40 breeder
- Thread starter birdy607
- Start date
sir_dudeguy
Active member
Good choice 
you'll find it way easy to aquascape (at least i did...much better than my freakin 55 which is only like 13 inches wide) and its pretty easy to light. I've only got a 4x96 (tho i wish i had t5's or MH) and i keep every softie i can think of, tons of zoas, LPS, and i've even got a few digies in there that are up higher and the're doing fine.
you'll find it way easy to aquascape (at least i did...much better than my freakin 55 which is only like 13 inches wide) and its pretty easy to light. I've only got a 4x96 (tho i wish i had t5's or MH) and i keep every softie i can think of, tons of zoas, LPS, and i've even got a few digies in there that are up higher and the're doing fine.
ficklefins
New member
Go with a few smaller fish to really make your tank look bigger.
A two spot or similar small blenny.
http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_Display.cfm?pCatId=2229
http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_Display.cfm?pCatId=1871
A rainfords goby for some real color (also called court jester goby).
http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_Display.cfm?pCatId=164
Two or more yellow clown gobies for that nice yellow color.
http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_Display.cfm?pCatId=1441
The last bit off flash in your tank can be accomplished with some wrasses (smaller types of course), but make sure you do some research on these as you may need a cover or other special requirments for feeding (fincky eaters).
http://www.marinedepotlive.com/carpenters-fairy-wrasse---paracheilinus-carpenteri-fish--wrasses.html
http://www.marinedepotlive.com/blflfawrpacy.html
A two spot or similar small blenny.
http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_Display.cfm?pCatId=2229
http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_Display.cfm?pCatId=1871
A rainfords goby for some real color (also called court jester goby).
http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_Display.cfm?pCatId=164
Two or more yellow clown gobies for that nice yellow color.
http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_Display.cfm?pCatId=1441
The last bit off flash in your tank can be accomplished with some wrasses (smaller types of course), but make sure you do some research on these as you may need a cover or other special requirments for feeding (fincky eaters).
http://www.marinedepotlive.com/carpenters-fairy-wrasse---paracheilinus-carpenteri-fish--wrasses.html
http://www.marinedepotlive.com/blflfawrpacy.html
sir_dudeguy
Active member
In mine i've got 2 black ocellaris clowns, 1 bicolor blenny, and one sixline wrasse. The sixline is by far the coolest fish in there. That thing is so active and colorful. He also gets along great w/my cleaner shrimp (which in itself is a blast to watch lol).
I'm debating adding a flame angel. They can be risky w/corals. Its hit or miss as to wether it will pick at them. But my bicolor blenny was also like that. He killed one digitata coral i had, and had started picking at the other. But then i started feeding him a bit more. Well not really more, but different stuff. Rather than just flake, i now feed mysis, and stuff like that, and i also add live pods and stuff about 1 time a week (lfs makes what they call "reef stew." Its just loaded w/copepods, rotifers, and brine shrimp, and some weeks it has baby fish and i ended up w/a baby damsel which got eaten by my clown lol. Best part is it only costs me about 2 bucks for enough for 60 gallons)
Anyways, flame angel maybe, and maybe a firefish. But i dont wanna add much more than i got now. I'm not worried about the firefish cuz they stay away from everything anyways. I'm just worried about the flame and the sixline going at it
I'm debating adding a flame angel. They can be risky w/corals. Its hit or miss as to wether it will pick at them. But my bicolor blenny was also like that. He killed one digitata coral i had, and had started picking at the other. But then i started feeding him a bit more. Well not really more, but different stuff. Rather than just flake, i now feed mysis, and stuff like that, and i also add live pods and stuff about 1 time a week (lfs makes what they call "reef stew." Its just loaded w/copepods, rotifers, and brine shrimp, and some weeks it has baby fish and i ended up w/a baby damsel which got eaten by my clown lol. Best part is it only costs me about 2 bucks for enough for 60 gallons)
Anyways, flame angel maybe, and maybe a firefish. But i dont wanna add much more than i got now. I'm not worried about the firefish cuz they stay away from everything anyways. I'm just worried about the flame and the sixline going at it
Dustin1231
New member
sir dudguy, do you have a pic of your 40 gall? i have one that i might set up, im not sure if i want to go bigger or not...
sir_dudeguy
Active member
sure i'll get one right now actually. I just added about 160 of the tiniest cerith snails i've ever seen last night so the sand may look weird lol (and no, not all are staying in there...only 40 or so. I'm holding someone else's till this weekend)
I'll get that pic in a few....
I'll get that pic in a few....
sir_dudeguy
Active member
well here's a few quick (crappy) pics of my 40 breeder. Been kinda lazy w/it as of late, but now i'm fixing all the problems its had (nitrates/phosphates mostly, and low calcium). As you can see, i cant get coraline to stay alive My calcium was way low when i tested the other day but its now going back up.
heres my bicolor blenny on his little zoanthid perch
I've had the big toadstool about 4 months now. When i got it, it was about half the size of the small one (that is closed up) on its left. I've had that small one (which is green instead of yellow, and the pics dont do the colors justice btw) about a month and it was maybe half that size when i got it. Fast growers.
clown and blenny...
