New to salt, 40 breeder build. Thoughts and Ideas?

A

aggriffin3

New member
Hopefully I can keep this a running post until I get my setup on paper, then go out and buy and build my equipment. I have promised myself that I am going to take my time so I dan do this right. So here goes...
So with that said, I am new to the saltwater hobby, and my plan as of now is to take my spare 40 gallon breeder and 20 L and turn it into a Sump and start from there. I will be looking for advice and feedback based on your first hand experience and if you see a plan of mine that doesnt look like the best way to go, please tell me.
So heres my setup plan after doing research as of now. I am looking for the best fit for me based on my limited knowledge, tastes, research and finances.
Sump: SCA-301 65 Gallon Protein Skimmer (in Sump)
I did some research on this Sump, and seems to be a very good Sump for the money. Obviously there will be better sumps and so forth, but I am looking to get quality equipment that I can afford that wont put me under before I start. So like I said, I will take my time, and at the very least get something that I can be proud of, and not worry if its junk or not.
Light: 36 inch 4 lamp Coralife Lunar Aqualight T5 Lighting Fixture
Powerheads: Hydor Koralia Evolution
What size should I get? 1050?
These are examples of what I am looking at that has got my interest.

Whats your thought on these so far, and do you have questions, experience and/or knowledge of them, or better alternatives? My goal is to keep my money in my pocket before I am 100% sure I am buying and doing the best thing.
Did I tell you I am on a budget and dont want to buy the best, but the best for the money. One day, that will all change.

Also, I have a mag 3 return pump (350 gph) will that work with this setup based on a 24" drop/head? Or do I need to go up to a mag 5? (500 ghp)
I also am going to have my 40 drilled for an internal flow box. is there a size/style that I should look into? What size hole would you recommend for this setup as you see it? I assume one hole? or two?

Thanks

Art


Thanks

Art
 
Last edited:
aggriffin3 said:
Hopefully I can keep this a running post until I get my setup on paper, then go out and buy and build my equipment. I have promised myself that I am going to take my time so I dan do this right. So here goes...
So with that said, I am new to the saltwater hobby, and my plan as of now is to take my spare 40 gallon breeder and 20 L and turn it into a Sump and start from there. I will be looking for advice and feedback based on your first hand experience and if you see a plan of mine that doesnt look like the best way to go, please tell me.
So heres my setup plan after doing research as of now. I am looking for the best fit for me based on my limited knowledge, tastes, research and finances.
Sump: SCA-301 65 Gallon Protein Skimmer (in Sump)
I did some research on this Sump, and seems to be a very good Sump for the money. Obviously there will be better sumps and so forth, but I am looking to get quality equipment that I can afford that wont put me under before I start. So like I said, I will take my time, and at the very least get something that I can be proud of, and not worry if its junk or not.
Light: 36 inch 4 lamp Coralife Lunar Aqualight T5 Lighting Fixture
Powerheads: Hydor Koralia Evolution
What size should I get? 1050?
These are examples of what I am looking at that has got my interest.

Whats your thought on these so far, and do you have questions, experience and/or knowledge of them, or better alternatives? My goal is to keep my money in my pocket before I am 100% sure I am buying and doing the best thing.
Did I tell you I am on a budget and dont want to buy the best, but the best for the money. One day, that will all change.

Also, I have a mag 3 return pump (350 gph) will that work with this setup based on a 24" drop/head? Or do I need to go up to a mag 5? (500 ghp)
I also am going to have my 40 drilled for an internal flow box. is there a size/style that I should look into? What size hole would you recommend for this setup as you see it? I assume one hole? or two?

Thanks

Art


Thanks

Art
Click to expand...

skimmer i would look at the sca 302...that skimmer you suggest will be under sized on a total volume of 50g of water. normally, you want a skimmer rated for twice the total volume of your system. so say something rated for around 120g-100g would be something i would suggest...

the light will be fine, you can find similar light fixtures with 6 bulbs, which would be much better, a friend of mine got a cheap one from e bay with 6 bulbs with built in timers and he grows everything and anything in his tank. whether you stick wit the 4 bulb or go with the 6 bulb fixture, your gunna need to change out the stock bulbs for good name brand bulbs. the reflectors in these units arent good, so changing out to name brand bulbs would do you some serious justice for corals...

i would skip the hydors for powerheads, i would look into a pair of jebae wp10s..

the mag 3 would be fine to start with if you wanna invest in the other options ive given ya, until you can upgrade the pump at a later date..

heres the thing, obviously its extremely easy to recommend the top of the line products to you and say dont get this and that. but lets face it. some ppl just cant go high end top dollar. im a person that like the best bang for the buck. you can set up a tank in a couple ways. you can go straight welfare status and buy the cheapest of the cheap and regret it later, orrrr spend a couple more bucks on the middle of the line products and be set for a couple yrs and be very happy with your over all system (highly recommend this route), orrr go uber fancy and buy top of the line equipment, which clearly isnt in your budget...


