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29 gal in PA

Big Tuna

Big Tuna

Hi everyone, I’ve been lurking in the background since I joined the club but I have been absorbing and learning from all the information posted on the site. Thank You and Great Work by everyone involved in keeping this site moving forward.

I had a small saltwater nano about ten years ago that ended in disaster. Very upsetting. But it’s time to get back into it because I really enjoyed it and after seeing how much the members of this club are devoted to the hobby. I know I have a lot better chance of making it work this time. Also the advance in technology in the last ten years is amazing.

The dilemma is I live in Trenton but work in north western PA and I’m home only a few weekends a month. I decided to set a 29 gal here in PA and use the experience to set up a larger tank when I move back to Jersey.

I will take pictures and post as I put this together.

I have the 29 gal, built a ten gallon sump, also put together a LED light from an aquastyle kit, a few problems but end up working out well, would definitely do it again.

I know I’ll have a lot of questions as I go.

Thanks for this great site.
 
Tazmaniancowboy

Tazmaniancowboy

Officer Emeritus
Officer Emeritus
Thanks for the compliments and welcome to the club. Looking forward to the pics. Don't be afraid to ask questions and come join us for a meeting when you can.
 
howze01

howze01

NJRC Member
Welcome to the club! Sounds like you're off to a good start. Like Taz said, ask all the questions you can! +1 to pics, we love pics!
 
Big Tuna

Big Tuna

Thank You for all the welcomes………….
Tank is coming together and I will post some pic’s tomorrow if I can figure it out.
I think I have an understanding of live rock but what has me mystified is sand, gravel or whatever else to use as a substrate. At the November frag swap I was lucky to win 25 lbs of Coraline Marine Aquarium Gravel AND 50 lbs of Calcium Carbonate Reef Substrate Course Grade, imagine my surprise when I had to carry 75 lbs to the car. I also keep reading about live sand and I’m lost.
If someone could please help with this I would appreciate it.
 
B

brandonsreef

hello big tuna and welcome. I'm also new to the forum here but ive been into saltwater tanks for a while. somebody correct me if I'm wrong in any information I'm giving. some people choose not to use sand in a reef tank because it collects detritus and other bacteria/algae which requires cleaning. others use a deep sand bed because it is biological filtration just requires cleaning unless you have some cleanup crew to keep it looking good. Its up to your personal preference. also if you choose to go with a bare bottom remember you cant have any type of animal that sift through the sand for food. "Live" sand just comes loaded with the beneficial bacteria when purchased. just like live rock it requires being cycled. I personally like a deep sand bed because of the beneficial bacteria growth and the natural look. It helps reflect light from the bottom of the tank. If you choose to go with a sand bed you don't really need to buy live sand. I would use the calcium carbonate sand you have and seed it with a scoop of sand from an established reef tank and some live rock and it will become "live" sand after the tank completes its cycle. This information is mostly my opinion from my experience. There are some very good articles about substrate in the reef tank online if you need more information

P.S. I also live in Trenton near the Trenton Thunder stadium if you ever need help with anything
 
Classklown90

Classklown90

sand seems to be the prefered method or bare bottom. gravels and crushed coral trap detritus in the gaps that form between the pieces and its a mess to clean(I have this at my job unfortunately). Live sand is a waste of money because its been sitting so long that anything alive has surely died by the time you purchase it. Good luck with your tank
 
qwik

qwik

I have a 1 1 1/2 " sandbed and do buy live sand when i set up a new tank .live sand just helps the cycle go a little faster . If you have substrate already i would use it and just ask on the boards if any member can give you a cup of there live sand . Deep sandbeds are nice but can become an issue with tank age from what i have read. Agood sand sifting fish will help keep a sandbed stirred . If you plan on putting corals on the sandbed this might not be a good idea because they ill cover them . A bunch of snails will also do a good job . I know a bare bottpm tank has its advantages like being easy to lean and having the option of really high flow but it just doesnt look natural. Good luck with Your setup.
 
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E

ERaquarists

Welcome Big Tuna..Where in N.W. PA do you work/live? (I assumed your lvivng there as well since you say you only go home a few weekend's). As you can tell from my Member details I live in PA.
 
Hawkeye

Hawkeye

actually the best live sand i have ever purchased was from a site around FL/Gulf of Mexico via a vendor called tampabaysaltwater. The key though is that the LS is transported overnight and delivered to the air cargo, where you go to pick it up.

The sand I received was not fine, and a bit coarser than I liked, but apparently that size yields the most diversity in life. I had worms, mini stars, all kinds of stuff. I think even the cirolanid isopod (BAAAAAAAD) was in there.

Economically it makes no sense to ship only LS. The only way this worked was because I ordered my LR from them also.

Anyways long post but my definition of live sand is the above. Everything else that is sold in stores in BS...it's just sand with a little bacteria added in. You can do better by just buying cheap "dead" sand and seeding the sand via biospira (spelling?) or asking for a donation of sand or LR rubble from a fellow reefer.
 
Big Tuna

Big Tuna

Thanks for the feedback. It sounds like live sand is the way I will be moving.

Things are coming together and I will try to post some pictures. Please let me know if anything looks wrong.

To answer some questions that were asked, I live Cadwalader across from the park and I work in Erie PA for the Erie Water Works. I get close to Stroudsburg when I drive across RT 80 to pick up the Northeast Extension.


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E

ERaquarists

Don’t know Cadwalader but my wife and I were in Erie this past Sept. to tour the wine trail. Beautiful area and great sunsets!

The best of luck with your new build and this site definitely offers a wealth of information and what they don’t know they quickly find out and steer you in the right direction.
 
Fish Brain

Fish Brain

Officer Emeritus
Officer Emeritus
Big Tuna said:
You're saying place the rock in the tank first and then install the sand around the rock??
Click to expand...

Yes, placing the rock on the bottom of the tank will keep it from being undermined by any tank inhabitants and make for a more stable rock structure.
 
Big Tuna

Big Tuna

Thanks’ Thermosts I will do that. Hopefully my sand will be here tomorrow and I'll be up all night getting things together.
 
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