Starting a 29gallon fowlr

Hi everyone. I will be starting a 29 gallon fowlr. I do not plan on using a sump. I would love to get a bigger tank but the space is only limiting me to a 29. Here is the list of items I currently have.

29 gallon tank
seaclone 100 protein skimmer(have to figure out how to use it)
aquaclear 70 hob filter
Heater
Fluval hydrometer
Instant ocean sea salt
aqueon 900 circulation pump(might be to much flow?)

Here are some of the questions that i have.
What type of sand do i need to purchase?
Should I use dry rock?
Is rodi water a must?
What media do I use in the aqua clear 70

I am fully aware of the nitrogen cycle and plan on cycling with pure ammonia.

This is my first saltwater tank that I will ever be setting up so any tips or suggestions to make this go as smooth as possible would be great. Im sorry for all the questions. I am very dedicated and excited to start this tank.
Thank you, Steven

 

Hey Steven welcome. Sounds like you have done your research. I can help with some questions. For the sand, the main thing is don't use construction sand. It may contain silica which will give you continuous diatom blooms. Just use either live sand or dry sand from a good fish store or online:

http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/bulk-dry-live-rock-live-sand/aquarium-live-sand.html
Yes you have to yes rodi water. The chemicals that come with tap are varied and will cause problems. I use distilled water from Walmart. Either dry rock or live rock is fine. Dry rock is cheaper and comes with less potential problems.

 

Thanks for the Ok I will grab a bag of sand and rodi water from my LFS. Its $3.00 for 5 gallons. I just called the store and he said he has 40 pounds of dry rock for $100.00 and live rock for $5.00 a pound. Can I cycle the tank without live or dry rock and just add them little by little? From what I have read i should have about 30-40 pounds of rock. At this moment I do not have $100.00 to buy all of the rock I need. Also what type of media should i use in my aqua clear. Or would just a skimmer be ok?
Thanks, Steven

 

The thing is that live rock will need to be cycled. I'm not sure about dry rock. My thinking on dry rock is that there shouldn't be any animal tissue in theory that will need to be decomposed. I'm not sure how true that is. You will also need test kits to test for ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates. Nitrites and nitrates are most important to test for. I recommend salifert kits if you can afford them. API is inaccurate. The sand will definitely need to be cycled.

 

Ok, yes I plan on picking up a test kit today. In freshwater everyone always said api master test kit was the best. I guess saltwater is a whole different ball game haha. If I was to start cycling today with sand and a couple pounds of live rock would it cycle normally? Or would I have to have the 30 pounds of live rock stocked all at once. Sorry for all the questions. I come from a freshwater background so live rock is all new to me. Once I think I start understanding it the more questions I have.
Thanks, Steven

 

Yes it will cycle whatever you put in there. The thing is, you will have to cycle again if you add more rock. I suppose you could cycle anything you want to add later in a bucket. Once it's cycled then you could add it to your tank. No problem with the questions. Keep them coming.

 

Ok. So is this what people are talking about when they say the live rock is cured? So say I am cycled with just sand and the filter. If I add a couple pounds of live and dry rock the bacteria won't grow on them?

Edit: I understand that now. I would have to put the live rock in a Tupperware container with say a heater and air stone and pretty much just let it cycle before I put it in my tank?

 

Oh yes. Bacteria will grow on anything. Even glass. Good rock is porous and provides a large surface area for the bacteria to grow. I think the term cured is the same as saying it's been through the cycle and has bacteria. In theory, this rock that's "cured" should be able to go directly in the tank and have no major biological die off, this not need to be cycled. If there is die off, the ammonia will rise so it can be tested. The same applies to the dry rock and the sand or anything else you put in there. I would expect die off (this needing to be cycled) of sand, and possibly rock. The only way to know is with testing. I would give it all several weeks to completely cycle. During this time you can also check for what critters may have come in on the rock and take care of them at this point (before adding critters you choose).

 

Ok now that I have a pretty good idea of what I am doing I think I am going to get the sand and a couple pounds of live rock and let it cycle and just seed dry rock little by little. I am in absolutely no rush to add fish. Does this seem like an ok plan? Will I have to dose ammonia if I have a couple pounds of live rock?

 

Sounds like a plan. Especially if you are in no hurry to add fish. When you add more (rock) keep an eye on ammonia and nitrates, nitrites to see if a new cycle starts. Live rock alone should be enough to get cycle going. You can also feed the tank fish food about the same as you will the fish you anticipate having. That will also get the cycle going.