HELLPPP please!

Okay, I am very very limited on money.... But I have currently a 55gallon freshwater(Willing to convert to saltwater) w/ stand. 29 Gallon Saltwater (new) cycling with 10lbs of live rock, and 10lbs of live sand with 10lbs of cc. A Clown fish is cycling with the tank.. got him for 7$ so great deal. and 2 blue legged hermits. What kind of stocking ideas would you give me for a 55 gallon saltwater tank, and I want to grow some really really really hardy corals... so something extremly easy. And what wattag of lights should I try to go for? (If I upgrade from the 29 to the 55 in saltwater, i wll make a DIY sump out of my 29gallon tank. May take.. anywhere from 3-5months but it will be done!) I will be investing in a protien skimmer as soon as possile.. but lights, and stocking ideas are what I'm looking at for the moment. Well thanks in advance! Also I will not be back on untill tomorrow I work from 4PM to 1 AM currently for wal-mart.. so Thank again!- Brandon

 

Wow - the similarities are just uncanny. My first tank was a 29 gallon when I was about your age and I was working at Wal-Mart back then, too! And obviously our name...

At any rate a clown is really not a good fish to be cycling your tank with. Not only that, but you need about 3 times the rock you currently have. I suggest fixing those 2 things first and foremost. Personally I say just cycle with live rock but if you absolutely must have a fish then go with a green chromis damsel.

How long has this tank been up?

 

do not skimp on lights and protien skimmer. get the 55 up and cycled befor eworrying about what to stock with. Stock with what you want not what other people say would look good...its your tank.....

 

Yes I understand that it is my tank... but I am just up for suggestions of what might live well together with my clown :O And I don't really want coral so I don't need super powerful lights right??? I want some really really really simple to grow corals just to give it some texture and color besides the sand,live rock and fish, and invertabrates ifI can still put them in there without alot of corals...

 

And to your post Brandon my tank has only been up 4 day... I know I need alot more live rock but my budget does not allow it for quiet some time on the count of having a 4month old on and a 17 yr old g/f tring to afford prom also. lol.

 

Base rock is much cheaper and will eventually become live if its in the same tank as your current live rock.

 

A 4 month old?! LoL you have much bigger things to worry about then, than cycling a tank with a clown. But I still say you should forget Nemo for now and get something else. Clowns are hardy, but again, not really a fish suited to cycle a tank with. Just my opinion.

+1 on this and is what I was going to suggest. Even if 10lbs of your rock is "live" and the other 20lbs is base, in time it will all be live.

 

I have 10lbs of Base rock.. but the guy at the LFS said it was LIVE because he had it with branch rock and 2 eels and a yellow tang fish along with a 8" deep live sand bed.... so I'm not sure if my 10lbs of rock is live or not.. and where can I buy base rock cheaper then 2.99$ a lb. Thanks again and what kinda lighting doI need to do the easiest corals? I cant afford alot as stated before.

 

Check out craigslist and ebay,since your tank is a popular size you may find something.Go for more light than you think you need ,if possible.If you would like some simple corals now,chances are good you would like more in the not to distant future.Be patient,as your tank is just in the planning stage you have plenty of time to shop.

 

Also, to save money you can retrofit t5's and PC's into your current light hood to save some cash. There's plenty of kits available.

About your rock, it depends on how long it was in the tank for. Live rock doesn't necessarily mean that it has coralline on it. It's just referring to the beneficial bacterias and algae.