Now What?

[wkbrdr03]

Well I am just about all set up:

29 gallon tank
1" Sandbed AragAlive and a cup of livesand
40# of live rock
250w PFO HQI Ballast and Mini Pendant w/ Phoenix 14K
Test Kits
MaxiJet 1200 and 900
150w Ebo-Jager Heater(I live in AZ)

Where do you guys recommend starting with corals and fish. I want a pair of Nemos and an Anemone and a nice array of corals. I would also like a small tang but i would always be looking over my shoulder for the TANG POLICE!

[K9]

Is the tank up and running yet? If so, how long has it been running for?

[wkbrdr03]

it is going up tomorrow

[K9]

OK, since it's not even up yet, I strongly recommend you wait until the end of your cycle (usually 3-4 weeks or more) before you add any living creatures other than maybe snails or hermit crabs to your tank. As far as clownfish (ugh, "nemos") go, a pair of True Perculas or False Perculas (Ocellaris) would be just fine in a 29g. I WOULD NOT put a tang in there, no matter how big or small it is. They are big time swimmers and need LOTS of room to exercise, so to speak.

What I recommend you do is set up the tank with your sand, live rock, and powerheads, and let that thing cycle. You don't need any shrimp or damsels or anything to start the cycle, the die-off from the live rock will be sufficient.

Finally, use your test kit to monitor ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, and pH for the first few weeks, and ONLY add a living creature when your ammonia and nitrite are at "0". Even after that, don't go buck-wild throwing fish and corals in there. It will be hard, I know, but just take it easy. Also, since you have MH for lighting, keep a close eye on your temperature and try to keep it around 78-degrees fahrenheit or so.

Since you clearly want some clownfish, get them as the first inhabitants of your tank only after you've got a sufficient clean-up crew in place. Hermit crabs, snails, and shrimp are good for this purpose.

Whatever you do, don't feel the need to rush, because things can go wrong in a hurry in a saltwater tank. I just started a 10g nano myself, so if I can wait, so can you :D. Best of luck!

[discocarp]

As K9 said, go slow! A month or so before you add anything other than cleanup crew, and then go slow slow slow. Steady but slow! You'll be a lot happier in the long run.

Please don't put a tang in there. A 29g is just too small to even count as borderline imo. For clowns go with perculas or oscellaris (K9 hit it perfect!). For another fish, look for something smaller. Maybe a firefish, a royal gramma, a bangaii cardinal. Lots of options for another peaceful smaller fish that would do great in that tank and are absolutely stunning.

Regarding the anemone, your lighting is fine for one, but be aware of a couple things. Anemones need great water quality and a well established tank to thrive. Personally I'd wait at least 6 months for it. Plenty of people push it, but definately wait a little longer on it. Also be aware that anemones have a bad habit of walking around the tank killing corals they run into along the way. In a tank that small it could be a disaster. Also, any powerhead or pump intake needs a sponge filter over it. They have a nasty habit of entering the intakes and getting shredded to pieces. A regular grill is not enough to keep them out. I'm not saying you can't do it, just be aware of the risks. Its very tricky to keep an anemone in a mixed reef to begin with, and even harder in a small one. Also, once you pick your clown species, you'll need to research what kind of anemone they will host in. Not all species of clowns host in all anemones. And some species of anemones are a LOT more fragile than other species.

If you don't feel prepared for the anemone, skip it. Your clowns won't need it and they'll host in something else. In my old tank, my oscellaris hosted in a giant toadstool leather. It looked awesome and was 100x easier than an anemone!

Other than those caveats it looks like a great setup! Good luck and keep us posted of your progress!!!

[coralfarm123]

On a tank that small you should really only put two or three fish in it total, but wait like everyone is saying. As for corals, you can put just about anything under that light and it will look great. Monitor your temp closely with that light because it will add a lot of heat to your tank if it is too close to the water. Good luck.

[sulp]

Set up LR, Sand and PH's. Wait a week and then add some hermits. Wait another week and then add some snails (cerith, narsarius (sp), small turbos, etc). I would say thats it for a while. Keep testing Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrate, pH, & Alkalinity. It's going to be a good month or so before your tank is stable enough to add livestock. Don't rush or you'll be very sorry. I know how tough it is to wait out a cycle. It gets very boring watching a tank full of rocks and sand. But there is nothing you can do about it. Don't start buying products that claim to speed up cycling because they are just a waste of money. They only thing you need is patience.....and lots of it. Nothing happens fast in a reef except for bad things. Remember that.