Tank Build! Clay's 29 gallon build, AKA triumphant return to reefing!

Well well well.... Looks as if I am FINALLY getting back on my feet in the hobby. It's been almost 3.5 years since I've really had a passion for reefkeeping, but now it's back!

Backstory though: I've always had a passion for aquatic life. As a child, I had goldfish and other various fish/aquarium setups. Never had anything larger than a 5 gallon tank though. After I graduated college and moved into my own place, I got a 55 gallon off Craigslist. This 55 gallon was my cichlid setup. Keeping cichlids whet my whistle for a time, but did't give me the satisfaction I was looking for. I decided it was time to go marine. At first, I didn't want to keep a reef because I loved triggerfish and was cheap. Being a new paramedic, I didn't make a whole lot of money at that time. Due to living in an apartment, I was unable to keep too large of a tank. We then moved to a slightly larger apartment, which meant I was then going to convert my 55 to a saltwater tank!! The conversion went smoothly, but a 55 isn't great for a reef. I got a couple frags from F.D. Reefer and they took off. From there, I bought a REALLY nice 60 gallon rimless off a guy from GIRS from Grundy Center (Sorry, I can't remember your name!!) Well, the girlfriend and I broke up, and I moved to Des Moines. In the move, the rimless was broken. Hurried to get a new tank set up without killing my livestock, I grabbed a 29 gallon and set it up on the 60 stand.

This is when things got ugly. Between working all the time, going into a bit of a depression, and just over all letting myself go, my tank suffered. Sold as much livestock as I could and pretty much stepped away. I did get into dart frogs for a while, but they didn't have the same affect. I wanted a reef again. Another couple moves later, we come to fall 2015. Got a 40 breeder and started cooking live rock in it. Well, by the time it was all said and done, I was working MORE (promoted to a supervisor) and home less. The lease ended and I moved to Ankeny. Yes, I'm aware I've bounced around A LOT! That apartment sucked and I had an opportunity to move into a nice townhouse, so I did. NOW I found a place to simmer down a little and focus on my passion (motorcycles are my second passion). So, I've been slowly piecing everything together bit by bit.

This brings us to this build. I got a 29 gallon tank again, mostly because I really do like the dimensions. The stand was built by yours truly with a drill being the only power tool I used. Obviously, this is just to bide my time before I upgrade. But for now, enjoy the build!

 

Thanks guys! Really been putting a lot of thought into this tank and want to do things right the first time.