40g cube flow advice for a newbie

[lime_II]

Hi! I am new to reef2reef as a member but frequently spend time here reading and trying to absorb as much info as I can

I am slowly starting my first reef tank. The only gear I have right now is an Aquatop AIO 40g cube. My plan is to start the tank with live rock and sand as well as inverts from Tampa Bay Saltwater's "The Package". I hope to let the tank settle in for a month or so before adding fish and corals to get comfortable with ongoing maintenance/testing and just enjoy the live rock and all the little critters. Eventually, I want to add a few fish and softies/LPS corals. I feel like I have a pretty good grasp on the basics of calculating flow but, being a newbie, I am still looking for a bit of advice.

Right now I'm considering 2 Tunze Turbelle Nanostream 6025s (740 GPH) to supplement the tank's stated filtration flow rate at 475gph. Added up, all three sources produce a flow rate of around 50x the tank volume. My first concern is whether this is too much flow for soft corals. My second concern is whether this is enough flow for all of the filter feeders, sponges, etc. on the live rock (as I'm assuming they like higher flow?). Finally, is there anything special about flow for cube tanks that I might be missing? As far as I know, flow works basically the same for cubes and rectangular tanks...

I would like to upgrade to a controllable system eventually. However, right now most of my budget is going towards the TBS package so I would like to spend less than $150 on powerheads.

Thanks in advance for any advice. Thoughts on my general plan of action are also welcome!

 

[fishguy242]

hi welcome to the reef going to love it here!!
lots of fun/info/fun/help/fun....
i think two would be too much flow in the 40,options i think would be just one,or go with a couple of jebao controllable,softies like med flow,filter feeders ,sponges,sea fans ,mod to lower flow,
post in meet and greet meet the reef,then start a build thread ,so people can follow and give advice and enjoy with you

 

[JaaxReef]

For that tank dimension, I would recommend two Aquamai KPS pumps. They have a nice wide flow; good for softies and LPS and should be at a similar price point as what you are considering. They are also very tiny and are controlled via a WiFi app. I have a couple in my tank to supplement my main flow and they are VERY quiet and reliable so far.

 

[lime_II]

hi welcome to the reef going to love it here!!
lots of fun/info/fun/help/fun....
i think two would be too much flow in the 40,options i think would be just one,or go with a couple of jebao controllable,softies like med flow,filter feeders ,sponges,sea fans ,mod to lower flow,
post in meet and greet meet the reef,then start a build thread ,so people can follow and give advice and enjoy with you

Thanks so much for the advice! I'm not sure where I got in my head that filter feeders et al. would prefer high flow, so I'm glad I asked! Will definitely be posting in the meet and greet soon and starting a build thread

 

[lime_II]

For that tank dimension, I would recommend two Aquamai KPS pumps. They have a nice wide flow; good for softies and LPS and should be at a similar price point as what you are considering. They are also very tiny and are controlled via a WiFi app. I have a couple in my tank to supplement my main flow and they are VERY quiet and reliable so far.

Hey thanks for the recommendation! Noise level and size of the pumps are definitely priorities for me, will definitely check those out!

 

[ksturm079]

I have your exact tank. Its my first saltwater tank and has led to quite an addiction. I installed a Red Sea reefwave 25 and recently added a second on the opposite side to kill a dead zone. I chose it for the control functions and have been happy with it. I will say that I find the flow decreases considerably if I don't clean the impeller/covers biweekly.

Also, I did a lot of trial and error on upgrading the skimmer. Shortcut for you if you decide to do the same: Aquatop HOB 1.5 fits perfectly in the mod compartment of the sump where the stacked biocube boxes are.

Good luck and hope you enjoy.

 

[ksturm079]

Aquamaxx not aquatop on the skimmer btw.

 

[lime_II]

I have your exact tank. Its my first saltwater tank and has led to quite an addiction. I installed a Red Sea reefwave 25 and recently added a second on the opposite side to kill a dead zone. I chose it for the control functions and have been happy with it. I will say that I find the flow decreases considerably if I don't clean the impeller/covers biweekly.

Also, I did a lot of trial and error on upgrading the skimmer. Shortcut for you if you decide to do the same: Aquatop HOB 1.5 fits perfectly in the mod compartment of the sump where the stacked biocube boxes are.

Good luck and hope you enjoy.

Beautiful tank! Thanks for sharing a pic The Red Sea reefwaves seem awesome. Sadly, they are outside my budget atm. That's a great tip about the skimmer upgrade too, I imagine I'll need to upgrade sooner or later.