The first-timer progress thread - 29g tank

[MichiganMan]

Well, as I indicated in my original thread, I was planning to buy a 10g tank I had found on Craigslist. While surfing, however, I found a 29g tank for just a couple dollars more, and closer to home. So, I bought it.

I intend this thread to be a chronicle of my progress in planning, configuring, and stocking my first-ever aquarium.

More definitely to follow...

[MichiganMan]

And now to The Plan(tm)...

This will be a community tank. I'm thinking there will be one or two medium pieces of driftwood, perhaps a small stack of rock(s), and a few live plants. While I don't want a tank overgrown with live plants, I like the aesthetics of live plants (or should I say I just can't stand the plastic ones) and the fact that they help to keep the water in balance.

Stock-wise, I've reviewed jm1212's stocking guide (http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=97203) and will consult my LFS as well. As this is my first tank, I'm looking for fish that have a higher "oops" factor.

[MichiganMan]

The shopping list (so far):


A hood. The tank did not come with one, so I'll need to get one. I'm leaning toward a glass cover with a separate light, as it will facilitate varying lighting requirements more easily than a plastic hood/light combo
A filter. The LFS (a fairly respected place called Kee's Pets in Shelby Township, MI) recommended Tetra Whisper 45 (http://www.tetra-fish.com/sites/tetrafish/catalog/productdetail.aspx?id=1276&cid=3611) HOB filter.
A heater of some sort
Plant(s)
????


The floor is open for suggestions! :)

[krytan]

The shopping list (so far):


A hood. The tank did not come with one, so I'll need to get one. I'm leaning toward a glass cover with a separate light, as it will facilitate varying lighting requirements more easily than a plastic hood/light combo Have you thought about a diy hood, much moor rewarding at the end of the day.
A filter. The LFS (a fairly respected place called Kee's Pets in Shelby Township, MI) recommended Tetra Whisper 45 (http://www.tetra-fish.com/sites/tetrafish/catalog/productdetail.aspx?id=1276&cid=3611) HOB filter. Two filters are always better than one.
A heater of some sort Make sure you get a good one like the stelth heater.
Plant(s)
???? A fishless cycle is quiker and less work than a fishy cycle.
The floor is open for suggestions! :)
Looking forward to seeing the finshed result.

[severum mama]

1. I agree with your plan to buy the hood and light separately. You may want to think about buying a compact flourescent light fixture. If you don't want to do that I have grown anubias, java fern, and cryptocorynes using just a single tube strip over a 29. However, a single tube strip greatly limits your options for plants.

2. This is purely personal opinion, but I am not a big fan of the Whisper filters. I would use an Aquaclear 70 (300 gph) as my choice of power filter. http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=3578+3579+3608+3610&pcatid=3610 A canister filter would be another great option if it's in the budget. I used an XP1 on my 29. The manufacturers' tank size ratings on filters are generally really overrated IMO, so don't pay too much attention to them. ;)

3. I use Ebo Jager heaters because I can get them locally for cheap. They have been extremely reliable for me. As krytan mentioned, Stealth heaters are also great.

4. Your options for plants are totally dependent on your choice of lighting. If you'd like more detailed recommendations, I suggest posting in the planted aquarium forum. You'll get tons of help that way. :)

5. I agree with krytan about fishless cycling. This is definitely the easy way to go, since you will be looking at large frequent water changes during a fishy cycle. You'll need to buy a test kit so you can monitor your progress while you are cycling, and then for routine testing once you are done cycling. I use the API freshwater master test kit and highly recommend it, but whatever you choose make sure it is a liquid reagent kit. Test strips are really inaccurate so don't waste your money on them. ;) This article should be helpful: http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=81388

6. I'd caution you about listening to advice from most pet stores. A lot of people, myself included, get off to a rocky start in the hobby that way. AC can help with any questions you might have, and we're not in the business of selling you things. ;) Good luck!!!

[jm1212]

for a filter, get a Marineland C-220. after switching from HOB to canister, i can tell you that i will never go back.

i really like it when i see my articles in use :D

[MichiganMan]

Hmmm.... I'm not sure a canister filter of any sort fits in the budget. I'm trying to keep my overall costs down (hate to invest $$$ and then find out that this hobby really doesn't work in our family), and it looks like a HOB will be 1/3 to perhaps 1/2 the cost of the cheapest canister filters I've found. Perhaps if I could find one used....

[severum mama]

No worries MichiganMan, the Aquaclear 70 will be great for your tank. It's extremely quiet too, if that is a concern (it is for me). :D If you don't want to buy the AC 70, the Whisper will work just fine, it just wouldn't be my first choice as far as noise. ;)

[MichiganMan]

No worries MichiganMan, the Aquaclear 70 will be great for your tank. It's extremely quiet too, if that is a concern (it is for me). :D If you don't want to buy the AC 70, the Whisper will work just fine, it just wouldn't be my first choice as far as noise. ;)

The "ssshhh" effect is definitely a factor. The other thing that makes me lean toward a HOB is that the stand I got with the tank is an open wrought iron looking number - no real place to hide a canister filter, and I'm something of a neat freak that way. I'm leaning toward building a hood myself, been scanning some threads for ideas.... :)

[severum mama]

If the shhh effect is a major factor then it's aquaclear for the win.:) If you build your own hood, then I'd suggest considering a retrofit kit for your lighting. Try www.ahsupply.com (http://www.ahsupply.com) .

[MichiganMan]

Score one for the local fish store vs the big box store. The Aquaclear 70/300 is $3 cheaper at the local store, so that's where I'll pick it up, probably tomorrow.

