29 gallong tank, Dwarf Lion Fish! (FOWLR, Build Thread)

[baron1282]

Question

I had got off the phone with a LFS and they told me my deep sand bed is dangerous, it can leak out gases and kill my fish. How true is this and do I need to get something to sift though the sand to make this not happen? Have I inadvertently created an environment where I need a sand sifter? I want a Flame Hawkfish so I don't want him to eat the snails I put into the tank to sift the sand. I also have an open top tank and any jawfish I put in will jump. :-(

This is the line up of fish I was going to put into my tank. Would a Sand Sifting Starfish be ok? I could throw one in and I guess have to feed it so it don't die when it's done cleaning the tank bottom.

1 Six Line Wrasse
2 True Percula Clownfish
1 Flame Hawkfish

Any suggestions on what to put in to help sift the sand? Would a Sand Sifting Sea Star be good with that line up? I guess I would have to feed the Star extra stuff so it won't die and nuke the tank.

 

[CorallineAlgae]

How deep is the sand and what size is it (the exact type)? I've always used deep sand beds.

 

[Elude82]

Same here. Mine are usually 3-4 maybe even 5 inches. My two wrasses in my aggressive tank agitate the sand for me. Both play in it, and the red coris burrows in it to sleep. At times I will gently agitate the sand myself too.

 

[baron1282]

Thanks, It was just one fish store. I put a ruler up to my tank and it was about 3 1/2in deep sand bed in a 29 gallon tank. On one side my sand kind of dips down to create a 2in sand bed, but it looks cool so I left it that way.

By the way. I got my water tested last night!! Looks like I am almost there.

Nitrite = 5.0
PH = 8.4
Nitrate = 20
Ammonia = 0.00

So looks like I am at the last stage where Nitrate is building up. This Friday I am going to retest the water and if things check out, do a 10 gallon water change, and get my Six Line the next day.

 

[Beengirl]

Thanks, It was just one fish store. I put a ruler up to my tank and it was about 3 1/2in deep sand bed in a 29 gallon tank. On one side my sand kind of dips down to create a 2in sand bed, but it looks cool so I left it that way.

By the way. I got my water tested last night!! Looks like I am almost there.

Nitrite = 5.0
PH = 8.4
Nitrate = 20
Ammonia = 0.00

So looks like I am at the last stage where Nitrate is building up. This Friday I am going to retest the water and if things check out, do a 10 gallon water change, and get my Six Line the next day.

Not trying to rain on your parade, really, but nitrites take a bit longer to go down than the ammonia does. Thinking its not likely to be done by Friday, but, hey, weirder things have happened. Just don't get your hopes up too high, just in case.

 

[baron1282]

Well, they have been up for three months. So if it takes a little while longer than expected than I am sure a week or more will not kill me.

I am just hoping with all the live rock and sand it will cycle quickly. That was the hope when I bought 60 pounds of live sand and 50 pounds of live rock for a 29 gallon tank.

 

[CorallineAlgae]

3 1/2" of sand should be okay unless it's really fine stuff. Very fine sand at that depth could possibly go anaerobic on you given time. The guys at the shop were just trying to be helpful. Personally if it's fine I'd take an inch out. I've seen and smelled anaerobic sand and it isn't pretty.

 

[baron1282]

This is the sand I got. Personally I am going to let it go, at this point taking it out will do more harm than good.

 

[baron1282]

All right. I got the Egg Carton light covering. Now all I got to do is cut it to my tank.

Being able to have a tight cover is going to make me feel better about having fish in my tank. I might even go ahead and throw in a Bluespotted Watchman Goby now.

I was talking to the fish store, and they suggested that I put in my Six Line Wrasse in 2nd. After the two True Percula Clownfis. Than the Flame Hawkfish. If I were to put in a Watchman Goby for a bottom sand sifter. When should I put him in?

This is a 29 gallon tank, and I am not wanting to overstock. So if the Watchman is a little much than I can live without.

 

[baron1282]

Not the best, but it Works!

Cutting the lid sucked, but it's on now. A fish will now have to go out of it's way to commit jumping suicide from my tank.

