Smitty's 40 Gallon Breeder - I miss this tank :(

Well the tank is finally setting where it is going to live for awhile! Here are a few pics. I have a bout 20 - 25 pounds of play sand in there right now and 10 gallons of water. I have to go get more RO/DI water now, lol.





I am hoping to have everything transferred over by tomorrow morning, lol. I think it can be done, not really to much to do. I just hope my "sandstorm" isnt' that bad. I rinsed the new sand like 4 or 5 times last night, and of course my wife just rolled her eyes at me like I am crazy.

 

Even if you do have a wild sandstorm it should settle in less than 24 hours. It'll be only mildly cloudy after about 6 hours probably.

 

That is kind of what I figured. I just have to get about 15 more gallons of RO/DI water before I can start moving everything over.

 

Another question: Would it be better to start moving stuff while the lights are still on, or when they go off tonight?

 

Ok, another question. My wife wants to add a new fish to the tank when it is finished being set up. I told her that we should wait a few weeks because it will go through a small cycle again. If I use all the same equipment and all the live sand/rock, would it be alirght to add a new fish?

And if I can add a fish (I currently have two yellow tail damsel fish), what should I look for that would be fun for the kids (I 4 under the age of 11 years old) to watch along with company when we have some?

 

I don't recall what size tank you are upgrading from - a 29? But that's not as big of a concern as what filtration you are running.

Defintiely let the wife pick out a fish or two - I'm sure she would be much more likely to let the spending continue if the tank is 'hers' too!

Clowns are always the kids' favorites.

I'll be sure to follow along with the build.

 

I'm upgrading from a 16 gallon to a 40 gallon breeder. I know that I need to get more live rock, but I am running two AquaClear 50's for filtration besides the 20 pounds of live rock that I have already.

 

I will post my want/Christmas List that I'm going to end presenting to my wife.

Vertex IN 80 In-Sump
GFO Media Reactor Kit w/ Maxijet 1200
36" 156W (4x 39W) T5 HO
Odyssea WP1000 Water Pump (For the the sump return)
Microbacter7
NP Pellets

This list is by no means complete. It is just something that I am been building while reading threads on here and surfing the web. I'm always open to suggestions, but i also have to justify the cost.

 

Vertex is a great brand of skimmers. Good choice.

Odyssea is an inexpensive brand - I've heard mixed reviews. A few people on here have them. Maybe you could ask them what they think about them. Personally I think a skimmer and quality lights will be your biggest cost for a reef tank. But some people do ok with Odyssea, others, not so much.

 

I plan on getting some of these as well:

Hydor Koralia 2 Controllable Powerhead Low Voltage 12V LV 260-680 GPH