Newbie Needing Help

Reefy Feller

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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

20201029_203152.jpg 20201029_203228_resized.jpg
 

fishguy242

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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
 
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jacobboo123

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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

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yes,slowly go up once corals are in,16-18" above water line will give that 3' spread :)
 
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jacobboo123

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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

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

fishguy242

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hob skimmer,octopus classic bh-100/bh-1000/bh-2000 ,excellent skimmers,no worries of overflowing,been using them for years
 
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jacobboo123

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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

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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:cool:
 
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jacobboo123

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

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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.
 
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jacobboo123

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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??
 
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