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Bakenn's 29 Gallons of Aqua


Bakenn

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So I've been researching for the past 3 months so far and I decided its about time to order everything and finally setup my tank!! I'm new to saltwater but I've kept a couple of freshwater fish tanks in the past so I know the basics and I've learned A LOT about saltwater tanks and reef tanks from this forum so I thank you all so very much.

 

This is the equipment I have:

20 gallon long tank 29 gallon AGA tank

20 gallon long stand 29 gallon AGA Black Pine stand

 

This is the equipment on order:

AC70 filter w/ chemi-pure elite inTank Media Basket, Filter Floss, and Marineland Black Diamond Carbon

Koralia nano 240 x2 Koralia Nano 425 x2 MP10

75watt Jager heater 125watt Jager heater

Thermometer

Mag float glass cleaner

API saltwater test kit

Kessil a150w Ocean Blue (I'll be ordering this next month right before my tank is done cycling) AI SOL Blue with AI Controller (I really cannot wait for this!!)

 

Salt Mixing:

BRS 75 GPD RO/DI 5 Stage *PLUS* System

Reef Crystals salt

Hydor Pico pump for mixing salt Koralia Evo 550

50watt Jager heater for mixing salt 125watt Jager heater

Hydrometer for mixing salt

Thermometer

 

Reef Saver BRS rock 25pounds

Carib-Sea 40pounds

 

This build is going to be very very slow because I don't want to mess anything up. I'll have pictures once everything comes in. Thanks for looking and please feel free to give me any advice or recommendations you may have!!

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I just upgraded my tank before I even started it LOL. Looking at the empty 20 gallon long sitting on the stand made me want to upgrade to a 29 gallon because I didn't like how short the 20 long was. So now I wait some more for the supplies. I really really really can't wait for these packages!!

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So I have almost all of my equipment (it came in yesterday) and I set everything up. I'm still waiting for the dry rock, sand, and the bulkreefsupply RO/DI filter and thats all coming today!! I'll have pictures up later tonight once I get everything setup =D!

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Deleted User 3
So I have almost all of my equipment (it came in yesterday) and I set everything up. I'm still waiting for the dry rock, sand, and the bulkreefsupply RO/DI filter and thats all coming today!! I'll have pictures up later tonight once I get everything setup =D!

 

Waiting for the pics :)

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Sorry for not posting any pictures just yet! My cell phone pictures are horrible so I'm waiting to get a real camera.

 

But anyway, the tank is up and running!! I'm fine tuning the salinity level at the moment, its currently a little above 1.026 so I will have to take out a few cups of saltwater and replace with freshwater. I also got the cycle started on Thursday night with pure ammonia from Ace Hardware. Finding ammonia without any soap or scents was very difficult but someone suggested Ace Hardware and they were right! I added enough ammonia for it to be 4.0ppm and its been sitting at that level since Thursday, so I still have a ways to go. I'm replacing the Koralia 240s with the 425s for more flow and I have decided on getting an AI SOL Blue for lighting instead of the Kessil. I'll post more updates and pictures as soon as I get a decent camera. Have a good one all!

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Good choice on upgrading to the 29. It would of happened eventually :) How come you didn't want to use any live rock? It's one of the funnest things about starting the saltwater hobby.

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Lol yeah, I definitely love the 29 gallon size, its like the perfect size for starting out IMO. TBH I just liked how porous the Reef Saver rock is and the benefits that come with dry rock, I might buy a few pounds of live rock for some diversity because I do think its cool to have a lot of critters and stuff that come on the live rock, I agree its one of the funnest things about saltwater/reef tanks.

 

By the way, I only have about 20-25 pounds of dry rock at the moment so there's definitely room for some live rock if I decide to order a few pounds.

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Okay so while the tank is cycling and maturing I am starting to think about a stocking list. I have something in mind but if you guys have any recommendations please let me know!!

 

Fish Stocking List:

2 Oscellaris Clownfish

1 Purple Firefish

1 Yellow Watchman Goby/Pistol Shrimp pair (I find this amazing! I heard Pistol Shrimps are sometimes bad but from watching videos all I can tell is they dig and build a burrow constantly.)

 

CuC and Inverts:

Custom clean up crew from Reefcleaners.org plus 1 or 2 Cleaner Shrimps (how many cleaner shrimps for a 29 gallon??)

Clam (probably 6+ months from now because they need a mature and stable tank)

 

Corals:

Frogspawn

Duncan

Various Mushrooms

(more will be added)

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  • 3 weeks later...

