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29g Peninsula tank getting pack into it


Burningbaal

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Hi everyone,

I am trying to get back to this.  I used to have a 90g display and 55 sump/fuge that I had just gotten the way I liked and was building livestock when I moved to the Seattle area (from Corvallis) and couldn't take it.  In a condo I lived in at first, I converted a standard 29g aqeon tank into a peninsula by adding some black acrylic to one end.  I'll post pictures soon, but I've got about 4-5" on one side that's behind the acrylic.  It's split roughly in half with an over/under so there's a 3-4" overflow from the main tank to a 'fuge', then over/under to the return section.  return is powered with a hydor pico 70 (20" head max).

 

flow:

I've got two hydor koralia 240s  running now and am trying to clean up a koralia 700.  assuming about 25g of display, that's 47x water flow, but I'm thinking I'll put the 240s on a simple wavemaker, so it'll be more like 37x flow (still not counting the 70gph return's flow).  

 

lighting:

dual 20w LED, one 10000K, the other actinic blue, can be separately timed.

Have a moonlight kit I need to assemble

was thinking of adding a submersible light for PAR in the 'fuge' to grow chaeto or micro on a grid for nutrient export, have not purchased yet

 

substrate:

Tank was initially set up about 2 years ago, was stabilizing for about 4 months, then I moved to my house and it's been having zero maintenance since then (luckily no livestock except substrate).  Not even topoff or heater.  no flow, zero maintenance.

about 40lbs of rock, mostly dry, about 10lbs was live two years ago...

about 2" of sand.  was from one of those questionable 'live sand' bags (again, 2 years ago)

 

Yes, I have a BRS 5-stage RODI.  I've just got the tanked topped up and am starting a series of 5g water changes, hoping to replace most of the water within a month (5g at a time).  I'm ignoring the tank's salinity while doing these, just making sure the new water is dead on.

 

Choices to make:

*  Do I put a ~5000K submersible light bar in the 'fuge' and grow chaeto or have grid for microalgae?  or do I put a tiny skimmer in there?  Maybe both if I put the skimmer above the return pump?

*  Have a topoff I haven't set up yet, should I add nutrients to this?  I have a 10g glass laying around I'll probably use to store the source and a diaphragm pump I'll use to move the water

*  Should I bother with a backpack skimmer?  I have an old one (have to check brand) that I once had on a 55g I could probably use

 

 

livestock:

 

None yet, but I have a vision!  I would love to make this an SPS tank with VERY minimal motile livestock.  at most, I'm thinking a shrimp or two and MAYBE a small fish (goby?).  I'm imagining a tank of montis and acros and something encrusting.  I would consider a LPS or something too, especially lower in the tank

 

So once I get the water changes through, I think I'll get 10lbs ish of LR rubble to stick in the return area, just to make sure there's still something live in there.  Probably chuck in some tiny shred of something from the seafood aisle and let that ride for a while.  Then I'll get to livestock.

 

Thoughts?  I know there's a bunch of nano people here, so please give your suggestions for livestock and for my 'choices' that are pending.

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It won't let me upload pictures, so here's a link to the first four pictures (just taken with my phone):

 

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Fish picture is of one side of the tank.  No idea if the rock will stay like this, I was just trying to get it off the glass
 
Second picture of the display end
 
third picture of the sump area
 
last picture of the same side of the tank, but with just the actinics on

Edited by Burningbaal
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Another FITS. Not this blue in person, but oh well:

db01fe99b73e9f38fa2bee1f4b8fa7b8.jpg

 

A closer look at the sump area. Under the floss will be a submersible bar light and grate for growing (and removing) hair algae. The rest of the area is return with a heater, ATO and pico 70gph return pump. I'll probably remove the filter floss in the once fully settled

acbd5e17af478f28505d7d9c237057db.jpg

 

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Looks like my hydor 700 isn't repairable. Anyone have a recommendation for a circulation powerhead of similar power? Can't break the bank, tho. If you have one to sell, even better

 

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I wanted to say that I am excited to see where this tank goes. It is a good hobby with lots of good people.

 

As for a power-head, I personally don't have a recommendation. From what I have noticed is it really depends on your price point. They all work.

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Thanks Miles!

 

I've made a decision or two. I'll be buying the Jebao pp-4 to replace the koralia 700 and I'm pretty excited for it.  I realize it's "just" the knockoff of the mp10, but I can't justify the cost of Ecotech, and at <$60 on Amazon, I just can't pass up the Jebao since it's barely more money than the koralia 700.  If you've got a better idea for a 29g nano that's < $100, let me know soon, I'll be getting a few pounds of LR rubble to supplement my mostly-dead tank soon, once it is settled for several weeks, I'll get the pp-8 and a frag :)

 

I'll be targetting SPS and acans, maybe a hammer/torch/frogspawn, but I'm nervous of sweepers stinging the sps...thoughts?

