29 Gallon Low Light Output Reef Tank

[byronjbacon]

29 gallon glass rectangular tank, with MarineLand overhang filter, Rio 400 pump.

I have a Fuzzy Dwarf Lion, a Firetail Goby, a Coral Beauty, Orange Spotted Goby, Red Scooter Blenny, 2 Oscillares Clowns, and 2 Green Chromis

I know its quite populated, but they were integrated slowly and are all very well tempered.

For inverts I have a great overgrown population of Kenyan Tree, Xenia, Frogspawn, GSP, Poly Polyps, Feather Duster, some Duncan, and Condylactis

Not too bad for a cheap set up. Let me know what you think.

[50 cube]

Couple of questions:
What do you mean by low light output, what kind of lights?
can't really tell by the pics but is all the rock piled up against the back wall? Of so you might want to think about spreading it out to increase water flow through the rocks. To me it looks kind of strange with everything bunched up like that. Also with the rocks like that you may be creating a major uneaten food/detritus trap. Sorrynbut you did ask for opinions.

[byronjbacon]

It's a cheap Coralife lite, definitely not enough to sustain hard coral or any photosynthetic invert. So I have to stick to filter feeders. At one point I had the rock spread out and the fish were always hiding away. I also had a huge problem with algae and waste particles. So I thought I would try putting all the rocks on one side along with the inverts, right up against the intake for the overhang filter. There's alot of cave working now for the fish and they love it. They swim in the ricks for a short bit than come out in to the open more. I do have ALOT of crabs, snails and conch's to keep the tank clean and it's working pretty well. I do occasionaly move the rocks around just to try and figure out what each invert likes the most. Everything else lands on the sand and the orange spotted goby takes care of it.

The idea behind this is that before the water goes in to the filter (a cheap one) it has to get biologically filtered by the live rock and filter feeding inverts first. Also, the creatures that do like the light more can be placed closer to the top. Things have been looking alot better like this than when the rock was spread out.

I always appreciate opinions and suggestions, so thanks 50.

Byron

[50 cube]

If it works for you then that's the best way.

[Dugaru]

I'm actually on the other side of the fence.. I think the pile on one side is kinda neat; I really like the larger 'seafloor' expanse.. I suppose my concern would be that there is enough rock+sand for the biological filter. Of course, only your tests can tell that. Regardless, if the fish are happy (good water parameters, etc) and you are happy, that's really what counts :-)