My calcium was way low when i tested the other day but its now going back up.
heres my bicolor blenny on his little zoanthid perch
I've had the big toadstool about 4 months now. When i got it, it was about half the size of the small one (that is closed up) on its left. I've had that small one (which is green instead of yellow, and the pics dont do the colors justice btw) about a month and it was maybe half that size when i got it. Fast growers.
clown and blenny...
sir_dudeguy
Active member
Ya i got a 20g sump under there. Thats one thing i recommend doing differently. Its too small to work with. I was about a quarter of an inch from getting a 29 in there. I bet if i just chipped away some of the wood on the back of the stand i could have fit it lol. But i didnt and ended up w/a crummy 20g regular as a sump.
No i dont get heat issues from the pc's. Wish i could either fit more or just ditch them for t5's (or MH for that matter) tho. They're just not enough imo.
But when the lights are off, the tank goes to like, 79.8 or something, and then a few hours after lights come on its up to 81.something. So no heat there.
In the summer tho, the temp was rising up to like 87ish (i'm in arizona and my parents are too cheap to run the ac when we're not home lol). So i just threw like a 10 inch box fan in the sump (well above it pointing straight down).
That lowers the temp like 5 degrees in the summer. But i havent used that thing since around october now since its been cool for a while no.
My suggestions....
Get a bigger sump if you can somehow fit it. My stand is stupid and has double doors...well..that makes it so each one is like 10 inches wide and does not allow a bigger sump to fit haha.
And while the pc's are plenty for any softy and pretty much any lps and a few sps, it isnt good for what i like (clams, anems, etc...) so i'd say go w/a 4x39w t5 HO if you can afford it.
No i dont get heat issues from the pc's. Wish i could either fit more or just ditch them for t5's (or MH for that matter) tho. They're just not enough imo.
But when the lights are off, the tank goes to like, 79.8 or something, and then a few hours after lights come on its up to 81.something. So no heat there.
In the summer tho, the temp was rising up to like 87ish (i'm in arizona and my parents are too cheap to run the ac when we're not home lol). So i just threw like a 10 inch box fan in the sump (well above it pointing straight down).
That lowers the temp like 5 degrees in the summer. But i havent used that thing since around october now since its been cool for a while no.
My suggestions....
Get a bigger sump if you can somehow fit it. My stand is stupid and has double doors...well..that makes it so each one is like 10 inches wide and does not allow a bigger sump to fit haha.
And while the pc's are plenty for any softy and pretty much any lps and a few sps, it isnt good for what i like (clams, anems, etc...) so i'd say go w/a 4x39w t5 HO if you can afford it.
For a bigger sump, you might try going through the top of your stand if possible. I have a 30 breeder which is just a couple inches shorter than the 40, and I use a 20L for a sump, but I had to put it in through the top of the stand before putting the main tank on top. Luckily, I can get my skimmer in and out through the front of the stand. I run 2x150w MH on my tank (36x18) and I really love the look. I know it seems like overkill, but for some reason, my tank has a center brace. Anyway, just some thoughts for those of you setting up 40 breeders. I'd love to see one with t5s; I remember when t5s first became popular, a lot of people were using the 54w bulbs on 4ft tanks and having problems with sofites dying and sps corals bleaching. I wonder if the 3ft 39w bulbs have the same problem or work any better???
sir_dudeguy
Active member
ya i couldnt go thru the top of the stand....its a solid top (i'd never buy a cut out top stand....i know all the weight is supposed to sit on the side glasses of the tank and not the bottom pane, but still....too scary )
msn, i will be getting the sunlight supply 4x39w retro with icecap reflectors soon. I'm selling off my old 55, my filter, and my current lights for my 40 breeder to get these t5's. Everyone i talked to said i could grow anything with it, but definately put stuff like shrooms in shaded areas.
I'm thinking the reason that a lot of people had stuff react poorly to the t5's might have had something to do with not acclimating to new light. I will either be running much shorter hours for a while, or doing the screen method (or both) to acclimate my tank to the new light.
Then i'll be good for clams and anems
)msn, i will be getting the sunlight supply 4x39w retro with icecap reflectors soon. I'm selling off my old 55, my filter, and my current lights for my 40 breeder to get these t5's. Everyone i talked to said i could grow anything with it, but definately put stuff like shrooms in shaded areas.
I'm thinking the reason that a lot of people had stuff react poorly to the t5's might have had something to do with not acclimating to new light. I will either be running much shorter hours for a while, or doing the screen method (or both) to acclimate my tank to the new light.
Then i'll be good for clams and anems
