need help planning tank, any help

[wannabefishguru]

29 gallon

30 lbs. lalo live rock
instant ocean salt
AP master saltwater test kit
40 lbs. fiji pink sand
Dual Satellite Compact Fluorescent Fixtures 130 watts
AP GH/KH test kit
Hagan calcium test kit
Coralife Super Skimmer Needle Wheel Protein Skimmer
Maxi-jet 900
Jager 100 watt heater
Aqua Clear 50 for water movement or refugium or needed carbon area.
this coral pack http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/p...fm?pCatId=2140

questions i have
1) temp of tank 72-78?
2) 1-1.5 lbs of LR per gallon right?
3) typical sand bed depth is what? i head of deep sand bed, regular, and berlin i think, i don't know much but would appreciate some help understanding.
4) will my lighting work for my coral?

[gomrjoe]

Hey, hope this helps you.

Your wattage seems ok. PC lighting will get you started with softies, and some LPS corals, no problem. Without MH, that is pretty much what you will be stocking, which is fine, they are easier anyways.

Generally speaking, try to keep the temp of your tank around 76 degrees, that seems to be a nice median temp for most inhabitants, including corals.

DSB is very beneficial, 3" min. if you can do it. Helps promote anaerobic nitrosomous bacteria, which is a good thing. If you are going to house gobies, try and go to 4".

RESEARCH RESEARCH RESEARCH! There is no such thing as not enough research. Try and make a list of the animals you are interested in keeping. Feel free to post here if you like for hints and advice.

TAKE YOUR TIME, the less you mess with your tank after it cycles, the better. One more thing, no matter how much you really want one, DON'T get a typical host anemone, they never live past 6 months anyways.

Good luck and enjoy!

[capecodder]

IMO bring up the temp.
the avg. temp of a reef is 81.7 F
everything else seems good
good luck!

[gomrjoe]

Really,

I have read on multiple occassions that xenia in particular will start to get 'upset' if the water temperature goes above 80 degrees, same with bubble corals and star polyps.

I will try and find where it was that I read that, but I guess whatever works, if yours is working with that temp, great, saves on electricity!

[capecodder]

i guess the range is 76-80, i went up to 80-82 based on the on the following
www.reeflounge.com/showthread.php?t=20903&highlight=reef+temp

[wannabefishguru]

here is my inhabitants i plan on getting

1-helfrichi firefish
1-black and white percula clownfish
2-dwarf colored feather duster
4-electric blue hermit crab
1-green clown goby
4-super tonga nassarius snail

any suggestions or help is appreciated, i would like to get this settled before i start

and what order should i put these in?

how much sand do i need for a 4 in sand bed since i want i green clown goby, thats if i can?

[gomrjoe]

Rule of thumb for inches of sand is simple, 1 lb per gallon to achieve an inch of sand.

So, for a 30 gallon tank, you would need approx. 80 to 90 lbs of sand to achieve a 3" bed. This also depends on the dimensions of your tank. For a 4" bed get closer to 90 lbs. or a bit over that.

Your species list seems fine. No conflicts that I can see, and any order should be fine.

[wannabefishguru]

am i overstocked or understocked?

[dorkfish]

Rule of thumb for inches of sand is simple, 1 lb per gallon to achieve an inch of sand.

So, for a 30 gallon tank, you would need approx. 80 to 90 lbs of sand to achieve a 3" bed. This also depends on the dimensions of your tank. For a 4" bed get closer to 90 lbs. or a bit over that.

Your species list seems fine. No conflicts that I can see, and any order should be fine.

The better "rule of thumb" is 10 ilbs per square foot, per desired inch(es) of substrate. This way, your considering the actual floor space, so this rule works better in tall or long tanks.


am i overstocked or understocked?

Understocked, but it's better to keep it understocked so you can manage nutrients/algae easier.

[wannabefishguru]

do i really need 4 inches for 1 goby?

[johngp]

4 inches is a rule for thumb for a Deep Sand Bed. This will be part of your natural filtration process along with living rock.

My advice is to google on DSB and then decide if you want one - I expect you will...