CollegeReefer
New Member
Hey so I am starting my first tank build thread! I currently have a 40 gallon breeder that I bought used from another college student. I didnt really know what I was getting myself into when I bought this tank but I am glad that I went with a larger size tank than a 29 or 35 gallon. Anywhos I bought this tank with one type of fish in mind (only because it was the only fish I knew of), a clown fish! So of course I have a clown fish in my tank but that is just the beginning!
As of right now I just have a basic white light, non-UV light bulb set up for my tank (it came with the tank). The tank also came with about 10 lbs of black sand and a small 75 watt pre-set heating element for a 25 gallon tank. Obviously these things needed to be updated so not I am running two heating elements the one that came with the tank and a 100 watt Cobalt accu-therm heating element. I know the heating element is too small for a 40 gallon but I didnt research the element before I bought it; it was a black Friday special
Regardless of the elements being under-powered they keep the temp at a solid 80 degrees which is all that matters for right now and the fact that it uses more energy than it probably should.
Other than that I have a 50-100 gallon Aquaclear hand on filter. I am also running a basic 30 gallon freshwater filter on the far side of the tank. Obviously if you can't tell I am new to this and I have the tank of a newbie.
Here are some pictures of the tank from when I first built it up and put water in:
Aside from the basic above I have added more rock and 10 lbs of live sand. The cloudiness in the picture above is from the live sand addition. After a few days the water was clear and I was waiting for the cycle to begin! After 10 days or so, I took a water sample into a LFS and had them test it. They told me that it looked like my cycle didnt start so they gave me a frozen shrimp to throw in to kick off the cycle and I also bought a Nassarius snail. As per my LFS dealer, a snail is not going to care much about the water parameters changing so a snail would be ok to put into the tank so that I have something to look at in my room besides filtering water.
After about 3-4 weeks after I put the shrimp in my tank was cycled and the Snail (Saber is his name) was still alive! So for the last two weeks or so I have been making moves on my tank and so far have a pretty decent clean up crew that I think most would say is smaller than usual but they've got the job done so far. I will add more as I get more livestock.
Clean up crew thus far:
3 scarlet hermits
1 electric blue knuckle hermit (Knuckles)
1 nassarius snail (Saber)
4 turbo snails
1 medium trochus snail
1 giant trochus snail --> biggest living thing in the tank!
After this set up I have just in the last week put in a Hydrocor Koralia 850 gph powerhead and it has worked wonders for the circulation in my tank! I also have a small airstone bubble set up in the back of the tank that I turn on every now and them. The air pump is noisy so I shut it off when I sleep because the tank is in my room #CollegeStudentLife
Aside from the basic set up here is my livestock so far:
1 clownfish , not sure if it is a Percula or Ocellaris, I think it is an Ocellaris but I want it to be a Percula (Atom)
1 firefish goby (Dora)
1 Randall's shrimp goby/orange striped prawn goby (Tesla)
So I also wanted to point out that I did have a small Diatom outbreak on some of the rocks where I feed. I battled the diatoms with the snails and a turkey baster and have won so far. Those snails work wonders on those diatoms!
Comment below and I will be sure to keep you all updated on my experience with this new hobby and my tank!
Thanks for reading!
As of right now I just have a basic white light, non-UV light bulb set up for my tank (it came with the tank). The tank also came with about 10 lbs of black sand and a small 75 watt pre-set heating element for a 25 gallon tank. Obviously these things needed to be updated so not I am running two heating elements the one that came with the tank and a 100 watt Cobalt accu-therm heating element. I know the heating element is too small for a 40 gallon but I didnt research the element before I bought it; it was a black Friday special
Regardless of the elements being under-powered they keep the temp at a solid 80 degrees which is all that matters for right now and the fact that it uses more energy than it probably should. Other than that I have a 50-100 gallon Aquaclear hand on filter. I am also running a basic 30 gallon freshwater filter on the far side of the tank. Obviously if you can't tell I am new to this and I have the tank of a newbie.
Here are some pictures of the tank from when I first built it up and put water in:
Aside from the basic above I have added more rock and 10 lbs of live sand. The cloudiness in the picture above is from the live sand addition. After a few days the water was clear and I was waiting for the cycle to begin! After 10 days or so, I took a water sample into a LFS and had them test it. They told me that it looked like my cycle didnt start so they gave me a frozen shrimp to throw in to kick off the cycle and I also bought a Nassarius snail. As per my LFS dealer, a snail is not going to care much about the water parameters changing so a snail would be ok to put into the tank so that I have something to look at in my room besides filtering water.
After about 3-4 weeks after I put the shrimp in my tank was cycled and the Snail (Saber is his name) was still alive! So for the last two weeks or so I have been making moves on my tank and so far have a pretty decent clean up crew that I think most would say is smaller than usual but they've got the job done so far. I will add more as I get more livestock.
Clean up crew thus far:
3 scarlet hermits
1 electric blue knuckle hermit (Knuckles)
1 nassarius snail (Saber)
4 turbo snails
1 medium trochus snail
1 giant trochus snail --> biggest living thing in the tank!
After this set up I have just in the last week put in a Hydrocor Koralia 850 gph powerhead and it has worked wonders for the circulation in my tank! I also have a small airstone bubble set up in the back of the tank that I turn on every now and them. The air pump is noisy so I shut it off when I sleep because the tank is in my room #CollegeStudentLife
Aside from the basic set up here is my livestock so far:
1 clownfish , not sure if it is a Percula or Ocellaris, I think it is an Ocellaris but I want it to be a Percula
(Atom)1 firefish goby (Dora)
1 Randall's shrimp goby/orange striped prawn goby (Tesla)
So I also wanted to point out that I did have a small Diatom outbreak on some of the rocks where I feed. I battled the diatoms with the snails and a turkey baster and have won so far. Those snails work wonders on those diatoms!
Comment below and I will be sure to keep you all updated on my experience with this new hobby and my tank!
Thanks for reading!
