Am I over thinking this setup??

ozzyoyo02 · May 20, 2013

Ok I need some advice from as many people as I can get. I bought a 40 breeder as a starter tank, but before I bought equipment I wanted to go bigger. so I'm looking to go 75 bowfront or 90 reef ready, and use 49 breeder as a sump. With this being my first tank, am I jumping too far in?? Should I go reef ready?? Also I am curious if buying equipment for the sump do I add the total gallons of the two tanks or just go off the amount for show tank?? And does the sump smell or is it pretty neutral..?? Thanks..

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gmoney243 · May 20, 2013

Bigger is better and easier really. Just more expensive. 40b make great sumps if it fits under the stand. thats what my sump is on my 180. Sump shouldnt smell and neither should the tank if you keep water quality up.

Also bowfronts look nice but most who get them seem to get rid of them. And if you going with a 90G you might as well get a 120g because the length is the same but 120 is wider more room to work with front to back. 120 are a great tank big enough for lots of fish but not so big that it takes up tons of room.

JOKER · May 20, 2013

The addiction.Go reef ready for sure.You will be glad you did, the overflow box works but its not the same.lol. If not you will keep that for a while and then be ready for another one. Also reef ready sells much faster if you decide to get out.

Dowtish · May 20, 2013

Agreed. Go 90 or 120 if you can. You will be much happier with those sizes. The initial investment is more, but you would eventually sell all the other stuff and spend it anyway as soon as you figured out the 40B is too small. Reef ready is always best.

ozzyoyo02 · May 20, 2013

Ok so for the protein skinner and heater do I get one for a 80-90 or for 120-130 (80+40)

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Dowtish · May 20, 2013

ozzyoyo02 said:
Ok so for the protein skinner and heater do I get one for a 80-90 or for 120-130 (80+40)

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You want a skimmer rated for double your total water volume. You should also run 2 heaters instead of one. 2 200 watt would be good.

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Bishop · May 20, 2013

Begger is better and bigger is also more expensive. You can skimp and save hear and there to cut cost down but overall, A good reef tank runs around $100 per gallon. High end is $150 per gallon. Bottom end is $50. It all adds up. Heaters, lights, powerheads, live rock, live sand, and the expensive coral. The 40g and 75 gallon tanks are equally my favorite two tanks. The dimensions are perfect for a reef tank. Lower height to work with the light and more depth to create an aquascape with the rock.

Like people say though, the 90 gallon or 120 is a better option in the long run. It adds a lot to the live stock you can put in your tank and that's the one thing I do hate about my 40b. I'm very limited in the fish I can have, as well as other livestock. Say a nice bubble coral when I was in Oregon last month. Thing was massive at about 13 inches in diamater. I wanted it bad but there was no way I could fit that in my tank.

ozzyoyo02 · May 20, 2013

2 heaters????? And double skimmer like 240??? Wow I didn't see that coming..and I don't want too big..my room isn't that large that its going in..plus I need to reinforce the floor and I don't want to drop an arm and leg on a reef tank..I don't mind expense over time..but I can't justify 4000 bucks on a reef..let alone 9000..that seems extreme to me..I don't see why it would be more than 600 to get it started..that's what I have marked and balanced out..

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Dowtish · May 21, 2013

ozzyoyo02 said:
2 heaters????? And double skimmer like 240??? Wow I didn't see that coming..and I don't want too big..my room isn't that large that its going in..plus I need to reinforce the floor and I don't want to drop an arm and leg on a reef tank..I don't mind expense over time..but I can't justify 4000 bucks on a reef..let alone 9000..that seems extreme to me..I don't see why it would be more than 600 to get it started..that's what I have marked and balanced out..

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You can buy things cheaper used. Take your time and scour the for sale threads. I have never paid full price for any of my equipment. Other than my controller. You can find a good skimmer for a 90 gallon for $300.

The 2 heaters that equal the necessary wattage is a precaution as it is one of the biggest possibilities to crash an entire tank. If you have one get stuck on it can't fry the tank and if one fails completely the other will keep temps reasonable until you replace it.

Don't get overwhelmed. Just take your time and do the research. All the info is out there. If you rush things you will waste money, time and more than likely kill animals unnecessarily.

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gmoney243 · May 21, 2013

Dowtish said:
You want a skimmer rated for double your total water volume. You should also run 2 heaters instead of one. 2 200 watt would be good.

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I have to disagree a skimmer double rated is not needed and is overkill. Skimmer i use on my 180 with 40g sump is rated for 250g and i got used for like $150 i think. Most recomended a skimmer rated at least for total volume and if possible one skimmer up not double volume. In fact you dont need a skimmer at all and can run a reef tank without it. It does help sure but its not needed it just depends on the work you want to put in.

A skimmer removes up to about 30%-35% of the waste no matter how big you get it can only remove so much before that waste breaks down into nitrates which is not removeable by a skimmer. Theres many articles and testing been done over the years proving this and you can find them online.

Whats really needed the most is some way to export those nutrients once they break down such as water changes, refugiums with macro algaes, algae scrubbers, biopellets, gfo, purigen are some of the popular choices. Biopellets are the newest choice in filtration and do require a good skimmer but ive never seen any data suggesting you need a skimmer rated for double your volume certainly you can get one that big.

jduck · May 21, 2013

No all skimmer gallon ratings are equal. It's usually the thinking that bigger is better. Depends on your plans for the tank. If your going to fill it with fish and coral, then get the biggest one that fits your budget/ sump.