40 gallon tank build

Dustinba · Jan 16, 2015

Yesterday I went out and bought almost everything for my new 40gallon reef tank. Petco was having their 1$ a gallon sale again. So I went with the biggest tank they had left. I also picked up the coralife salt mix, caribssea live sand mix, aqueoun siphon vacuum, thermetor, heater, power head, hob filter. I still need to buy another bag of sand, another powerhead, skimmer, led reef lights(have my eyes on some from Drsfostersmith.com) live rock(probably going to do about 30-40 pounds, and a large bucket to stir all my salt mixes and stuff.

Right now I'm just currently waiting until my tax return to buy everything else and start the cycle.

Dustinba · Jan 16, 2015

Also I am not going to be running a sump or refegium. Mainly because I don't have the room to allow it

jayhawk · Jan 16, 2015

Congrat's on the new adventure into salt. It can get as complex as you make it. The simplier the better but keeping in mind the minimal requirements to meet the needs of the aquarium you want to keep. Fish only, reef...I would suggest not using a towel underneath the tank. Once it gets wet, it will likely mold as it will retain the water and likely not dry thoroughly. There are pads specifically for aquariums. My other concern is filtration. The recommended water turnover is 10x's per hour. If you get the tank started and have issues with water clarity, nitrates and phosphates, it could be turnover issues. Although nitrates and phosphates can be out of alignment for many reasons, this could be one of them. Other than that, I recommend doing a lot of research. Good luck

Dustinba · Jan 16, 2015

Awes thank you fornthe advice. I didn't know they sold the pads for under the aquarium. My wife just didn't want to scratch the new piece of furniture we picked up for the tank. I will look into those. For the water turnover, since I have absolutely no room for a sump or refugium, would you maybe suggest more HOB filters? Or like an overflow box that could hang on the back?

jayhawk · Jan 17, 2015

I have always had a sump for setups but I helped another reefer with water turnover. There are some canister filters that can get you some acceptable turnover (i.e. JBJ). At least with a canister, you will be able to add mechanical filtration. I am sure with a little research, via the internet, you can find an alternative that works.