Newbie Needing Help

Reefy Feller · Oct 29, 2020

jacobboo123 said:
Hey guys, I have a 40 gallon Oceanic Cube aquarium that I am turning into a reef tank. Unfortunately the stand is not big enough to fit a 10 gallon sump underneath, so my question is, what should I do? I know canister filters aren't really used in the saltwater hobby so what should I do for filtration on the tank? Any and all suggestions would be loved and appreciated!!

Octo makes a decent hang on tank skimmer, I also use a canister filter which has worked just fine as long as you keep it clean

jacobboo123 · Oct 29, 2020

fishguy242 said:
yes ,there are a few recent threads going on them

Okay, so you think one of the 165 watt lights would be good enough for the 40? any idea on what height is best for the light? what about the blues and whites, or is that more subjective?

Reefy Feller · Oct 29, 2020

Reefy Feller said:
Octo makes a decent hang on tank skimmer, I also use a canister filter which has worked just fine as long as you keep it clean

This is 55gal

jacobboo123 · Oct 29, 2020

Reefy Feller said:
This is 55gal

Tank looks beautiful, still trying to decide on what I want to do. If I should just run a filter or run both. What kind of light are you running on the 55?

jacobboo123 · Oct 29, 2020

fishguy242 said:
hi,viperspectra 165 watt over 40 breeder

Would it be better to get the 300 watt instead of the 165? or would that be too much??

fishguy242 · Oct 30, 2020

300 too much,approx 16 " above gives good spread,prob never go over 40% on whites,60-70% on blues,start whites at 1-5% blues 20-30% ,good strong lights

jacobboo123 · Oct 30, 2020

fishguy242 said:
300 too much,approx 16 " above gives good spread,prob never go over 40% on whites,60-70% on blues,start whites at 1-5% blues 20-30% ,good strong lights

What do you mean start the whites on 1-5% and the blues 20-30%? Do I start them on that when I add corals and then slowly increase? and is it best for 16 inches above the water line or 16 inches above the bottom of the tank??

fishguy242 · Oct 30, 2020

yes,slowly go up once corals are in,16-18" above water line will give that 3' spread

jacobboo123 · Oct 30, 2020

fishguy242 said:
yes,slowly go up once corals are in,16-18" above water line will give that 3' spread

Awesome! I will buy one of the 165 watt ones and try that out. Still trying to decide on what corals I am going to get. Probably mostly softies. Do I slowly increase the light everyday or after a couple of hours of them being in the tank? Do I do it a little at a time each day?? Thank you so much for your help, it is very very much appreciated!

fishguy242 · Oct 30, 2020

slowly increase every 4-5 days ,your corals will tell you when they are happy,..side note also vote hob octopus bh line

jacobboo123 · Oct 30, 2020

fishguy242 said:
slowly increase every 4-5 days ,your corals will tell you when they are happy,..side note also vote hob octopus bh line

What does vote hob octopus bh line mean?? Sorry, new to all the terminology.

fishguy242 · Oct 30, 2020

hob skimmer,octopus classic bh-100/bh-1000/bh-2000 ,excellent skimmers,no worries of overflowing,been using them for years

jacobboo123 · Oct 30, 2020

fishguy242 said:
hob skimmer,octopus classic bh-100/bh-1000/bh-2000 ,excellent skimmers,no worries of overflowing,been using them for years

Sick, thank you for all the help! I will buy that light and post pictures once everything is FINALLY set up!

jacobboo123 · Oct 30, 2020

fishguy242 said:
hob skimmer,octopus classic bh-100/bh-1000/bh-2000 ,excellent skimmers,no worries of overflowing,been using them for years

One last question if you dont mind. Should I be dosing the aquarium? I know in smaller tanks doing a water change can do the job, but is a 40 over that barrier? If i should be dosing do you have any recommendations on what I should use to dos and how much?

fishguy242 · Oct 30, 2020

no,not yet,wait until needed

may cause too many ups and downs on new system,esp smaller one,get familiar w testing,get stated it will flow from there

start your build thread,get a badge,tag me to it,will help along the way

jacobboo123 · Oct 30, 2020

fishguy242 said:
no,not yet,wait until needed may cause too many ups and downs on new system,esp smaller one,get familiar w testing,get stated it will flow from therestart your build thread,get a badge,tag me to it,will help along the way

Thank you so much. once the build is started then I will defiantly add you! Thank you so much!

glb · Oct 30, 2020

jacobboo123 said:
Are there any other options other then the AI products? I know they are the "big boys" but are there any other good options for 40 gallon?

I have an ATI 4-bulb T-5 fixture over my 40g breeder and it gives great coverage. FWIW, you might be happier in the long run getting a new stand so you can have a decent size sump. I have a 20g tall on mine and it’s really great to have all the equipment hidden.

jacobboo123 · Oct 30, 2020

glb said:
I have an ATI 4-bulb T-5 fixture over my 40g breeder and it gives great coverage. FWIW, you might be happier in the long run getting a new stand so you can have a decent size sump. I have a 20g tall on mine and it’s really great to have all the equipment hidden.

I was thinking of maybe using something like the Finnex Hang on back breeding box/ Refugium with the powerhead and putting the carbon and filter floss in that? maybe the heater is it fits. Could that be done or no??

Sebastiancrab · Oct 30, 2020

Welcome! Check out the Seachem Tidal filter. I have two and they work great. Also, very quiet.

Seachem - Tidal Power Filters

www.seachem.com

jacobboo123 · Oct 30, 2020

Elaine123 said:
Welcome! Check out the Seachem Tidal filter. I have two and they work great. Also, very quiet.

Seachem - Tidal Power Filters

www.seachem.com

Just looked into them, they look awesome!! Slowly getting closer to having everything picked out and ready to purchase!