New to Salt water

[mbiancardi]

Been a fresh water guy for over 20 years and wanted to try a 29 gallon FOWLR tank. Need some help getting started:

what type of filter? (tank has no pre drilled holes)
do I need a protein skimmer?

I will be purchasing live sand and about 30 ponds of live rock

[chimmike]

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh....php?t=1031074

[Jd205]

Are you converting an established fresh water tank or starting with a new tank? If its a new tank I would highly recommend having it drilled. I'm using an overflow box and its a real pain. If I could go back I would have drilled. Im sure the link provided above should answer the rest of your questions

[Sugar Magnolia]

To Reef Central

Your tank can be as simple or as high tech as you want. Simple would be to run an HOB filter as a place to run media like carbon and phosphate removing media and maybe a skimmer to help remove disolved organics. Or, you could drill it (or use an HOB overflow like a Lifereef) and plumb it to a sump where you can place a skimmer and maybe have a fuge portion.

Mike linked you to a great list of articles that will help you decide how you want to proceed with your tank.

[Floowid]

That is exactly how I got started. I had 4 or 5 freshwater tanks, but I wanted saltwater so bad. I bought a 29 gallon tank, a single bulb PC light fixture, an HOB filter, and off I went. I ran like that for about a year. No skimmer, only live rock and aragonite substrate, my HOB filter and my little light. I added two Maxi-Jet powerheads and ditched the filter pads in place used Carbon in a bag. I was able to have mushrooms and zoas and some easier softies too. It would probably still be running like that if the upgrade addiction hadn't gotten me.

[Monkeyfish]

I have a 29g tank with 2 Aquaclear HOB filters using chemi-pure, 2 powerheads (the koralia nanos are great), a couple of 50 watt heaters, sand and 25 lbs of live rock. The tank is currently 4 years old. With a 130 watt compact fluorescent light I kept everything from xenia to montipora digitata to a derasa clam (many of these inhabitants have been transferred to my 75g reef, but I still use the 29 for softies). With a tank this size (29g)you don't need a protein skimmer. Just change about 5 gallons of SW a week and you're good to go.

On the other hand a PS never hurts.

[mbiancardi]

Thanks for your input everyone! I've decided to go with:

Eshopps wet-dry filter (i know it's not the best for reefs but it's only going to be a FOWLR for now)

Eshopps in-sump protein skimmer

2 - Hydor Koalina Nano

the tank came with your tropical fish tank lights - any recommendations on bulbs?