so my recommendations, (ive had a 40B wit 20L sump for yrs, then gave the set up to a friend which is still up and running)

40B which you can get at petco during a dollar a gallon sale
20L which you can get at petco during a dollar a gallon sale
700gph glass holes over flow box
mag3 pump (which you have, saves you money)
pair of jabeo wp10 with dual controller
6 bulb T5 fixture with built in timers from e bay
change out the bulbs with good name brand bulbs
sca-302 skimmer
TLF150 reactor for GFO/carbon (good piece of equipment, and cheap but effective)

and your set....best set up you can get for goin a cheaper route. i doubt anybody can dispute this either....

hope that helped, good luck...
 
Best advise I can give is to save up 200-400 and buy a bigger complete running system that will come up on Craig's List, as they always do when folks are desperate to move etc. Buy the biggest you can fit, more water equals more stability. When you move an existing system throw out the old sand bed and put in new sand. Also: I ran a T5 four bulb fixture for years, yes 6 bulbs give more growth but also more heat, display algae and electricity. Build your system around your avail space, not the pump you already have. You can use that for maint.
 
wgood33 said:
Best advise I can give is to save up 200-400 and buy a bigger complete running system that will come up on Craig's List, as they always do when folks are desperate to move etc. Buy the biggest you can fit, more water equals more stability. When you move an existing system throw out the old sand bed and put in new sand. Also: I ran a T5 four bulb fixture for years, yes 6 bulbs give more growth but also more heat, display algae and electricity. Build your system around your avail space, not the pump you already have. You can use that for maint.
Click to expand...

I appreciate the advice, but in this case, larger and CL I prefer not to do.
40 breeder will be plenty for a complete SW beginner to start with. I prefer to build the setup with the stuff I need and want than buy an overpriced CL item that has no guarantees of working and is probably on its way out anyways. If it I do well, then sure, I can turn my 55 or 100 into a larger reef tank for an upgrade, but at the moment, a 40 breeder with 20 gallon sump will do me just fine.

Thanks

Art
 
see if you can find a 56 gal or 58 gal whatever its called but a 36x18x21...i have one as my starter tank while i build my 120 as lessons learned
 
Just my opinion I don't like mag drives as they are not the most efficient with power and put off a lot of heat compared to other pumps. Sounds like your planning everything out pretty well. You won't need a skimmer right away with the tank being new but would definitely be on the look out for a good deal. This is a great place for information especially when your in the planning stages like you are.
 
I would not run a tank without an algae turf scrubber. The ATS eats nasties like nitrate and generally makes the water more like the ocean.
 
wgood33 said:
I would not run a tank without an algae turf scrubber. The ATS eats nasties like nitrate and generally makes the water more like the ocean.
Click to expand...

I am not familiar with an ATS? Where does it go? I assume somewhere in the sump or skimmer?

Art

P.S. Thanks
 
search santa monica ats

Basically you run water over a lighted screen in your sump to grow algae, like the ocean. The new-growth algae on the screen eats nasties, makes the water taste/smell like ocean, grows helpful micro critters, can cool the water. Algae grows on the screen outcompeting the algae in your display. Display algae is reduced. No negatives here but it takes a correct setup, weekly cleaning of the screen (harvesting algae to promote continual new growth). It takes a couple months to grow a solid turf screen. I have turned off my skimmer when my ATS was running 100%, risky yes but this is real.
 
ATS 2011.jpg

Older ATS using overflow water and warm white CFL bulbs. Basic setup, clean screen 1x/week, run bulbs 18hrs/day, change bulbs every 5-6 months. This design allows light all over = algae in your sump too (me no likey). I have run setups like this pumping up from the sump with a Maxi-Jet 1200
 
"so my recommendations, (ive had a 40B wit 20L sump for yrs, then gave the set up to a friend which is still up and running)

40B which you can get at petco during a dollar a gallon sale
20L which you can get at petco during a dollar a gallon sale
700gph glass holes over flow box
mag3 pump (which you have, saves you money)
pair of jabeo wp10 with dual controller
6 bulb T5 fixture with built in timers from e bay
change out the bulbs with good name brand bulbs
sca-302 skimmer
TLF150 reactor for GFO/carbon (good piece of equipment, and cheap but effective)

and your set....best set up you can get for goin a cheaper route. i doubt anybody can dispute this either....

hope that helped, good luck... "

Thanks, this really helped. May I ask why the Jabeo over the Evolutions? And WP10 over a larger WP25?
Do you have overflow boxes that would work good with that 302 skimmer and a 20L sump? And is that two holes drilled or one? Size and location?

Thanks

Art
 
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