Help me spend my money!

[Norboo]

I am interested in setting up a 36 gallon Bow-tank in my bedroom.
Noise level must be low.

I want to stock it with live rocks and live sand.
Few clown fish
Blue tang
Starfish
Hermit crabs
Snails
Shrimp or two if I can
Few Anemones
…and whatever else I can fit in to make it more colorful and interesting.
(suggestions welcome)

My question is, what type of:
1. Lighting w/nightlight/moon light that runs silent
2. Filtering system that runs silent (hang on refugium? Bio filter?)
3. Fan and pumps that runs silent
and anything else I haven't thought of?

How would you outfit this tank?

Any suggestion are welcome.

Thank you.

[bergzy]

this would be a great topic for the new to the hobby board.

new to the hobby (http://reefcentral.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?s=&forumid=104)

i think you may want too many fish for a very small tank.

the blue tang as it grows...will not thrive in such a small tank.

reef central is an incredible place to learn to set up a saltwater aquarium and the best way to start is to read, read and read.

i spent literally two years reading before i started my first reef tank (which was only ten gallons). but before the reef tank, i kept freshwater fish for probably 20 years before that...so i had a handle on the fish thing.

i am not saying that you need years of reading and experience to successfully have a salt water tank but a little detailed research would be helpful in keeping your inhabitants happy and your wallet happy as well.

onto your topic...

i would not keep more than three fish in your tank...all small ones. maybe two small clarkii clownfish (mated) and a sixline wrasse would be a good choice.

rocks...i would put between 25 to 30 pounds of live rock in there. let the rock cycle even if you get cured live rock. what i mean is let the rock sit in the tank with a skimmer (no lights). while doing this...water changes (with balanced saltwater) is a must along with vigorous skimming.

skimmer the coralife skimmer hang on the back looks awesome. i have not used this one but from fellow rc member comments...it appears to do a really good job and is not that expensive. another skimmer that a lot of people use is a remora (regular or pro version) for smaller tanks.

it doesnt sound like you are going to set up a sump (water holder) in the bottom of your tank...so that is why i suggested a hang on the back of the tank skimmer.

lights.

i dont know how long your tank is but there are some decent lights that sit on top of the tank. such as these.
http://www.marinedepot.com/aquarium_lighting_powercompact_compact-fluorescent_current-usa_satellite_sunpaq_fixtures.asp?CartId=
this is just an example. lighting is absolutely critical for eiter killing your corals, keeping them alive or allowing them to thrive. this topic requires a lot of reading.

circulation pumps...

if you dont have a sump...you will still need in tank circulation. if you are planning a reef tank/fish tank. you will still need what is called tank turnover. which means that a 29g tank with a 600 gallon per hour pump will move the water in the tank 20 times per hour. which is a good number to have. look at a seio 620 that will allow you this feature. it gives a gentle flow yet high amount of water movement.
http://www.marinedepot.com/md_searchitem.asp

fans.

a clip on fan from wal mart is what a lot of people use for smaller tanks. clip it so that it blows across the surface for evaporative cooling. it works almost as good as an aquarium refrigeration unit (chiller) and is a whole lot cheaper and uses a whole lot less electricity.

water changes are a must when it comes to smaller aquariums.

you will need a good thermometer as well. i recommend using at least two. forget those who sneer at the cheapo glass thermometer. they work good AS A ROUGH REFERENCE. they are not accurate as a digital but will not vary like a digital can.
http://www.marinedepot.com/md_viewItem.asp?idproduct=HG11201
but use something like this for daily viewing:
http://www.marinedepot.com/aquarium_thermometers_refractometers_hydrometers_american_marine_pinpoint_wireless_thermometer.asp?C artId=
or
http://www.marinedepot.com/aquarium_thermometers_refractometers_hydrometers_coralife_digital_thermometer.asp?CartId=

you will also need a heater.
http://www.marinedepot.com/aquarium_heaters_ebo-jager.asp?CartId=
i have one that is over 20 years old. be careful as they are made of glass and break.

will will also need test kits for things like pH, ammonia, nitrites, nitrates, phosphates etc.

i recommend a digital pH moniter as it is more accurate that the color indicators. make sure you calibrate it regularily.
http://www.marinedepot.com/md_viewItem.asp?idproduct=AM1111

you will also need a clean bucket to mix up fresh salt water made with reverse osmosis deionized water.

after fighting with horrible algae problems...i finally solved a large part of the problem with a ro/di unit.
http://www.marinedepot.com/aquarium_reverse-osmosis-deionization_spectrapure_rodi.asp?CartId=

you will also need saltwater mix.
i have been happy with these in order of preference:

http://www.marinedepot.com/aquarium_salt_marine_sea_synthetic_mix_tropic_marin_pro-reef.asp?CartId=
http://www.marinedepot.com/aquarium_salt_marine_sea_synthetic_mix_seachem_reef.asp?CartId=
http://www.marinedepot.com/aquarium_salt_marine_sea_synthetic_mix_oceanpure.asp?CartId=

put the ro/di water in a bucket, mix in the proper amount of salt to the right specific gravity using:
http://www.marinedepot.com/md_searchitem.asp

mix the water up using a powerhead:
http://www.marinedepot.com/aquarium_powerheads_pumps_aquarium_systems_maxi-jet_mini-jet_micro-jet.asp?CartId=

make sure that you balance the alkalinity, pH ect before adding it to your tank for a water change.

ummm...

that is all i can think for the moment. there is a lot more but i have to get ready to go out.

the most important thing still is to read up on the topic to save you time, money and grief.

hope this was a little helpful.