions!

I have a 29g tank that I am thinking about using because it is large enough to be more stable without requiring as much effort and money as a larger tank. I now have much more knowledge and dedication to the hobby so I will tank care of the tank well.

I want to have a softies only reef with a pair of banggai cardinalfish that I can hopefully get to spawn (I really love the idea of mouthbrooding).
1. Do any of you have any experience with this fish and/or its spawning?

I also now have a RO/DI unit and will use plenty of live rock for filtration.
2. Should I have an external filter as well?

For lighting I currently have a 65 watt 6700k coralife PC and a 2x40 actinic/daylight PC in my house.
3. What new fixtures/bulbs do I need for softies only in a 29g?

I don't really want to have to do a sump but I will if the positives outweigh the extra work. If I don't use a sump I was thinking about maybe have a false wall to conceil the back few inches. Back there I could put the heater, have a refugium section with chaeto, and also cut holes into it where the pumps could stick out.
4. Has this idea been used or is it a bad idea? What are your reccomendations and advice about doing this?

5. I'm using a tank that was previously freshwater, is this O.K? And is there anything else I will need?

I know this is a long post but thank you so much and I am really excited about getting back into the hobby!

 

[zeal]

hey nice to see another kid around here. im 15 also and have been in the hobby for jest over a year now. i have two tanks a 14 gallon nano and 60 gallon marine land cube. i have herd that breeding banggai cardnails are easier things to breed but have no experience. i would have a sump (like 10 gallon) but thats jest me. i think f you clean out the fresh water tank well you can use it.

zack

 

[coralcor]

hey like he said im 15 too.

you should talk to Kiah (http://www.bostonreefers.org/forums/showthread.php?t=90858) he is the master of breeding banggai.

and i would go with a sump to... but i have a false wall in my Red Sea Max. and it works great... just the limit of what you can put back there is a PITA! my hands do fit all the way to the bottom easily so if something falls....

good luck and ill be following this build

 

[qazplm25]

Its nice for me to see other kids my age here too!

Here is a quick sketch I made of an idea for a false wall
Sorry about the messy writing but the text feature wasnt working

 

[zeal]

looks good to me

 

[zeal]

were are you going to put our protein skimmer?

 

[kams56]

i remember i started my first tank when i was about 15 (now 18 and in college for marine biology).
first i have no experience with fish breeding so cant help you there, sorry
second i would also add an external filter and since i didnt see a skimmer in your plans i would recomend a skilter (skimmer/filter) had one with old tank worked like a charm.
i am thinking of doing a false wall on the side of my 55 and you plan llooks alright and it is fine to use a tank that was used for freshwater it makes more of a difference going salt to fresh.
hope this helps even a little

 

[parrotchute]

Hey with a tank that size, you might not need a skimmer, but it would def help. Remember, a small tank like that is going to make managing water quality a lot harder.

Besides being good about doing those top-offs, I'd suggest something like this:
http://shop.aquatraders.com/Hang-On-Refugium-with-Protein-Skimmer-14in-p/43016.htm


Fill it with about 4" of sand and some rock rubble, then put in some 'seeder' pods and chaeto/caluerpa. The HOB refugium will def help with water quality issues.

Get a powerhead too to keep the water moving.

What kind of lights are you thinking of?

 

[coralcor]

Its nice for me to see other kids my age here too!

Here is a quick sketch I made of an idea for a false wall
Sorry about the messy writing but the text feature wasnt working

just as a reference and maybe more ideas this is how mine is set up

left to right
pumps (2 of them), then baffles to get rid of air bubbles, protine skimmer and ato, overflow filter floss. then wires and stuff. and this is a 34g tank

i like how you have a return on both sides. i have 2 returns but on the same side. so i never get enough flow.

 

[qazplm25]

I was debating getting a protein skimmer but decided that I should get one if I find a good deal. If anybody here is selling one, PM me!

Corey, yours looks really good. I am a complete noob at DIY and have no idea how I would make something like that. I read through a few threads hear about false walls but am stil very confused. How would you go about making this and what supplies should you use? I also don't have any equiptment to make it so would it be better to buy one, and where could I get one?

 

[JohnK]

Anyone have the link to the tank Donal had Gustavo build?

Edit, I can't find it. Was it some other younger reefer that Gustavo built a tank for that I'm thinking of???

 

[JayM]

I think if you CAN do a sump, you SHOULD do a sump.

My 2c.

 

[coralcor]

I was debating getting a protein skimmer but decided that I should get one if I find a good deal. If anybody here is selling one, PM me!

Corey, yours looks really good. I am a complete noob at DIY and have no idea how I would make something like that. I read through a few threads hear about false walls but am stil very confused. How would you go about making this and what supplies should you use? I also don't have any equiptment to make it so would it be better to buy one, and where could I get one?

thanks. (i bought that im no diyer) but Ive read some thread and most people use glass/acrylic and just silicone it in to place. i think if you don't have any tools it would be much easier to do a sump with a hang on overflow box.

 

[frank180reef]

yes if you can pull it off a sump is best

Frank

 

[lisa foster]

I have been running sumpless for a year. I do not keep sps though I don't know if that makes a difference my reef is also 125 gallons I know running a small tank can be more hallenging when it comes to water quality. I also religously now do 25% - 30% water cahnge monthly. you should have a protien skimmer check out the octopus hob they are reasonable in price. However the ones where the pump goes in the tank the pump is very large.

 

[FOXYB]

only concern about using a fw tank and making it a saltwater tank is if copper was used in the freshwater tank it can leach out and kill corals

 

[jbishop]

I say no skimmer. Just do more frequent water changes.

 

[stingythingy45]

"I want to have a softies only reef with a pair of banggai cardinalfish"

I agree with Bish,no skimmer.Especially if your only going to do softies for corals.

 

[jbishop]

"I want to have a softies only reef with a pair of banggai cardinalfish"

I agree with Bish,no skimmer.Especially if your only going to do softies for corals.

They might even like it a little more dirty

 

[qazplm25]

Hmm, ok thanks for all your advice. However, my friend just gave me a prizm protein skimmer for free, thanks Mr. Gaboozlebag! If I use this will I still need a sump? I am only reluctant to use a sump because of the extra work but also I have had bad experiences with them... On my first tank, a line of tubing fell out of the sump with the other end still in it which created a siphon. This all of course had to happen when I was on vacation so when I came back, about 6 gallons of saltwater was soaking my carpet in my bedroom upstairs. The water leaked through the middle floor and ruined some of the basement ceiling, and then wet the basement carpet as well.

So I will do a sump if necessary and definitely use an overflow that is failproof.