noone said:
Well, my new tank has cycled and everyone has move over to their new home. So far, they are enjoying all of the space! I do have some questions though.
1) What should I have for a cleanup crew? The tank is 29 gallons, but is rather compact. I wouldn't want any big, humongous snails or anything like that in there.
Not sure what your definition of "big" is, but the standard cleanup crew snails aren't really big in my book. The trochus (my favorite!) can get rather large, but will take a long time. Trochus and astreas will keep your glass and rockwork clean; nasarrius snails will keep your sand been stirred and clean. You want snails... you really do! I'm not too good with quantities, but I'd say start small - maybe 6-8 or so? You can always add more if they end up not being able to keep up.
Crabs... well... I'm still undecided whether I like mine or not. Now that I've got some LPS corals, I keep an eye on them. Sometimes they take the short way down off my rocks to the sandbed (via falling) and come rather close to some things I'd rather not have them fall on. But they DO keep the place pretty tidy. With zero nitrates, I'm not about to change anything. But if I had to do it over again, knowing what I know now, I'm not sure I would've got any. Maybe get one... maybe two... and see what you think.
2) What should my lighting schedule be? I believe that is has one 24 watt 50/50 bulb, one 24 watt actinic bulb, and the lunar lights. (Don't hold me to that, I will have to check the box.)
It can be really whatever you'd like it to be. Most folks run their main lights (white/actinic) for 8-12 hours. Some cycle on their actinics first, to simulate a "dawn" and do the opposite at night to simulate "dusk." The longer you leave your lights on, the more chance you may have algae issues.
There's no harm in leaving the lunar lights on all the time, but some cycle them on when their main lights go off... or just before.
3)What kind of corals would I be able to keep if that is the correct type of lighting?
Not sure what system you have there, but that lighting seems a little on the weak side. Better double check that. BUT... if it is correct you've got just a little over 1.5 watts/gallon. While the watt/gallon ratio isn't at all scientific for judging what corals you can keep, it's a rough starting point. At those levels, you aren't going to be able to keep much - maybe some mushrooms. Check out this "low light coral" page...
http://www.fantasyreef.com/database...ords=low&ordercolumn=2text&orderdirection=asc
The other thing that will effect your lighting is the depth of the tank. Your lighting over a 12" deep tank versus a 24" deep tank (just for example) would give very different results. Not sure what configuration your 29g is.
Glad your fish are happier. What all do you have in it? (You might fill out your "My Info" section with your updated tank info!)
