That's what I'm telling myself right now. Everytime I turn around, I change my mind. I want it all now, and don't want to wait, lol... Last week I wanted to turn my 29g into an african cichlid tank. Nothing big, but something that I could have one type in and hopefully get some babies out of. This week, I want a sw tank. Again, nothing big, just my 29g FOWLR setup. Just a couple of Perc Clowns.

So I am trying to figure out what I would need. I don't want an elaborate setup, sump, refuge, skimmers, coral, polips and such, just a couple of fish hanging out. Some Nemo's for my son. What is kind of the bare minimum setup that I would need for my fish to thrive, not just survive? My 29g is a "tank in a box" from PetSmart. Top Fin. Has a HOB filter, 100w heater and hood with light. Is this ok for a sw setup, or is there more that I would have to have? In all my research, as far as I can tell, this would do it for me. Would I NEED live rock? I would like to have it, but if it makes my setup require more, such as a protien skimmer etc, then I might pass on it for now. As with anything though, this would definitly be a work in progress.

I know that "bigger is better" with saltwater. And believe me, I would love to have at least a 55g setup, but this is what we have, and would liketo make due. Anyways, any help is greatly appreciated. I love this forum, and have read the articles on both sw and fw many times over, but none really mention the bare minimums. Just want to do my homework before I make my final decision. Thanks in advance everyone.

all you really need is a big filter and a heater......you could get away with that. I ran an aqua clear 70 and a powerhead and heater for 6 months..fine. just watch your feedings. if your going to let your son feed.....get a protein skimmer rated for around 70 gallons. remoras are nice and compact HOB. aquaclear is a nice compact HOB and a jagar heater works great.

burgerking.......im going to preach this to you....with that skimmer.......DO NOT use prime or a water conditioner......it will overflow and you will have a royal mess. I had one.....they skim great.......pay attention to it and it will be great.....underskim dont overskim.....shoot for a nice dry froth....if you dont you may come home to a wet floor. I did plenty of times, its why I switched. I havent ran one on my tank for the past three weeks......and its running great.....but be careful with the superskimmer. Its a badass skimmer......but when its full.......its full.

I would get a big aquaclear (like the largest or second to largest), they are the best for HOB SW filters. You can even mod them in many ways down the road. Just remember, when you go to clean your filter use the same filter sponge and do not rinse it in tap water. Use tank water to rinse. Also, buy the biggest salt mix you can get because you'll need it down the road, and it'll save you some money buying in bulk. I bought a 150 gallon mix (5 gallon bucket) for $39.99 and it came with a free XL t-shirt.

Oh, and honestly, if you think you are going to want it down the road, go ahead and buy it, sometimes you can get deals for free shipping on order totals over a certain price. I always look for the best deals. When I buy online from drsfosterandsmith.com i always will add even the little stuff like fish nets and crap, because it is soo much cheaper and they tell you how much more you can add before you increase the shipping costs.