40 Breeder ideas

[slathrum]

So I just finished building a stand for a 40 breeder and have some dry rock and an RODI unit coming tomorrow(hopefully)! I've had so many different setups in the past and like all newbs, have broken a few rules in the process. This one I would like to do right though, so I will restrain myself from putting a tang in it!

I would like to have plenty of small and friendly fish, and maybe a couple plants too. Preliminarily, I'm thinking a citron goby, purple firefish, and lawnmower blenny. I'd love a dwarf angel, but I'm not sure about aggression. I do plan on providing several caves, but with minimal rockwork so as to provide the most swimming space. I also really like the pearlscale butterfly, but it is listed as a 70 gallon fish. Maybe that would fly though in a breeder dimension since all you get with a 70 or so is usually a taller water column?

Anyway, I would love to see pics of smaller FOWLR setups that have lots of small pretty mouths and not, you know...a tang, trigger or puffer! To start things off, here's my latest creation. It's not perfect, but I think it will do!

 

[RayL]

You should be fine with a dwarf angel, just plan your stocking list right. Add the angel as the last fish and you should have no aggression issues, so just leave room for one in your stocking plan

 

[jarrod13]

That's a beautiful stand and canopy, great job!

I think you could definitely do a dwarf angel, like Ray said just plan it right and add the dwarf last. I think a flame angel or yellow angel (Centropyge heraldi) would be an awesome colorful showpiece fish in that tank. Since you plan on having an open rockscape you could even do a single smaller species of anthias, like a dispar or something similar.

By "plants" do you mean macro algae?

All the other fish you listed will be fine also, purple fir fish would definitely be cool. I'd also look into a tailspot blenny

 

[slathrum]

Thanks for the compliments! I love flame angels, but have had the worst luck with them in the past. Was probably a combination of where I was getting them from and me not providing quarantine in the beginning. I'm picking up a second 40 breeder today though for that purpose. It would probably come down to a flameback, flame or cherub angel. I really like the idea of a butterfly too though, if I can get one that stays smaller, like the pearlscale. So, it sounds like the best plan to get the smaller fish like the blenny, goby etc settled in first.

 

[jarrod13]

I think all butterflies might be too big for that tank, I could be wrong though.

I can't imagine you need another 40 for a qt, especially if your only doing smaller fish I would think a 10 or 20 would be fine.

 

[RayL]

I would strongly recommend adding the firefish as the first fish or second, when they get settled in a tank that they can make their own, they will always feel comfortable and be out In the open

When it comes to the angel, the flameback is my favourite dwarf angel and for your size tank, I think it's a better fit over the flame angel

 

[slathrum]

I probably don't need that big of a QT, but I just got a decent one off Craigslist with a huge overflow pretty cheap. I might try trading it for a smaller tank. As for the plants, I did mean some macro. Not a lot of it, but the red stuff looks pretty cool.

 

[caribfan]

I have a 50 breeder that I use for a qt. I partitioned off a section of it to act as an over flow with bioballs and a return. It works great.

 

[danimallaminad]

I used to have a pair of occelaris clowns, a red firefish, a six-line wrasse, and a coral beauty in my 40gallon breeder. The mistake I made was putting the red firefish in after the coral beauty and six-line wrasse, this caused alot of aggression and the firefish hid alot.
If i could redo it I probably would have not gotten the six-line.

 

[Box209]

Do a potters angel fish one of the nicest angels

 

[M.phenax]

Good job on your stand, and I love your signature! How about a citron or yellow clown goby, a pygmy or possum wrasse, firefish, and some cardinalfish? Nice quiet peaceful fish, and each species will have their own niche

 

[willfly4food]

Great job on the build!
What type of overflow did you use?