29g SW progress thread

[JinxXx0085]

I figured I'd start a thread now for my 29g. I am really really close to start running a SW tank. All my tank needs is some tubing and be drilled/plumbed. I have Mag 9.5 (for sump) and Mag 5 (for closed loop).

Here are some pictures to start you guys off with.
I got the macro rocks from a group buy over at SCMAS at RC. The bulkheads came from Marine Depot.

Comments/Suggestions would be greatly appreciated!






Here's the sump that I will be using with my 29g. I only got this for ease of dosing/topping off since my 29g will have canopy and it will be a pain to take off every time I need to fiddle around with the tank.


For fun, here's Jack watching me Granted its a bit dark. I didn't edit any of those pictures.

[Slick Fork]

Cool another convert!! What are you planning to keep? That sump will be a great place for a skimmer and chaeto as well.

[Emg]

HEY...welcome to the club Jinx !!

[joephys]

Its about time, you have only been planing this longer than I had.

[judgemax]

yay JINX! and jack looks like hes just as ready to go salt as you!

[JinxXx0085]

Ha! Thanks everybody.
Eric, I know that I've been planning this for quite while!

I sure will take quite while before I actually stock my tank with vary of stuff. The cycling part shouldn't take too long since I do have some LR in the 5g bucket aside from the 15lbs of macro rocks you saw in the picture.
I don't know what I'll be stocking the tank with. Maybe 2 clowns, a trio of blood shrimps... and...?? Of course I'll get some soft corals down the road. I think I will have my tank drilled after this weekend. I'll be sure to take a before and after picture.

[zanzimog]

Excellent. It will be fun to watch this come to fruition after all the thinking and planning.

[bencozzy]

wait something critical is missing from those pics??

[JinxXx0085]

[OrionGirl]

The 29, perhaps? lol

What are you planning on using for substrate?

[JinxXx0085]

Ohh!! DOH, you're making me to break out the camera again?
I'm going to use Gray Coast for substrate and I've already brought a salt mix, Reef Crystals from a LFS with store credit. This salt mix was nearly 100 bucks for this 200 gal mix bucket. I only paid 5 dollars.

Here's the critical pic This will be our before drilling/plumbing pic. Oh, I will be swapping those bulbs out with appropriate bulbs down the road. This tank was previously FW planted tank before I transferred everything over to the 55g where you can see it peeking in the picture lower right corner.

[bencozzy]

100 bucks

drsFandS have it way cheaper, reef crystals is the good salt. ive heard coralife isnt to bad either.

YAY a tank pic.

what bulbs ya thinking about? personally ive liked the 9325K GE bulb(55w straight pin) and the sunpaq dual actinics.

i think that gray coast will give a nice look to the tank.

[Mermaiden78]

lookin' great so far jinxy! I am so proud of you. You are finally becoming ONE OF US!!!!!!! (salt freaks rule )LOL! You go girl!

[JinxXx0085]

Originally Posted by bencozzy

100 bucks

LOL, I know! I was the same way but look... I didn't have to pay much for it, only 5 bucks and its much better than paying 30 dollars or more. My plants is going to pay for a lot of different stuff
Oh, as for the bulbs. I don't know what I'll go for. One thing I do know for sure is that I want one to be actinic and one to be 10k or like you said 9325K. I don't want 50/50.

I defintely am venturing into SW world but I defintely am not leaving FW planted world! I love it too much.

[bencozzy]

its a good thing you had the store credit, im still surprised it was that much thats a little over double what it cost at the lfs here.

yeah i like the 9325K gives of a nice crisp white has a pinkish ting(like some of the newer MH 10K and 14K bulbs have) but when you combine it with a actinic its hardly noticable. look into currents dual actinic they give you the flourescence part(420nm) and the deep blue part(460nm) of the blue spectrum.

i dont like 50/50 either sort of a waste since actinic are usually only good for 6-8 months before they need replaced.

[JinxXx0085]

Originally Posted by bencozzy

look into currents dual actinic they give you the flourescence part(420nm) and the deep blue part(460nm) of the blue spectrum.

I had to look this up and didn't realize that there was slight different spectrum of blue part. What does this type of bulb do for you?

[bencozzy]

420nm-makes the corals glow and this is were the algea use

460nm-really deep blue color some corals can use it, more for color

[zanzimog]

With the available PC lamps, the reported spectra are often different from reality, so I don't worry too much about precise spectra. Especially with color temperature, you are dealing with something that is only marginally connected with reality, so the key is to find a lamp combination that you like the look of in terms of the fluorescence of the corals and the appearance of the tank.

Zooxanthellae can make use of wavelengths between 400 and 550 nm, as well as some of the red end, so most available marine lighting above 6500K will be adequate for corals. If you have sufficient intensity, the corals will do fine.

[sploke]

I like the combination I have of CF lights. I have two 10,000Kand two actinics. Teh actinics come on an hour before and hut off an hour after the daylight ones. with just the actinics it gives a nice low-light blue haze to the tank, when the daylights come on, the combination is a very white, crisp light that really brings out the color. The actinics are in the front and the daylights are in the back, which also gives a cool effect. The shadows that are throw forward by LR are tinted blue because of the actinics, it looks pretty cool.

[Emg]

OOO....I'll have to switch my bulbs around Matt......