# So many choices, no perfect ones



## weissinphoenix (Dec 10, 2012)

Okay, so I have the tank shown in my signature, set up for under a month. I put two mbunas in there for a challenge and I am now being told that the tank is not really big enough. Also, I wanted to do saltwater, but thought it would be too expensive/challenging. I thought the mbunas would be a compromise challenge but I still can't get my mind off of the saltwater. I figure I have a number of options:

Option A: Get a second tank, 10 gallons, on my large work desk, with the barest-bones marine setup as a prove-it tank. Keep the 29 gallon tank as is until the mbunas grow and then turn the tank into a one fish tank for the smaller of the two mbunas. Keep price down with DIY skimmer, cheapest pump I can find, cheapest single fish, cheapest single anemone or coral, cheapest single shrimp.

Option B: Rehome the fish I just bought (sigh...), get a cheap hang-on-side pump and skimmer combo. Keep price down as in option A.

Option C: Give up on saltwater, make due with the 29 gallon tank as is, as in option A.

Option D? Is there one?


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## weissinphoenix (Dec 10, 2012)

BTW... 
I am trying to keep it not too much over $100 all told including test kits and stocking.


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## zwanged (Nov 4, 2012)

I'd definitely stick with freshwater. You can't do saltwater on that budget. As a general guide saltwater costs about 10x that of freshwater.

With a 29 gal you should stick to smaller fish. Could try a peaceful community with some gouramis mixed in with schools of neons or other small tetras. If you plant it well it could look very nice. Shrimp are cool too. I'd return the mbunas for store credit (if you can, otherwise rehome) and get more appropriate fish for a tank of that size.

-Zeke



weissinphoenix said:


> BTW...
> I am trying to keep it not too much over $100 all told including test kits and stocking.


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## Reefing Madness (Aug 12, 2011)

No way your doing SW set-up in a 10g for $100.


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## coralbandit (Jul 29, 2012)

The Tang. africans can be much smaller, to allow a higher stocking level and the interest/challenge you wanted.Salt takes a bit of time and money just to get running(even with cheap equipment,that you will regret if you have any success.)I've always thought the africans(from the rift lakes) were(are) the link between fresh water and salt water.There's a ton of info and research in regards to this.Tanginikan(spelling?) africans have some small yet colorful options.


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## zwanged (Nov 4, 2012)

But can you do tang. africans on a $100 budget? I could be wrong, but I would bet they are expensive.

-Zeke



coralbandit said:


> The Tang. africans can be much smaller, to allow a higher stocking level and the interest/challenge you wanted.Salt takes a bit of time and money just to get running(even with cheap equipment,that you will regret if you have any success.)I've always thought the africans(from the rift lakes) were(are) the link between fresh water and salt water.There's a ton of info and research in regards to this.Tanginikan(spelling?) africans have some small yet colorful options.


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## coralbandit (Jul 29, 2012)

No more expensive than mbunas.Ditch them(trade back)and stock existing 29 with 4-5 neat little fish.
OP should try to raise pH for either of the cichlids to the 8 range for optimal health and coloring.Crushed coral or dolomite would do the trick.


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## weissinphoenix (Dec 10, 2012)

1. The malawi cichlids (mbunas) that I got were about $6 or $7 each at petsmart, so not that expensive. They have other cichlids in this price range but most are marked "assorted" without species name. I got the ones I got because they were cheap, pretty and didn't require as large a tank as some of the others.

2. If I stick to an African Lake setup, what else can I do to the tank to make it interesting?

3. If I get a new used tank with stand from craigslist in the 40-80 gallon range for $100-150 and then add $100 budget max to resetup, how much does it change the equation of what I can do?


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## weissinphoenix (Dec 10, 2012)

BTW: My space requirements are that the tank has to either fit on my workdesk or in the space shown in the picture - meaning that getting a bigger tank means getting rid of the one I have now. As you can see the space probably limits me to about 80 gallons even if price were not an issue.


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## rift lake (Nov 8, 2012)

salt water is going to run about $10 a gallon with all the start up cost


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## Reefing Madness (Aug 12, 2011)

rift lake said:


> salt water is going to run about $10 a gallon with all the start up cost


 
Live Rock is $9 a pound. You want 1lb per gallon. That alone is $90......
Ok, so we don't go LR, we go Macro Rock, thats $65 alone. Key Largo Prime Cuts 20 pound box ships FREE

Just that stuff alone, without anything else added. You still need powerheads, substrate, lighting, heater, possibly if you want to look at fish, or inverts, refractometer, salt, test kits. $100, no way.


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## weissinphoenix (Dec 10, 2012)

So, assuming I had that kind of money, how much all together to turn this tank into a basic sw setup? assume I wanted one anemone and one fish


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## weissinphoenix (Dec 10, 2012)

Conversely, how much bigger of a tank would I need to do what I am trying to do now correctly - a hybrid planted and cichlid tank?


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## weissinphoenix (Dec 10, 2012)

Oops - brain fart. I am doing a mixed planted and cichlid now, but I realize that probably doesn't make sense. The question should have been how much to convert to a cichlid biotope.


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## weissinphoenix (Dec 10, 2012)

BTW nobody bothered to fill out the poll so I did myself the honor of being the first to do so. I filled in Option C: Give up on saltwater, since that's what you guys are telling me.:animated_fish_swimm


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## zwanged (Nov 4, 2012)

Some of the hardier plants like java fern and anubias might be able to withstand cichlids. You won't know until you try. If you don't do africans, you could also try south american dwarf cichlid varieties like German Blue Ram or other various mikrogeophagus varieties.

-Zeke


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## rtmaston (Jul 14, 2012)

I to think its to small for saltwater.i have seen a 5 gallon saltwater tank in my local fish store and only had a clown in it.i think the cost over what you can put in it would not be worth it.myself would not set up anything under a 55 gallon for saltwater tank but that is just me.


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