Ahner's 40B reef build

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KAhner

Aquarium Advice Freak
Joined
Oct 21, 2011
Messages
339
Location
St. Louis, Missouri
I started cycling a 40 gal breeder about a month and a half ago. I have about 45lbs base rock, about 4-5 inches oolitic, biowheel, a 225 gph powerhead, and a koralia ph (not exactly sure what size it is, I think maybe 500-600 gph one). I know the biowheel sux but I already had it, and I'm just using it to run some carbon for now. It will come out when I get my sump set up. I'm making this a lot more work that necessary cause I got the stuff to get the sump set up, but I don't have a stand yet. My grandpas gonna help me build one. I can't find one for a decent price that is as tall as I want and have decent access to a sump. So yea I'm gonna have to move all this stuff in a couple weeks. Not fun. But I couldn't wait. I went to my Lfs a couple weeks ago to get a few snails and crabs, but my gf was with me and she said she wanted to buy a clown. I want to get a pair, and I know these shoulda been bought together and last. But whatever, we'll see. Right now I just got a couple cfls above my tank. Lol. I know, I know. So that brings me to my first question. I think I'm gonna go with the Current USA TrueLumen Pro LED Striplights. Any thoughts on these? I like them cause I can start pretty cheap right now and easily upgrade, cause I'll basically be fowlr for a couple months.
 
I was also considering getting the 24" strip on this 36" tank. I was thinking the 36" strip might be a waste, just throwing light out the sides. Oh and does anyone have a link for the specs on these lights? Like the diode watts, and how many can be linked on a single transformer.
 
I did some more research on these lights. A 36" strip is only 23 watts and you can put two on one power transformer. I couldn't find out what kinda diodes they r though. So they r probably pretty cheap ones. It looks like there are a lot of LEDs on the strips so they r probably only like half watts LEDs. I've done quit a bit of research on LEDs for indoor plants and they only recommend at least 1 watt LEDs, so for growing corals I definately wouldn't want anything less because of water penatration. I might still go with these for now cause I'll just be doing fowlr for a few months. Then upgrade to something like the Radion. Anyone know of a strip light that uses Cree LEDs, or something comparable? Preferably something low profile like the Current USA, so I could at least use for supplemental if I end up going with the Radion or some type of pendant.
 
If your using it for fowlr it's fine. I have only seen the trulumen used as an accent light or the blues to a mh. If you got blues then when you upgrade you wouldn't need actinics. Personally, I would get the lights I plan on having on my reef if thats what I eventually wanted. For fish, they need no special light, so you could go cheap now and save for a radion.
 
So I changed my mind for the 100th time. I'm gonna go with a cheaper 6 bulb t5 fixture from eBay. I'll probably use that for like 6-12 months then upgrade the bulbs. Then look into LEDs. I'm also getting the coralife 220g skimmer. Will that hang on my 18" high sump?
 
T-5 are great and grow lots of coral. You could just keep those lights and you will be pleased. I don't know enough about that skimmer. From what I read, it seems like that would work.
 
You've got a dsb correct? Are you sure you want 6 t5ho's burning through 11-12" of water? I've got a link on my oc at home for beams work led lights. Similar to marine land double bright or reef light led. Adkins price is 129 ish
 
Yea it should be pretty intense lighting. I wanna keep some high light corals, anemones, and a clam or two. You think I'm gonna fry some stuff?
 
got a model number on that octopus?

ive seen 40 breeder reefs with both 6 and 4 bulb t5ho so who knows?

idk if youve had any conversations with mr_X, but he was confident to recommend the 4 bulb to me if i thought about doing clams and sps corals because of the dsb im really shallow on water.

plus mfdrookie516 is planing on using a 4 bulb. im kind of hit and miss on his build though i need to just read it to get an idea of everything he is doing.

another 40 breeder guy is halfmoonb. you might want to shoot him a pm and see how he is doing. he running a shallow bed.
 
I'm thinking about the Reef Octopus DNWB 110. As you can see, between the light and skimmer, I'm pretty big on overkill. I want to go with a recirculating because I want to mount outside of sump. It is just so much easier to get out and clean that way. That's y I was originally looking looking at the coralife and other hang on skimmers. But the design and reviews of the reef octopus is just soo good. Oh and I won't be getting the skimmer until the end of January or begining of february.
 
It sounds great.i started with coralife skimmer as well did my buddy and both of them crapped out.we got reef octopus about the same price but 10x better.get the cone one nwb 110.uou will be very pleased
 
I'm gonna be drilling my tanks pretty soon. I want to do a herby overloy system. Where can I find some overflow boxes. I was looking at glass-holes.com. They seem nice but it's not exactly what I'm looking for cause I want to do the herby method. I think I need something with a box on the ouside of the tAnks also. I might be able to do it with the glass holes kit, but then I would have to drill two holes pretty close to each other and that seems structually risky.
 
you could make your own overflow box. custom box would let you do the herby overflow. bulk reef supply did a tank with one on one of their vids, maybe shoot them an email about it.
 
coffeetwitch said:
i found this on ebay, didnt know it was so pricey.

1200 GPH AQUARIUM OVERFLOW BOX - SURFACE SKIMMER | eBay

i went back to the window to look at it, they are in your neck of the woods too. st charles, dont know where in stl you are but still.

That's exactly what I'm looking for and that's not far from me at all. That's awsome. I went to their website and the boxes are 700gph for $40. That's not bad. Thanks.
 
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