 

[CorallineAlgae]

I think 5 fish would be to many. You can make a separate piece of egg crate for the front that will let you work in the tank while the lights are still protected from falling in. Could be useful.

 

[baron1282]

Thanks Coralline

You think it would be too much, even if the Watchman had the whole bottom to himself? :-/ It's all good. I was just thinking of something that will go though the sand and clean it.

Thanks!

 

[CorallineAlgae]

Anytime! (^_^)

What about a little colony of sand sifting snails or a sand starfish? You'll want to wait a few months to let some gunk build up before adding them but they have their own special charm. I'm a fan of any snail that travels around through the sand. They're easy to keep and have a crazy small bio load.

 

[baron1282]

Death in the Family Fish tree. :-/

So, here I am thinking everything is going good with my small established aquarium. I had a 2.5 Gallon tank with a Betta names Max in it. Just the Betta nothing more. We had Max for only 3 months, we had him in a fully cycled tank. :-(

The tank is not the problem, I did my weekly water change (50% water change in that small of a tank). I finished cleaning the tank and put the lid back on where I normally put it and left to go see "The Hobbit, An Unexpected Journey"
I come home just now and couldn't find Max in the tank. I looked and looked. I find him behind the stand dead.

I know this is Salt Water FOWLR thread, but had to share my sad experience somewhere. Didn't want to start a whole new thread. I still don't get it, I never had a fish JUMP out of a tank, I never had my first Betta jump out of his tank for the three years he lived with me. I never thought Betta's do jump, especially when the opening was so small. I just don't get it!!

Well, Max went to the great fish bowl in the sky today, and here I am still trying to get a SaltWater tank going. I am talking about Jumpers and got a lid for my Saltwater tank so I wouldn't have a jumper and what happens. My Betta jumps. :-(

 

[CorallineAlgae]

Sorry to hear a out that. I've lost a few fish like that so everything gets a lid now. One time I was acclimating a beautiful common clown with unique markings and I went to check on how the drip acclimation was going. I couldn't see him in the convalescent home... took a step back and felt a "crunch". He was on the floor under my shoe with blood coming out of his gills. The resilient little guy lived on for about four years until I moved and broke down the tank. He even got a new home years after I stepped on him! Needless to say, I felt awful about it and he was given loads of attention. Dogged a bullet on that one.

 

[baron1282]

The store I am having ordering my True Percula Clownfish won't have them in for another 2 weeks. :-/

It might be a good thing, as my tank is still cycling and they don't mind if I don't buy them in case my tank is not finished cycling in two weeks. I hope it is!!

My question is, if my tank cycles before the two clown fish comes in, what should I do?
I don't want the good Bactria to not have anything to eat. A lot of people told me that a Six Line Wrasse should be the last thing in my tank, and that was originally the first fish I wanted to put in.

So how can I keep my tank cycled until the clown fish get in? Should I just over feed my hermit crabs? Or would the crabs be enough to keep it cycled. Oh and I had one die on me. :-/ I guess it was to be expected, still wish I didn't get them.

 

[Jamroz37]

Can't believe it is taking you so long all I had was live sand base rock and mine cycled in about 3 weeks I did add a cycling kit though in the second week

 

[baron1282]

Jamroze37

My tank just started it's 3rd week now. By Friday it will be a full three weeks. The ammonia is gone and now I am waiting for my Nitrites to go to 0.

So I am hoping that my tank will be cycled by Friday, I just want to know what fish to put in first.

My original plan was to put fish in this order.

One Six Line Wrasse

Two True Percula Clownfish

One Hawkfish (I want a Flame Hawkfish, but might put in another one)

Everyone I have talked to but one has told me the Six Line Wrasse should be the last fish I put into my tank with that line up. Being the store will not have my two clowns until next Friday I was wondering if a Six line Wrasse would be ok first, or a Hawkfish.

Maybe I will just get two false Percula Clown fish, as every store seems to have them in stock.

 

[Khij159753]

Go with what ya really want. IME the six line is the least aggressive of those fish and SHOULD be added first.

 

[baron1282]

I am so confused.

Why so many different opinions on the Six Line Wrasse. LoL??