29 Gallon stocking list

[SaltwaterNoob281]

Hi Everyone,

 

I am planning out my stocking list for a 29 Gallon Aquarium(30″ x 12″ x 18″). Still in the planning stages but figured everything would be a whole lot easier if I had my stocking list in mind beforehand. I have done a couple of planted tanks in the past but this will be my first Saltwater tank. The plan is to do just live rock and fish to start with and if everything is stable for several months add coral then.

 

I was thinking:

 

2 Ocellaris clownfish

2 Firefish Goby(I have been getting some conflicting advice, I read they they are aggressive towards their own species but my LFS said that I should keep them in pairs)

1 Royal Gamma

1 Watchman Goby

1 Tiger Pistol Shrimp(Hoping this and the Watchman pair up)

 

Is this a good stocking list for this tank size? Should I throw in a few more fish or is this already more than what the tank can handle? If I could fit a few more in always open to some cool suggestions. I love the look of the mandarin goby but the consensus seems to be this is a more advanced fish so I will probably be avoiding it.

 

Another question I have is exactly enough space for a 12 gallon premade Fiji sump. Would the extra hassle of setting up and drilling for a sump be worth it or should I just stick to a hang on system(Fiji seems to have a pretty slick AIO peninsula style conversion).

 

Also I know for freshwater tanks there are a few size jumps that really open up some options, for example going from a 10 gallon to a 20 gallon is a world of difference in what you can stock. I could possible swing for a 40 gallon(48″ x 12″ x 16″) if this is one such case. The space I had in mind is only 13.5" wide so I will be stuck with longer tanks for the most part.

 

Thank you for any help in advance

[seabass]

 to Nano-Reef.com.  You can certainly start it off as a Fish Only With Live Rock (FOWLR).

 

Your stocking list looks fine.  Initially, you'll probably think that there is room for more fish, but when they're fully grown, that tank might seem short of space.

 

Two firefish can live together, if they are a mated pair.  But to be honest, I'm not sure how to pair them up short of buying a mated pair.  I think that's why it's usually recommended to keep them as singles.  They require lots of dart holes in the rock to feel safe.  And while a top is always a good idea, it is absolutely necessary to have a top when keeping firefish.

 

Your call on the sump.  The initial cost, effort, and setup time will be more, but you might be happier down the road.  Then again, a lot of people upsize their tanks after a while, so you might wish to start off more simple and go with a sump on a future tank.

 

Sure, a larger tank will open up more possibilities.  Your budget will also need to be expanded (lights, rock, pumps, and even water).  I'd probably recommend a RO/DI unit for anything larger; but it would even be worth considering for a 29 gallon setup.

 

Livestock often dictates the size of tanks we choose.  Often, it's the type of fish versus the number of fish which is the bigger factor.

[Lee Turford]

In a WaterBox peninsula 25g I have one B&W Clown, I've had 2  Orange Ocellaris die on me for some reason but the B&W has been fine. A Royal Gramma and Yellow Watchman Goby that I added last week along with a Cleaner Shrimp and Tiger Pistol Shrimp. The goby and Tiger have not yet bonded. I've been looking at the firefish goby but not sure if I will add one or not. The Royal Gramma has been trying to bully the Goby some but he doesn't pay the RG much attention. I've read the RG's bark is worse than their bite. I had a neon dottyback before the RG and he just about killed the RG before I got him out of the tank but not before he ate all by one of my Crab CUC. The dottyback has been rehomed which is too bad because he was fun to watch. 

Good luck with yours.  

[dpoltsdsu]

Stocking list is fine IMO. I'll echo what others have said and avoid the Mandarin

[SaltwaterNoob281]

Awesome, really appreciate the help from everyone. I think I will be bumping up to a 38 gallon, Fiji has a pretty nice peninsula style tank that fits in my space. Figure it should be a more stable system due to the higher water volume but I will be forgoing the sump for now. The build in AIO style should probably be fine for my needs. After looking more into it a RO/DI system definitely looks like it'd be worth it. How do you like your peninsula style tank Lee? Anything I should be doing with the extra 10 gallons?

[10gallonReefer]

14 hours ago, SaltwaterNoob281 said:

Hi Everyone,

 

I am planning out my stocking list for a 29 Gallon Aquarium(30″ x 12″ x 18″). Still in the planning stages but figured everything would be a whole lot easier if I had my stocking list in mind beforehand. I have done a couple of planted tanks in the past but this will be my first Saltwater tank. The plan is to do just live rock and fish to start with and if everything is stable for several months add coral then.

 

I was thinking:

 

2 Ocellaris clownfish

2 Firefish Goby(I have been getting some conflicting advice, I read they they are aggressive towards their own species but my LFS said that I should keep them in pairs)

1 Royal Gamma

1 Watchman Goby

1 Tiger Pistol Shrimp(Hoping this and the Watchman pair up)

 

Is this a good stocking list for this tank size? Should I throw in a few more fish or is this already more than what the tank can handle? If I could fit a few more in always open to some cool suggestions. I love the look of the mandarin goby but the consensus seems to be this is a more advanced fish so I will probably be avoiding it.

 

Another question I have is exactly enough space for a 12 gallon premade Fiji sump. Would the extra hassle of setting up and drilling for a sump be worth it or should I just stick to a hang on system(Fiji seems to have a pretty slick AIO peninsula style conversion).

 

Also I know for freshwater tanks there are a few size jumps that really open up some options, for example going from a 10 gallon to a 20 gallon is a world of difference in what you can stock. I could possible swing for a 40 gallon(48″ x 12″ x 16″) if this is one such case. The space I had in mind is only 13.5" wide so I will be stuck with longer tanks for the most part.

 

Thank you for any help in advance

I think this is suitable 

 

I have a 29g 

 

1 coral beauty

1 maroon

1 6line wrasse 

1 3stripe damsel

3 sapphire damsels

 

the angel is the only one close to grown fully. I have 21lbs of sand , 25 lbs of real reef rock and my stability is good enough for 2 Acro and it is sps dominant tank. I think personally if you have harmony and stability in the tank is the goal, every tank will be a different setup and done differently so you just have to prioritize you stocking list and add fish until you reach your balance 

 

[Lee Turford]

3 hours ago, SaltwaterNoob281 said:

Awesome, really appreciate the help from everyone. I think I will be bumping up to a 38 gallon, Fiji has a pretty nice peninsula style tank that fits in my space. Figure it should be a more stable system due to the higher water volume but I will be forgoing the sump for now. The build in AIO style should probably be fine for my needs. After looking more into it a RO/DI system definitely looks like it'd be worth it. How do you like your peninsula style tank Lee? Anything I should be doing with the extra 10 gallons?

We are enjoying the 25 Peninsula. It's an AIO and so far has been suiting our needs. I'm also hunting an ATO but haven't pulled the trigger yet. 

As far as a RO/DI system I purchased this one - 

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09MTS1BCM?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2_dt_b_product_details

I bought the Buddie and needed the extra Carbon Plus Carbon Blocker because of our tap water. Dave at Aquatic Life recommended their 540706 Model which was less than $5 more, 100GPD vs 50GPD, it's all contained and attached to one unit vs the Buddie plus which would have had the extra canister. I don't plan to mount it in the house so being able to grab the bracket and take it to the backyard or bathroom is a real plus. Majority of time I can hook to the outside spicket and for the few cold months I'll do the water prep in the bathroom/tub. I returned the Buddie system and the extra canister to Amazon. At $118 for the 504706 model I don't think you can go wrong. It's an amazon exclusive with only 2 reviews, one being mine, I would have never found it in my search if it hadn't been for AL customer service.