Whats the next step?

[Nikkoli110]

Well ok, my tank has come a mighty long way since I got here, not too long ago! I wanted to know what my next investment is. I can't get a bigger tank, but I do want to make mine better, and perhaps easier to care for. I'm up for any suggestions and recomendations. Here is my current set up:

-29 gallon aga aquarium
-lighting - currently have 30" aqualight deluxe, but moving to mh as soon as I can pick them up, they are going to be a 250 watt mh, with pc bulbs in a pendant, and I am hopefully going to find (or make, haha) a canopy to mount the lights in.
-1 ro/di unit
-1 penguin 125 hob filter running carbon (does a crappy job of clearing up water)
-1 150 watt heater that sits in my fuge
-18" hob fuge with macro, 4 inch sandbed, powered by rio 600
-bak pak skimmer powered by a now dead rio 600 (have to replace that, any suggestions?)
-35-40 lbs live rock
-1-1 1/2 inch sandbed
-live stock - 1 small tomato clown, 1 yellow watchman goby, 1 neon goby, 1 green chromis, 1 serpant star, 1(used to be 3?) pepermint shrimp, appx. 20 various snails, appx. 25 blue leg hermits, 5 red leg hermits, 1 emerald crab, 1 rock of zoas, 5-6 stalks xenia, 1 scroll hammer coral, 2 heads frogspawn, 1 small slipper coral, star polyps.

I currenly do manual tests, meaning I don't have a refractor, or ph meter or anything. I also do not currenly drip kalk. I test for ph, nitrate, nitrite, ammonia, ca, alk, phosphate, and iron. Any other suggestions would help here too.

I would like to make some improvements to my set up, but would like to know whats most worthwhile, for my tank size. I was thinking of a sump, but only half of the stand is availible to put something in. I also am weary of overflows. Please suggest anything that could help me and make my reefkeeping easier (if that is ever possible ) Thanks!

 

[~Flighty~]

I would recomend a refractometer. They are pretty cheep and made a big difference for me.

Could you do a sump in a cabnet next to the tank? I bet evaporation will be a bigger problem with the new lights.

Where do you want to go with the tank? what are the MH for keeping?

 

[wsonner]

If it aint broke, don't fix it .

 

[jango]

How long do you run the carbon for? Carbon if left in for any period of time WILL leach phosphate's into the water.
On the BakPak I would grab a MJ 1200 with a venturi kit.

 

[Nikkoli110]

I'm hoping to get some more lps, and try some sps, and maybe some day keep some clams, but I think they might need a bigger tank. I would love to do a sump, I could possibly buy a new stand to keep the tank in, but I would have to move everything out. Maybe then I should just buy a stand and a tank that is drilled? Does anyone make 29 gallon tanks that have the overflows inside?

I think I am going to get a refractometer, and possibly a ph meter.

 

[Nikkoli110]

Well I use the penguin with the little filter pads that have carbon in them. I change them weekly.

 

[~Flighty~]

What about a short tank like a 58g?

 

[Nikkoli110]

Believe me, when I get married and move out in 2-3 years, I am planning on registering at a lfs....hahaha jk but that will be my first home improvment, adding a bigger tank to my own house. But my mom has specifically said that I cannot have a bigger tank. Now she didn't say I couldnt add a sump...lol...but I dont want to push things, I dont pay rent and I would like to keep it that way!

Any other ideas?

 

[dedfish]

How about some things like a pinpoint ph meter? High quality test or monitoring equipment would be a good investment. You can always use them when you go to a bigger tank.

 

[~Flighty~]

200 gallon show sump?

 

[jango]

I missed this the first time, IMO this would be the first thing to get...

-1 ro/di unit

 

[jango]

or does that say you have one?

 

[Nikkoli110]

I meant that I did get an RO/DI already. That was my last big purchase. Should I do kalk or is it not needed? If I get into sps I probably have to, right?

 

[jango]

The biggest and best(and hardest) investment would be patience
What kind of test kit's do you have. If they are questionable invest in quality kit's I prefer Salifert.
Do you dose your tank with any additive's? I suggest one of the two part additive's like B-Ionic for CA/ALK it's easy and reasonably inexpensive on a small tank.(B-Ionic will gradually raise your salinity)

 

[Moe_K]

For the BakPak, I second the recommendation for the MaxiJet 1200 + venturi kit.
A pH monitor was one of the best things I ever bought for my tank.
If you're going to have calcium carbonate demands from clams or coral, then dripping kalk is a good thing in a 29 gal tank. It can be done quite cheaply.
How about a titanium heater? No fear of a glass heater breaking.

 

[Aquadiva]

Nikki, I wound go with the PH monitor or the refractometer. Probably the refractometer first.

I took the plunge when I accidently dropped my swing arm hydrometer. I had been meticulously mixing water to exactly 1.025. Problem was, it was actually 1.030 according to the refractometer.

Needless to say, all critters were MUCH happier once I got that squared away.

 

[Aquadiva]

How long do you run the carbon for? Carbon if left in for any period of time WILL leach phosphate's into the water.
.

Not to hijack, but what do you mean by "any period of time." Phosphate woes continue, and I tend to leave that carbon in for "a period of time."

-Linda

 

[NateHanson]

My biggest issue with my last tank was make-up water. My water level (and salinity) were constantly going up and down and up and down, even if I topped off every day. When I set up my current tank, one of my main priorities was automating the top-off, and my corals were much much happier and grew faster in the new tank (other changes too, of course, but I think the stable salinity was a big part of it). Your new MH will cause a lot of evaporation, so I would concentrate on a auto top-off system. It can be as simple as a 5 gallon bucket with a small powerhead, and a pair of float switches from "RobboT". He mentioned a little while ago that he'd assemble float switches for anyone who wanted it for less than $10 (I think).

You need to dose Ca and Alk somehow if you have calcifying corals (which you do). Limewater is a really easy, cheap way to do it for a lightly stocked tank, so I would start with that. You can add it to your top-off water bucket.

By the way, if your light fixture is a pendant (which I think you said) you don't need to buy/make a canopy for it. In fact I expect you'll have heat problems on such a small tank if you do put it in a canopy. So you can spend that canopy money on more corals!

Nate

 

[jango]

I suggest using it for a few hour's, use it to remove what you need it to be removed and get it out.

 

[Moe_K]

Certain carbons have no phosphates, so will not leach them into your system.
Black Diamond is one of these brands. Do a search over on RC, there was a thread with experiments posted.