Suggestions greatly appreciated

[Reese]

Okay so I intended to do a freshwater tank but ambition got the best of me at the last minute. I've already purchased a 29 gallon (18" high) tank and a Penguin 170 bio wheel filter. I've been told that I need to get a wet dry filter.

My question is, if it were you and you only wanted a 29 gallon tank with some live rock and fish (maybe a tang, a couple of clowns, cleaner shrimp, etc.) what equipment would be imperative and cost effective? I'm learning on the fly here and trust me I'm already scour this forum for information as well as reading a few books. But any advice or list of things (what type of wet/dry, uv filter, etc.) I need would be great.

 

[morphviper]

Best filters

The wet dry filters are by far the best on the market, you can get a good cheap one from www.aquaplumbers.com but if you don't want to spend that kind of money you could use a canister filter. If you are thinking of putting coral in at anytime I would not put an undergravel filter in and use a sand substrate buttom. You could go with a good light, it will keep you live rock looking good. I run an aquarium service and I use www.aquaplumbers.com for everything I need. you might have to email them, they just reconstructed thier website and only have a few items on it. I wouldn't recomend a UV sterilizer, for several reasons. one being that they are expensive and two if you take the time to clean your tank of algea you really don't need one unless the fish you buy are infected with disease or parasites. just watch what you buy. I woulld also start with about 5 to 8 damsels in your tank to cycle it. you will lose some of these damsels, but they are cheap and very hardy. once the cycle is done you usually can sell them back to the pet shop and buy your clowns.

 

[SkinnyPete]

Well, you absolutely don't need a wet/dry filter and if you buy one you'll probably want to throw out the bioballs and replace it with lr rubble. You could use it as a sump, but you can build your own sump pretty easily and save a ton of cash. If you're going the lr route, get 1-2lbs rock per gallon and that'll take care of your bio filtration - you shouldn't really need your bio wheel with the lr either. If you plan on having that much live rock and going for a reef set-up in the future - save your money on the wet/dry and canister filter and grab yourself a protein skimmer.

The addition of a sump would be great if you can do it - so you can throw all your equipment in there. Although you really don't NEED a sump either. I'll be running sumpless due to space constraints.

As far as morphviper's advice - some consider the damsel cycling method a little out-dated (although some still do it), you can cycle your tank with live rock and/or a couple raw shrimp and get the same results. You won't have to deal with the hassle of damsels - and you won't have to kill a couple live fish to get your tank ready.

- Skins

 

[Edmonton Eskimo]

I agree with skinnypete. You don't need to use livestock to cycle your tank. It is a waste of time and money. As far as your list in your first post there is no tang that you could put in a 29 gallon tank.

 

[ASpec]

I woulld also start with about 5 to 8 damsels in your tank to cycle it. you will lose some of these damsels, but they are cheap and very hardy.

This is terrible advice!! Don't cycle your tank with live fish. It's cruel. Use the raw shrimp methood or LR.

maybe a tang

Not in a 29 gallon, sorry! Way to small for a tang. Everything else you listed is fine.