mr. Clown Loach

i'm thinking of turning my 29g into a saltwater tank... what all would i need for this tank if i were to have a little of live rock, and how much would it cost?

sgould

Ideally you want 1lb rock per gallon, though you can start with less and add more later if cost is an issue. The cost of that can really vary depending on where you get it, but it is not cheap. Could easily spend $100-150 on it. Protein skimmer would be a very good idea, particularly if you want to keep inverts and/or corals. Cost $100-125 minimum. 2 powerheads...$20 each. I assume you already have a heater since this is an existing tank...$15-20 for a new one if not. hydrometer or refractometer for measuring/maintaining your tank's salinity...hydrometers are pretty cheap, but not as reliable as refractometers, which you can get for $40-50. Salt mix...$20-25 per bag, which typically mixes 50 gallons. You can get the salt cheaper online, but by the time you pay shipping you are right back to $20-25.

mr. Clown Loach

i don't want 1lb of live rock per gallon but like myabe 1/4lb per gallon, powerheads i was wondering would my filter do it because it produces a high current whenever i don't point it to the wall and it produces like 250gph.at my store the salt comes in cartons of about 1-1 1/2 cups how much water can i make with that. i'm not getting any inverts or corals so no protein skimmer.

au01st

1/4 pound per gallon will give you a very empty looking tank and you will miss out on the biological filtration benefits that live rock provides. It acts as a place for beneficial bacteria to live as well as copepods and amphipods, and gives your fish something to interact with.

Most salt mix uses about 1/2 cup per gallon. You're not talking about that stuff that goes in cups in FW tanks, are you? I can't see any place selling stuff in that small of an amount.

You'll want 10-20x turnover per hour minimum in flow. So at 29 gallons, you're wanting 290-580 GPH flow including filter and powerheads. A large HOB filter or canister filter along with a decent powerhead like a koralia will do the trick for that just fine.

mr. Clown Loach

lol i got a bio wheel filter on my tank so i got biological filter but after hearing what both of you just said i understand two things 1. i can't keep up with a saltwater tank and 2. no wonder my friend is having trouble with his damsels.

galvatron3000

lol