29 gallon saltwater set up

with still a beginner at sw myself, i don't have a whole lot of info to give. But all i can say is start saving up big time. Take a look at my thread, if you haven't yet about how much did this setup cost me, and you'll get an idea of how much money you will need. Just be prepared, saltwater is very expensive. you'll find yourself having to spend a couple hunderd dollors just on the light fixture.

Hope i didn't scare you out of sw, but it's just a warning, sw is very beautiful and rewarding, i can't wait to get started on mine next weekend

 

xmas is always a good time for asking for fish stuff And thanks, this is my first and anthony and the others have really helped me out a lot of what i needed, there's also one of my other threads, what equipment will i need for a larger tank, if you want to check that out, to get an idea of equipment

 

thanks, it's pretty much perfect viewing from my bed, i can't wait to look at it every night once i get lr and some life in there. From the little that i know about SW equipment, but from a lot of research, the one thing that i have learned that is most imporant at sw tanks is that you do not skimp out on lighting and your skimmer. In sw, you really get what you pay for, such as if you go cheaper in price, that item will not work that well. Your 29 i believe is considerd within the nano size range. So the price may be a little bit cheaper since the smaller size tanks.

I really don't know much about skimmers or lighting, so i'll leave others to help you on what brands are good. But it is a very good idea to overkill on your skimmer.

here is the skimmer that i will be getting, <a class="postlink" href="http://www.reefgeek.com/filtration/Protein_Skimmers/CPR_Aquatic/Bak_Pak_2R+_Hang-On_Protein_Skimmer_by_CPR_Aquatic" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.reefgeek.com/filtration/Prot ... PR_Aquatic</a>

and here is my lighting that i will also be getting <a class="postlink" href="http://www.reefgeek.com/lighting/T5_Fluorescent/Sunlight_Supply/Tek_Light_Fixtures/36_inch__4x39W_Tek_Light_T5_High-Output_Fixture_w!_Bulbs_(Black" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.reefgeek.com/lighting/T5_Flu ... lbs_(Black</a>)_by_Sunlight_Supply

hopefully the others will be able to help you out a bit more of what brands and size you should get.

 

i noticed the link to the light didn't work, here's it again

http://www.reefgeek.com/lighting/T5...t_Fixture_w!_Bulbs_(Black)_by_Sunlight_Supply

 

I'd go bigger than a 29g if possible...smaller tanks are harder to maintain the stability needed ime.

A few things to get you started would be:
-->Tank
-->Lighting (Can't help with recommendations until I know what your planning on keeping..ie. corals)
-->Protein Skimmer (AquaC Remora Pro w/ Mag Drive 3 is a nice HOB)
-->Filtration (I'd go canister to save you precious tank space)
-->Heater (I'd go Inline to save you precious tank space)
-->Digital in Tank thermometer (I recommend Tom Aquarium Temp. Alert)
-->UV Sterilizer (optional)
-->Substrate & Live Rock (optional, but highly recommeded)
-->Ro/DI System (optional, but I wouldn't do a tank without one ime)
-->Salt Mix for Saltwater tanks
-->Hydrometer to measure waters salinity
-->Calcium (Limewater/kalkwasser)
-->WaveMaker and Power heads to preven dead spots (ex. Koralia)
-->Nets, FULL Saltwater Test kit, De-chlorinator if using tap water
-->I'd HIGHLY suggest a generator or similar for possible power outtages also!

In case your not realizing...it WILL get extremely expensive very fast!
So make sure your going to be in this for the long haul, I'd also check your local craiglist...newspaper, thrift store, etc for people who are getting out of the hobby.

Ps. Be sure your filter AND heater are saltwater safe! (Ie. Rena Filstar canisters are).

 

depends on what kind of fixture it is and what type of bulbs are available for it.
Saltwater = actinic lighting

 

if you want corals that dont need much light, i would look into softies

 

also a BIG heads up with what dawn said, smaller tanks are much harder to keep than bigger. You should really look into a 55+ tank as your first one, i'm taking a chance with my 46. The reason why smaller tanks are harder to keep is because of the water parameters are not as forgiving *thinks thats how to explain it* and also you won't be able to have that many fish, coral, and lr in a 29

 

Gorgeous 29g linked here-->
<a class="postlink" href="http://www.melevsreef.com/29g.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.melevsreef.com/29g.html</a>

 

that's the best 29 that i've ever seen

 

with it sitting on the windowsill, it could cause temperature to swing, and it may not hold with the weight of the tank, water, live rock, sand, equipment, you can always look at your local craigslist like again, dawn had mentioned. And bigger is always better, but that also means the price goes up, so if you can try to find a decent priced packaged deal on cl that might be an option for you