 

Thinking I'll get something like this submersible light to light the 'fuge' (which is just for growing/exporting green hair algae on a crosstiching grid), have any better idea?  I've got almost the whole depth of the 29g, about 5" square that I'll be growing the GHA in.

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Thanks Miles!

 

I've made a decision or two. I'll be buying the Jebao pp-4 to replace the koralia 700 and I'm pretty excited for it.  I realize it's "just" the knockoff of the mp10, but I can't justify the cost of Ecotech, and at <$60 on Amazon, I just can't pass up the Jebao since it's barely more money than the koralia 700.  If you've got a better idea for a 29g nano that's < $100, let me know soon, I'll be getting a few pounds of LR rubble to supplement my mostly-dead tank soon, once it is settled for several weeks, I'll get the pp-8 and a frag :)

 

I'll be targetting SPS and acans, maybe a hammer/torch/frogspawn, but I'm nervous of sweepers stinging the sps...thoughts?

 

Thinking I'll get something like this submersible light to light the 'fuge' (which is just for growing/exporting green hair algae on a crosstiching grid), have any better idea?  I've got almost the whole depth of the 29g, about 5" square that I'll be growing the GHA in.

I think the Jebao's are reasonably priced for what they do and are a good choice. As for the submersible light, I have never heard of someone using them. I always see people going to Home Depot and buying these: https://www.google.com/#q=clamp+light+home+depot&safe=off&tbm=shopI imagine they both work.

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Thanks, Kim!

Maybe I'll let a hammer in, then :)  any thoughts on motile livestock?  I want to keep the bioload small so I don't have much waste to remove (no skimmer as of now and hoping to keep a variety of stony corals).

 

I'm thinking just a couple snails, mostly trochus or similar, maybe a hermit or two to creep the sand and rock, but then what?  goby? cleaner shrimp? sexy shrimp? clowns? firefish?

 

bear in mind, I'm shooting for a good 50x flow.

 

Also, I got the rockwork in place today with some TLF epoxy, I'll post pics soon.  And if anyone can spare about 10lbs of LR (tiny pieces is great), I'd love to take it off your hands.  Maybe with some sand and/or bottle of water to help spike my microbes a bit (mostly dry rock as of now).

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I think the Jebao's are reasonably priced for what they do and are a good choice. As for the submersible light, I have never heard of someone using them. I always see people going to Home Depot and buying these: https://www.google.com/#q=clamp+light+home+depot&safe=off&tbm=shopI imagine they both work.

Thanks for the feedback. I had a pair if CFL lamps on the fuge chamber of a 55g sump/fuge before, but since this space is only about 5" square footprint and relatively deep, I've been thinking I want light all the way down. Basically, I'm gonna have a cylinder of plastic cross-stitch material looking the inside of that chamber and want to encourage the GHA to cover it. Then I can pull it out, scrub the GHA off and replace it. The hope is that it's a clean and natural easy to export waste nutrients. I remember reading a tutorial with a similar setup and they really liked it, so I was gonna a try.

 

Anyways, I think anything other than a submersible light wouldn't light the tall and skinny fuge well enough. Sound logical?

 

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Thanks, Kim!

Maybe I'll let a hammer in, then :)  any thoughts on motile livestock?  I want to keep the bioload small so I don't have much waste to remove (no skimmer as of now and hoping to keep a variety of stony corals).

 

I'm thinking just a couple snails, mostly trochus or similar, maybe a hermit or two to creep the sand and rock, but then what?  goby? cleaner shrimp? sexy shrimp? clowns? firefish?

 

bear in mind, I'm shooting for a good 50x flow.

 

Also, I got the rockwork in place today with some TLF epoxy, I'll post pics soon.  And if anyone can spare about 10lbs of LR (tiny pieces is great), I'd love to take it off your hands.  Maybe with some sand and/or bottle of water to help spike my microbes a bit (mostly dry rock as of now).

 

I'd give you some LR, but you are a ways north. Maybe someone closer could help out or the LFS.

 

 

Thanks for the feedback. I had a pair if CFL lamps on the fuge chamber of a 55g sump/fuge before, but since this space is only about 5" square footprint and relatively deep, I've been thinking I want light all the way down. Basically, I'm gonna have a cylinder of plastic cross-stitch material looking the inside of that chamber and want to encourage the GHA to cover it. Then I can pull it out, scrub the GHA off and replace it. The hope is that it's a clean and natural easy to export waste nutrients. I remember reading a tutorial with a similar setup and they really liked it, so I was gonna a try.