Pictures finally with everything setup!! The cycle is still progressing. Parameters are as follows Ammonia = 2.0 down from 5.0 yesterday, Nitrite = off the charts, Nitrate = 10.0. Let me know what you folks think about my setup!

 

post-72973-1341885300_thumb.jpg

post-72973-1341885321_thumb.jpg

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Deleted User 3
Pictures finally with everything setup!! The cycle is still progressing. Parameters are as follows Ammonia = 2.0 down from 5.0 yesterday, Nitrite = off the charts, Nitrate = 10.0. Let me know what you folks think about my setup!

 

post-72973-1341885300_thumb.jpg

post-72973-1341885321_thumb.jpg

 

 

OH awesome! like the scape a lot! I dont know what im going to do with mine yet! Looks pretty!

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  • 2 weeks later...

So I just wanted to post a little update on my tank. It's been close to 5 weeks since I've started a fishless cycle with ammonia and dry rock and I'm still waiting for my nitrites to drop!! Ammonia is dropping by about 2-3ppm every 24hrs so I'm guessing it shouldn't be that much longer. Once my cycle completes I will order a CuC from Reefcleaners.org and post some pictures. I want to post pictures for anything I do to the tank so everything that gets added or upgraded I will post an update.

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Hey I have a 29g tank too! Yours sounds and looks like a great setup.

 

I am currently running the Marineland Reef Capable LED lights and will probably stick with them for at least six months. I'm not planning to throw any LPS in there anytime soon. It will just be moderate light mushrooms, zoas, polyps, etc. for the time being.

 

Could you link me to that light you bought, though? What do you think of the controller? Do you use the Reef Crest setting on the MP10? What do you have it dialed down to? Are you going completely skimmer-less for this setup? I'm running an AquaC Remora and have been happy with it.

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http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/store/produc...ing-system.html

 

There's the light ^ and I love it. The controller works perfectly and its great because I can set 14 different timers to really simulate a morning/day/night schedule. I do use the Reef Crest setting and its set at around 80% for now just while it cycles but I will dial it down to around maybe 40% before I add any livestock, its hard to know how much flow its putting out with nothing that moves in the tank lol. I'm going skimmerless for now yes, I may add a sump later down the road and add a skimmer to that though. I'm running an AC 70 with inTank's media basket and I have filter floss and ROX 0.8 carbon.

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So my tank is fully cycled, just gotta do a big water change (mixing salt right now) and get a CUC, yay! Pictures once I get the CUC.

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I added 2 Clown Fish and a CuC yesterday and everything is doing great, all parameters are 0 at the moment. I fed the fish today and they both ate and the CuC are working like crazy! I'll post some pictures tomorrow, not feeling to well at the moment, have a good night everyone!

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  • 3 weeks later...

WOOOOOO HOOOOOOOOO!!! I finally finished my sump/refugium build... Only took about I'd say 15 hours total. Leaks, wrong fittings, wrong hoses, Murphy's Law... The lights are out now so I'll post a ton of pictures tomorrow when the lights are on.

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Before I upgraded to a 29 gallon haha... not even wet yet.

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Filling it up!

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Now to more recent pictures... My sump =D! In the left chamber there is a filter sock, heater, and a carbon bag with ROX 0.8 carbon. Middle chamber is soon-to-be live rock and last chamber is the return pump.

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My overflow box (CPR Continuous Overflow Box).

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Full tank shot.

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Full setup shot.

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Thanks for looking =D. Tomorrow I believe is when my order from Reefcleaners.org is coming in so I'll post a picture of them tomorrow, I brought the original CuC that I got from my LFS back because it was just not the right combination of inverts, too many hermits, and turbo snails that can't flip themselves over.

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Lol thanks so much =D, I appreciate it! I actually was originally going to go for a 2 island look but for some reason I like caves so I came up with this scape.

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Deleted User 3

I love caves TOOO lol. I have a big tall arch in mine, and then the stonehenge thing. Seriously I so love your scape though. I want it :( I can't put corals on my rock work, lol. they have to stay in the sand.

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  • 2 weeks later...

My male clownfish jumped out of my tank and died :(. I really didn't think that would happen but I feel a little guilty for not making a screened top for the tank. I'll be making one as soon as I can now and then I will get another clownfish and a cleaner shrimp to add to the tank. Other than that my tank is the same, I'm waiting for my tank to mature a little before adding anymore livestock. I'm already getting that itch to upgrade my tank lol but unfortunately the 29 is the largest until I graduate college.

 

Have a good night and a great Labor Day weekend everyone!!!

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  • 1 month later...

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