intheb0x, welcome to TR!!! I grew up in the great state of WI. Well, actually I never grew up just got old. I lived in Madison from birth to age 67, now live in FL for the last 3 years. Go Brett Favre and the Packers!!!
I've been in the hobby a looooong time (61 years), have been exclusively saltwater for the last 40 years. I find doing
SW as easy as freshwater, just a little different. Like anything else in life you take on new, there is a learning curve. You determine the length of the learning curve by the amount of research you are willing to do. It sounds like you are willing to do the research. Like those above, I recommend you begin at the beginning of the POD casts. Next there is the TR Library, see the link above in the left margin.
Rob, the owner of this site once said about me, (not a direct quote)
"one of the things about Dick's replies is, you may not like what he says but he says it like it is" or something to that affect. In other words, I'm not going to tell you what I think you want to hear but, the truth about this hobby according to my experience.
The favorite saying around the marine hobby is,
"The only thing that happens fast in a marine aquarium is disaster". Take that to heart, it's true. You will have to develop patience in this hobby. Patience and research will reward you with a beautiful reef aquarium. Now to answer some of your questions...
Quote:
| a pet store that i frequent has the 29G oceanic Bio Cube for 220$ - (and) - i think the biocube is a good deal since its all inclosed in its own little set up. |
Personally, I am not a fan of the Nano aquarium for beginners. Because of their small size, the filter system integrated with it are simply not adequate for the bio load eventually put on the system. That limits the owner as to the number and size of the critters the system will successfully hold. As a beginner you don't know that limitation and are likely to exceed it causing problems that could wipe out your entire tank. Most experienced hobbyists modify the filter system to increase it's ability to maintain a larger bio load by adding a
sump/refugium.
Quote:
| how easy is it to set up a saltwater tank? i see now they sell pre mixed saltwater all ready to go to make it easier. is this a good thing? |
It's very easy to set up a
SW tank. If you take a few things into consideration before hand, it's easy to maintain, too. One of your first concerns is water source. DO NOT use tap water. Buy yourself an
RO/DI unit of 100 gals per day. They can be had off E-bay for about $130. Do a search for Aquasafe Systems. Don't cheap out this piece of equipment by buying an
RO unit only. Get the
RO/DI unit. Why a 100 gpd unit? Because the cost difference is minimal AND when you go to a bigger aquarium in the near future, you will thank me.
Pre mixed water is for the rich and/or the lazy. You will best get to know your system ( a must) by mixing your own water.
Quote:
| i was thinking of maybe getting some live rock and some clowns and maybe some crabs/lobsters. |
Don't think about getting
live rock (LR), it is the base of your filter system so definitely get about 1 1/2 lbs per gallon. It comes "cured" and "un cured". Both are ok as long as you understand the difference. The difference is the cured has gone through a cleaning process and the un cured has not. The cured will cycle your tank faster and less dramatically than the uncured. Personally, I like the uncured,
BUT, if you are new to the hobby, I recommend the cured. I would avoid lobsters and limit the crabs to micro hermits and emerald crabs. Other crabs and lobsters will cause you many heart aches in lost critters, it's what they eat.
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| i don't want mean or aggressive fish that will harm each other. i want a bright vibrant tank thats very appreciating to look at. |
It's not only aggressive fish you don't want, re-read the above. A bright vibrant tank comes from careful planning and implementation of that careful planning. One of the worst mistakes we all make, especially as a beginner is
impulse buying.
Never buy a fish on impulse. Why??? Because the
LFSs sell most fish in their juvenile size. As an example, that cute little Blue Tang,
Paracanthus hepatus, that is sold as little as 1", grows to 12" in the wild. While the 1" size fits your 29 just fine, it is cruel and inhumane treatment for you to even buy one with a 29 gal tank. Keep that in mind and do your research ahead of time. A 29 gallon is a small tank and a great size for things that remain small. There's plenty of beautiful critters to chose from.
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| does it take alot of time to care and tender a salt water tank? i work 40-45 hours a week and i hate to come home and have to take care of the tank every night you know. i know theres time needed to take care of it id just hate to have something thats so demanding. |
It doesn't take a great deal of time to maintain any aquarium BUT, you had better be willing to commit whatever time it requires. You are setting up a holding tank to house some of the most beautiful critters God put on this earth. There is not an endless supply of these critters. Be committed to give them the best home possible or don't go into it.
Quote:
| i read about skimmers and stuff like that, do i really need one? |
Yes, and the other stuff, too, most likely.
Take this hobby to heart, do it right and you will be greatly rewarded, do it halfast and you will waste a lot of money, time and energy and leave frustrated, disgruntled and positive that reefing is impossible.
That's my word...
Hmm, where have we heard that before?
Dick
icon under their name to add to their reputation. 
to TR. 