[MichiganMan]

Well well, an update. I have a line on a used Penn-Plax Cascade 1200 (http://www.pennplax.com/Pages/Aqua.pages..../Aqua19F.html) cannister filter for $20. Any thoughts? Too much filter for a 29 gallon tank? If I should snag this, how do I go about making sure it is working properly?

I have to say, the search for equipment shopping has been pretty fun so far... :)

[saram521]

Most HOB filters I've used are not very loud at all, esp. when you keep the water level close to the top of the tank. Penn-Plax is a fairly old company and I'm not sure how good the quality of their canister filter is. That canister filter is probably an old model so it may not be as efficient as a brand new basic model made by a different company. For hood setups, I prefer a glass canopy with a strip light over it. Separating the cover from the light bulb does allow you to upgrade to better lighting later on if you so choose to. As far as plants go, java ferns, anubias, water sprite, wysteria, cryptocoryne sp., banana plant, hornwort and java/christmas/taiwan mosses are good beginner plants because they are not very demaning in their care requirements and only need low to medium light levels over your tank. Some members on this website sell many of these plants in case you can't get a hold of them at a local fish store near you.

[Windy]

Can't wait to see the finish product

[MichiganMan]

I'm not getting a good feeling about the cannister, so I'll probably just buy a new AC 70. I figure that's one less thing to go wrong (potentially) as it is brand new. The P-P was pretty dirty in the picture in the for-sale ad, and that just kind of turns me off. Pet peeve, I admit, but if you can't clean something up when you're trying to sell it, how well did you take care it?

[ciaobella7122]

i agree. cant wait to see pictures when things really get going! since you are going with live plants i assume you are striving for a natural look? put in a black background the plants will pop very nicely as will any colorful fish you add in! alsosince you are doing live plants and real driftwood think about a clean up crew. this would probably include otocinclus and some type of snail, i prefer briggs. look here through the classifieds as the people really know what theyre talking about and you will be guaranteed great quality at low prices. good luck! :)

[J double R]

I don't know about any other people.. but i had a penn plax 1200, and not only was it the noisiest canister ive ever owned, it trumped some HOBs in noise, and the flow rate was horrid. i would go with something else if i had the option. :)

[calivivarium1]

I third(or fourth, whatever the case) the AC filters, I have an AC 200 on my 10gal that is probably 15yrs old. When I set the tank up again after a year of being down I bought a new impeller and the filter is back to being stealthy quiet. I am sitting 4ft from the tank now and I can't hear it....

[MichiganMan]

I cleaned out the tank this weekend; it was fairly gunked up from the previous owner. Amazing what a good soak in Windex and some elbow grease can do! All the scum and scuzz on the inside is now gone, and it looks like there are pretty much no scratches.








Ok, Ok, j/k on the Windex! :) It was hot water and some white vinegar with a whole lot of rinsing!

Next step will be to build a hood. Might be a little bit before I update, have some other things that may steal some time. More to follow....

[zoowks]

Just wanted to say, you're ideas are great and its good to see someone who is doing their research while they get into the hobby! Hopefully the dedication you're putting in will pay off and you won't make newbie mistakes like the bulk of us!

[ciaobella7122]

lol i have to admit i saw windex and did an OMG! *sigh* ... cannot wait to see the progress your tank makes! i've had my newest tank for almost 3 months now and i still rescape it every few weeks to make room for new plants etc. i love setting up new stuff! good luck :)

[MichiganMan]

Just making sure you folks were awake out there... <evil grin>

[MichiganMan]

** UPDATE **

I've been doing my reading on the issue of cycling, and it looks like I might have an option to seed a tank. My chiropractor, of all people, keeps a tank in his office as well as several at his home (and a pond). My tentative plan is to grab some gravel (in water) from the office tank and hang it in my tank.

Now for the questions...

1. How much gravel?
2. How long do we leave it in there?
3. How long until we put fish in? Immediately? 24 hours? And what level of bioload, start with a couple, half the fully stocked level, or go with the whole enchilada?

----------

On to substrate... I want to go with sand as I like the appearance and ease of cleaning. I've read some good things about Estes Marine Sand - any reputable online retailers for this sort of thing? It seems kind of difficult to find a local shop. Also, I've got 25 or 50 lbs of play sand in the garage, as well as some coarse leveling sand for paver patio stones, and crushed rock base left over from some landscaping projects. I've also read that using regular old topsoil is acceptable in a planted tank. My thought is, perhaps a layer of soil or marine plant specific substrate, covered by an inch or so of Estes sand or estes sand/playsand mix (to get the right color). Would it be beneficial for plants to have a "plant-friendly" substrate underneath a layer of sand? I like the "two-tone" effect on the front of the aquarium....

[chrisfromnl]

The shopping list (so far):


A hood. The tank did not come with one, so I'll need to get one. I'm leaning toward a glass cover with a separate light, as it will facilitate varying lighting requirements more easily than a plastic hood/light combo
A filter. The LFS (a fairly respected place called Kee's Pets in Shelby Township, MI) recommended Tetra Whisper 45 (http://www.tetra-fish.com/sites/tetrafish/catalog/productdetail.aspx?id=1276&cid=3611) HOB filter.
A heater of some sort
Plant(s)
????


The floor is open for suggestions! :)

6. Profit!

[gmh]

I'd say get a good sized handfull of gravel, as much as the doc is willing go part with, and leave it in the tank at least two weeks. Maybe you could also grab some media or the pad from the filter and put that in your own filter as well.
I would get just a few fish to start, and check ammonia regularly to make sure you have enough media to get things jump started.

[MichiganMan]

6. Profit!

That was running through my mind the whole time I was putting that list together - came *that* close to throwing it out there :)