Stevefromtpsfld's 29 gallon reef build

I love to see alot of sand, so my scaping is staying simple. And it leaves room for adding some corals on the bottom and still leaves some open sand.

 

First water change, 10 gallons. Cleaned out the protein skimmer collection box and it was good and stinky. Gonna bring my chromis back to the pet store next weekend. Not feeling them. I want something more interesting color wise. Glad I never named them.

 

Tank is looking good. I actually miss my chromis and how the would school and swim around together.

 

Stevefromtpsfld's 29gallon reef build - week 4 update

Update February 3: Week 4/Service Denied

4 weeks since I started the tank up. I've been doing water tests a few times a week and watched my 10-20 PPM nitrate level slowly drop to 0 over the last two weeks since I brought my water to be tested by Unique Aquaria, my lfs. So I worked today for a few hours, busy before the Super Bowl. So I drove down 128 around 4pm in a snowstorm. Anyone from the North Shore of Massachusetts knows how bad this road is, and made my way 1/2 hour down to them.

Love going into this store. Young guy owns it and the staff are great. They've been giving me great advice and tips and between them and the threads and people here at 3reef I'm off to a great and healthy start.Free water test got me satisfaction in my testing that my nitrates are hovering at 0ppm. While I was there I had them help me calibrate my hydrometer (I know, I know, I'm buying a refractometer soon) against their refractometer, and mine reads I think 5 thousandths low. Thought my salinity was down, so I would need to add some salt water to top off the 3/4" lowness I had, but turns out my crappy thing was off and I needed ro water instead.

So back to the title service denied. They told me, after checking my water, and how my three chromis were doing great, that it was ok to bring them back in and buy the fish I want to start with, which I think I've decided on, more on that to follow. So yay , my lfs, which are not pumping out fish and won't even let me buy a coral for at least three months, said I could get my fish that I really want to get,

and I said no.

I want to wait another week or two, make sure I'm getting my schedule down for maintenance, cleaning, feeding, and general tank etiquette. I'm not in a rush, and also don't want to blow my weekly tank budget in my first month trying to go slow. My weekly budget would be blown because the store is getting me a paired set of snowflake ocellaris clown fish! I saw a pair they had at the store that would be perfect, but if they sell in the next two weeks he said he get me another pair no problem. I'm thinking two weeks from today I'll get them if my tank stays nice and stable until then.

So on to a few update pics. First I purchased a marineland maxijet 600. My older powerhead just wasn't turning much water so I retired it and got this instead.



It converts between a power head at 160 gph or a circulation pump at 750 gph. I tried the circulation pump at first, but it was turning this sand bed:



into this:



Had the pump in the middle of the right side up about two thirds, and it was furrowing through my 2 1/2" to 3" sandbed, especially in the front left corner, and pushing up a deep pile in the middle, and filling up my future goby home on the left I had built, so I built the pump back into a power head, and just have it shooting from the top right, pushing water across the top. The tank still has good circulation, but not as extreme as the 750 gph I had before.

Does anyone think that 750gph from a circulation pump in my 29 gallon 30" wide 18" tall is too much? I do plan on getting a Vortech MP10 before I start placing corals down the road, and I'm sure that can crank alot more than my crappy $40 pump, but they can be dialed down. I do kind of like the more natural contour that side of the tank has now, though I did fill the front left corner back in some.

Anyway, long update, love to tell a story, and Loving the tank. Really glad I got back into the hobby, with some due credit to 3reef for keeping me slow. Slow SLOW! and I said No! Except for the small 3 LED 445 moonlight strip that I had to buy. It was only about $25. Had to have something to bring home right? And reward myself for waiting a few more weeks on new fish until I got my stuff down. Anyway, crappy shot, but I'm happy with my new lighting:



And my sexy shrimp are looking great on a beautiful rock:



Going to do a water change in two weeks, get my new pair of clown fish, return the three green chromis, do my taxes, and decide how big of a chunk of my tax return goes to the tank, or rather right into my new light system. I've been drooling over LED systems lately, and for around $500-$700 I can get a sick programmable LED system that will do anything I tell it to including read me a book! Or do I come back down to earth and get a cheaper programmable T5 with LED moonlights hood, for 1/2 the money.

Come on 3reef, talk me into the LED lights! The future is now!

 

Tank is looking good.

You made the right call on the clowns, there is always another pair of awesome designer clowns around the corner.

Can not help you with LEDs.

 

Got three cerith and two turbo snails today to add to the cleanup crew. Also a new glass top lid cause mine was broken partly and water was evaporating too quickly. This should help. My lfs is getting a large shipment in this week and ill be getting my clown pair next weekend. Pretty sure I'm going to keep 1/3 of my green chromis too, a really small one, and return the other 2 to open up more real estate.

 

Well that sux! Came home from a friends house to find my smallest green chromis dead stuck against the side of my circ pump. Well, guess I won't be keeping him after all.

 

Was watching the tank with just the blue LEDs, sleep mode, and counted three stomatellas one nice sized one. Must have come in on the live rocks, and hence my tag, they mostly come out at night, mostly.

Love my tank, love this hobby!

Oh yah, while watching one, a blue leg hermit crab crawled by and bumped it, and it took off back into the rocks. Surprised me how quick it took off.

And I just found two mini turbo snails collonista's

 

Just got back from my LFS with my new Vortec mp10wes. Oh boy new toys! Unique Aquaria in Woburn Ma is my go to store, and just got another reason why. They gave me a $15 store credit to cover the taxes I paid vs buying it online. And i didn't even have to ask! thanks Brendan, great store.

Can't wait to install it and play. Thanks to 3reef and lots of research my tank is doing fantastically. Have a lot of what I believe to be coralline growing all over the back and side glass. Cleaning off anything on front. Picking up two semi Picasso clowns this weekend. Still trying to decide if I am going to keep my two green chromis. Leaning towards keeping them for now. We'll see.

And I don't ever bump, but wish someone could have given me some advice on my old circulation pump that killed my smallest chromis. Thanks anyways, but the mp10 has a filter sock that I'll be using to prevent that from happening in the future. Please help us new guys everyone. Our tanks aren't as exciting at 29 gallons vs some of the well established 100+ gallon reefs on here, but us newbies thrive on positive reinforcement, and I know I get bummed when noone responds to a question or a fish death. Ok enough forum whining.

Wireless MP10 down, LED lighting system still to come, along with future build of a 20g sump/refugium. Werd.

 

Well, everything looks great Steve and your enthusiasm is contagious! I love that you're so excited in this hobby. Usually powerheads don't wipe out fish so I know I wouldn't have thought of warning you about that.......Can't wait to see your tank with the clowns! It also sounds really awesome that you've found a great LFS to help you progress. That really is a critical thing in this hobby - having a LFS you can trust and that keeps great, healthy stock! It took me a while to find one I really like and it's now a weekly trip even if I don't have anything in mind to buy - somehow, I always leave with something

I think you're doing a great job as a newbie and being so patient in your stocking. I look forward to seeing quite a stunning tank in the future. I'm also jealous that you've got coralline growing so quickly - I love it but can't seem to get it to grow very much

Keep the updates coming along with pics!