40 gallon breeder mixed reef tank build

[Reef Jay]

Hi I’m brand new to the hobby and I figured I’d go ahead and make an account on a forum. This page seems to have a lot of info and helpful people so I’m hoping I can get some help with this build ! I currently have the tank and a custom stand along with a 20 gallon sump I built. My next step is lighting let me know what I should do I’m looking for an affordable led light !

 

[Flowering Reef LLC]

Hmmm as far as lighting is concerned you don't need it for the cycle you can cycle your tank while you think about the lighting(just to get the ball rolling)! In order to figure out what lighting you'd want firstly think about the livestock you want in the tank... Id say you can go for a t5 fixture which can be significantly cheaper up front than LED lights but in many cases you sacrifice controllability, on the bright side it is plug and play and can give you amazing results!

 

[Hemmdog]

Welcome to reef2reef! I just set up a 40b myself !

 

[Reef Jay]

Welcome to reef2reef! I just set up a 40b myself !

Hmmm as far as lighting is concerned you don't need it for the cycle you can cycle your tank while you think about the lighting(just to get the ball rolling)! In order to figure out what lighting you'd want firstly think about the livestock you want in the tank... Id say you can go for a t5 fixture which can be significantly cheaper up front than LED lights but in many cases you sacrifice controllability, on the bright side it is plug and play and can give you amazing results!

I was looking at t5s but when I watched the brs episode they compared the 4 bulb t5 , 2 ai prime and some other led fixture and they all came out to around the same price, so for the extra 50$ or 100$ I’ll probably go with 2 ai primes. Thank you so much for the help I’ll keep everyone updated on the build.

 

[ngoodermuth]

I’ve done T5, Halides, T5-halide combos, LED - cheap, and LED- not so cheap (radions) and ended up coming full circle back to T5. Current fixture is an ATI Sunpower.

It’s purely anecdotal... but I just haven’t been able to touch the colors that pull with straight T5’s using other lights. Maybe it’s just me... I’ve seen some beautiful tanks with all different kinds of lighting- but personally, T5 gets the results I’m really aiming for.

The only thing I miss with this fixture though, is not having moonlights...

 

[Retro Reefer]

You simply can’t go wrong with T5’s.. get a hybrid fixture and you can add LED’s at your leisure

 

[anew2thereef]

Hi fellow reefers!!!

I also drilled my 40 gallon breeder tank and I still have to drill the return line to the tank. My questions are where is the best place to add the return line? As I drilled the overflow box, and as your looking at the tank it's on the left side. It will be with a 3/4 return line back to the tank. I was thinking about drilling the return line straight on the middle of tank. On the right side of the tank a max gyre 250 or 230 still debating on that... I feel it would give penalty of water movement going back to the overflow box. Return line in the middle would get a nozzle or strainer. What you guys think before I drill in the middle of the tank? or just move the nozzle to the other side (right side) and forget the gyre idea?.....

 

[reacclimating 2 the hobby]

I absolutely loved my ATI Sunpower back in the day, but am currently in love with my MH/T5 combo. Coming into the first spring/summer with it running so we'll see how it goes. Never got into the LEDs. Brief stint with a couple xr15's and a t5 hybrid, but just couldn't get a look I enjoyed.

 

[High ICP]

Hi fellow reefers!!!

I also drilled my 40 gallon breeder tank and I still have to drill the return line to the tank. My questions are where is the best place to add the return line? As I drilled the overflow box, and as your looking at the tank it's on the left side. It will be with a 3/4 return line back to the tank. I was thinking about drilling the return line straight on the middle of tank. On the right side of the tank a max gyre 250 or 230 still debating on that... I feel it would give penalty of water movement going back to the overflow box. Return line in the middle would get a nozzle or strainer. What you guys think before I drill in the middle of the tank? or just move the nozzle to the other side (right side) and forget the gyre idea?.....

Use eductors on your returns.

 

[Tyler Bullock]

I am a fan of Aquatic Life T5/LED fixture. Get the T5's you want, Then pick the LED's you want. IMO Kessil, AP, or XR's.

As for where you want your return. Its up to you. You will get most of your flow from your wavemaker. Just as long as you get the water from the sump to the DT lol.