 

Anyways, I think anything other than a submersible light wouldn't light the tall and skinny fuge well enough. Sound logical?

 

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With a 5" square, it can be pretty hard. I was just throwing out ideas. You know your tank better than me.

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I got some pictures after most of the first settled from my 'scaping this AM first three should show the peninsula effect, then another of the back.

 

Side 1:

7148100309ede31cb576d96c20bf2549.jpg

 

Front end:

76f77a66fff5919818ab4deea4466061.jpg

 

Side 2:

c729c6a0e2df7f18c5218e1382ad3805.jpg

 

And top view of the back, you can see the grid for growing GHA and then the return area has JBJ ATO, heater and hydor pico 70:

058e9f7ead6b8b6012306158e2192b8e.jpg

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Current thinking:

 

Corals:

  - High:  monti, acro, something encrusting

  - Lower:  Hammer/Frog, acan, maybe chalice?

Motile:

  - Trochus, maybe nass vibex

  - 2-5 hermits

  - 1 shrimp?  sexy? skunk cleaner?

Fish:

  - 3 purple firefish or royal gramma...can't decide (open to suggestions)

  - goby?

  - I like the idea of a pair of clowns, but they feel so cliche...

  - not sure I'm settled here

 

Kim:  That eel looks amazing, but it looks like they are  $$$$$$$$

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  • 2 weeks later...

Looks like there was some nutrients I'm this old system still add the algae and diatoms came up in the past few days.

Got a coraline-covered rock, 3 trochus snails and 2 blue-leg hermits at The Fish Store on Lake City Way in Seattle today. Beautiful store with lots of salt, fresh, planted and even a brackish system or two.

Snails got right to it

1f4e2e5f5356fa7a606047be34429078.jpg

 

And the hermits

386fe478abda74340ae193d0ef762f94.jpg

 

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Keith! How you been!? Good to see you back into it, when the tank is ready for a coral or two let me know and I can see about getting a couple your way. And for your submersible algae light is it 10,000K, red\white, or fresh water planted tank? I am wanting to try one of the fresh water ones but a couple friends say the red and whites are really good. I suppose we have to wait and see regardless of spectrum you chose but just curious.

 

Everything is looking great so far, always doing things better when setting up again, I am sure this tank will be grand.

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Keith! How you been!? Good to see you back into it, when the tank is ready for a coral or two let me know and I can see about getting a couple your way. And for your submersible algae light is it 10,000K, red\white, or fresh water planted tank? I am wanting to try one of the fresh water ones but a couple friends say the red and whites are really good. I suppose we have to wait and see regardless of spectrum you chose but just curious.

 

Everything is looking great so far, always doing things better when setting up again, I am sure this tank will be grand.

I'm doing well, thanks! I read about your pesky yellow tang; sad day!

I'd estimate (visually) that the light is about 10K. A little bluer than I planned for my algae scrubber, but it's fine. The tank is covered in all sorts of blooms now, so I guess I can rest easy that there's plenty of bacteria for the nitrogen cycle :)

I'll give it time with the 5-member CUC and algae scrubber before I start anything else, I appreciate the offer of a couple starters, tho!

 

My livestock is planned as:

Fish/motile:

Purple firefish

Flasher wrasse

Goby (TBD)

sexy shrimp

 

Corals (not sure I can have them all????):

acro

Monti (encrusting & plating)

Birdsnest

 

Hammer (purple if I can)

Fungia

Acan

Chalice if it's not too $$$

 

probably some GSP as a little lawn at some point :)

 

Have any thoughts, Robert?

 

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That sounds like a good coral list to me, you can keep the chalices and acans out of the high light on the edges maybe slightly underneath the euphyllia on the sides as well, this way they don't sting the ones on the main rock work...SPS always lose that fight. Put the montis mid lower way then the nests right after that, a little higher up, and have the acroporas take the top rock prime real estate.

 

The Green stars might have to have their own little rock island though, I don't trust those guys one bit.

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That sounds like a good coral list to me, you can keep the chalices and acans out of the high light on the edges maybe slightly underneath the euphyllia on the sides as well, this way they don't sting the ones on the main rock work...SPS always lose that fight. Put the montis mid lower way then the nests right after that, a little higher up, and have the acroporas take the top rock prime real estate.

 

The Green stars might have to have their own little rock island though, I don't trust those guys one bit.

I've only had GSP in a softie trek but thought it was low - threat, are you just worried about it spreading or a toxin or what?

 

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