Who Gives A Fish Forums

I'm going to be asking a lot of questions, so bear with me. I've been trying to find answers online, but there's so much conflicting information out there. I figured it'd be best to ask for advice from experienced hobbyists who can point me in the right direction.

I recently upgraded my aquarium from 15 gallons to 29 gallons, and I'm planning to keep it simple with a Fish Only and Live rock setup. I've got a Valentini Puffer, a Clownfish, and a Three Stripe Damsel, and everything I've read says they're compatible. But I want to make sure - are they really okay together? And is a 29-gallon tank big enough for them when they're fully grown? If so, could I add more fish? I'm looking for tank mates for my Valentini Puffer, and I've heard Damsels are good starter fish. They're also pretty cheap. Would it be possible to add one or two more Damsels, like a Domino or a Velvet Damsel? My girlfriend loves the Royal Gramma fish - would that be compatible with my Puffer?

My main concern is lighting and live rock. I've read so many conflicting things about this. Do I need to upgrade to expensive high-powered lighting for a fish-only tank? I'm currently using a 20W Power-Glo Bulb, which seemed to work well in my smaller tank - we got some nice Coflakeline Algae growth. I added about 7 pounds of Base Rock when I upgraded, so I've got a total of around 21 pounds of rock now (14.5 live and 6.5 base). I've read that a good amount is about 1.5 lbs of rock per gallon of water. If I add more rock, should I go with base rock or live rock? Will the Coflakeline Algae grow on the base rock eventually, or should I just stick with live rock? I've also been looking into Caribsea Purple Up - does it really work, and is it worth trying?

I'm also worried about filtration. I'm currently using a 200 gallon per hour hang-on filter, which I don't think is enough. What kind of filtration should I look into for my setup? Is a Protein Skimmer good enough for a Fish Only Aquarium? If so, which one would be best for me? And is there a way to hide the heater, filter, and other equipment so they're not visible in the back of the tank?

I know I've asked a lot of questions, but I want to make sure my Puffer is healthy and happy. I love that little guy, and I don't want to lose him due to a poor setup. Thanks in advance for any advice or suggestions you can offer. If you've got any thoughts on anything I haven't mentioned, feel free to share - I'm all ears.

Here are some pics of my aquarium...

A Royal Gramma might actually work out as a tankmate for your Valentini Puffer, Clownfish, and Three Stripe Damsel - they all seem to have enough personality to coexist in a 29 gallon tank.

When it comes to adding more Live Rock, just be careful not to overdo it - the dimensions of a 29 gallon tank can make it tough to aquascape with too much rock, given its height and relatively narrow width. As for lighting, you don't need to worry about upgrading to high-powered fixtures for a FOWLR setup. If you're looking to grow coflakeine algae, you'll want to focus on maintaining high levels of calcium, alkalinity, and magnesium in your tank. Caribsea Purple Up, in my opinion, is not worth the trouble - it's mainly an alkalinity supplement and long-term use can lead to imbalanced chemistry. I'd recommend doing some reading on reef chemistry to get a better understanding of what's going on and what you need to do.

For filtration, you might consider using powerheads and relying on your Live Rock to do some of the work. As for hiding equipment, you can easily conceal the heater behind your Live Rock. And honestly, I wouldn't bother with a protein skimmer for a FOWLR setup.