New to SW - Looking to get 40g tank

The friendliest place on the web for anyone with an interest in aquariums or fish keeping!
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.

bobajum

Aquarium Advice Apprentice
Joined
Dec 7, 2004
Messages
32
Location
Long Beach, CA
I'm a total noobie to this hobbie but I've always loved fish and had wanted to get started in it. Been reading AA for about a month now and there is sooo much great info and advise.

I'm thinking of getting a 40g Uniquarium or the Sea Clear system II. Both have a built in wet/dry filter.

I have a few questions regarding this kind of setup...

1. Anyone using a Uniquarium or the System II? How is the built in filter and how much real estate am i losing to the built in system...(i.e. - will i my 40g setup only hold 30g of water?...so should i get a bigger one?)

2. Would i be better off getting just a regular 40g tank and get separate filter system?

3. Besides the tank, filter, stand, LR, sand, heater, etc..., will i need other things such as a protein skimmer or any other equipment?

Right now...in my 6g tank...I have a Yellow Clown Goby and a small Sebae Clown. I want to get more fish but i don't want to keep them unhappy/unhealthy in a small tank. How long do I have to have my new setup cycle before i can get my fish in?

Thanks for any and all info.
 
Not a ton of info for you but,
1. Never used one, but I believe some manufacturers rate the tank volume based on the actual display volume. So a 40g tank would have 40g + whatever the filter holds. Email them and ask. As for size, I'm big on going with the largest you can afford/have room for. Big tanks give a little more fudge room while you're learning the ropes.
2. That's up to you. What's best for me and my plans may not be best for you and yours. Separate filtration by way of sump does give a little flexibility the built ins may be lacking.
3. Maybe, it depends on what your goals are, filtration method and what your livestock will be. A skimmer is not a requirement for all tanks, but is a good idea for them. Same with RO filters, good lighting...
4. You have to cycle the tank until the cycle is done. It could be days, could be months. But expect 4-12 weeks for a full and complete cycle on a completely fresh setup using nothing but bare sand and base rock. Every tank and every cycle is unique, so there's no hard and fast time frame. Only the tests will tell. Do wait until you are setup in a larger tank before adding any more livestock.

There you go. I said a lot and didn't answer anything. I should go into politics.
 
Indy,

Thank you for your advise. I'll look further into my options as far as the size of the tank and what i should get.

:D
 
I have had very good luck so far with my setup (similar size as what your wanting.) Check out my signature and my gallery!

The Canister Filter keeps things really clean. Its a good alternitive on a small tank to a wet/dry filtration system.
 
If you're going to have LR in the tank, you may not need the wet/dry. I'm always suspicious of "built in" filtration, but that's JMHO. Beware that acrylic tanks scratch very easily too. If I were going to set up a 40g tank, I'd probably go with a glass tank and spend the money I saved on a good skimmer. My recommendation would be an Aqua C Remora or, if you have a sump, an Aqua C Urchin. Get the Maxi Jet pump if you decide to go this route...much better than the Rio. You'll want to review what you want to keep in the tank before you decide on a lighting system too.
 
Rocket,

Haven't figured out what kind of fish I want to get yet. If my little guys in my 6g tank survive...I'll definitely move them. I just fear that they may not survive since they don't seem to be eating at all...at least from what I can tell. I guess I'll have to visit some local shops around here and hope I find some new and interesting fish that catches my eyes.

:D
 
be careful and do alot of research. Many fish sold at pet stores get WAY to big for a 40 gallon tank. as soon as you come up with a list, come here and let us take a look. :)
 
As far as fish load I would have to be honest with you and tell you that you will not be able to house 85% of the fish you see and want with a 40gal tank. Salt water fish are indeed beautiful but some of the most beautiful fish either require large tanks or expert owners. Most LFS will not tell you that, they will just try to sell you a fish. The thing is with Saltwater the fish are more expensive and mistake can become very costly and make you run for the hill, as far as, continuing in the hobby. My advice would be too stick with some of the smaller cheaper fish (damsels, clowns, etc) until you get a hang of the hobby and become more knowledgeable in the areas of: Disease control and treatment, Water quality maintenance and control, fish behavior and diet. One of the biggest and most costly mistakes people make is to over load there tank with fish they purchased on impulse with out actually knowing the required tank capacity and what tank mates they could and could not have. Believe me…I’m speaking from experience. I had the best looking tank you can imagine when I first started, but for only one week because I had no idea of what I was doing. You can start with the links below. They will give you a little bio on each fish. Try to stick with the fish in the easy care level range. Some those moderate care level fish are some what difficult for beginners (Angels in particular). Read through this form and get an idea of what other people are facing so you have a better Idea of what you are getting in to. Also, be prepared to fight off parasites and other fish diseases. Last but not least…QURINTINE EVERY THING. It will save you time and money in the end. Have lots of patience and read as much as you can and you will be ok.

http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/categ.cfm?pcatid=864

http://www.vividaquariums.com/10BrowseCat.asp?Category=Fish
 
Thx for all the good info and advice guys.

I don't plan on getting any fish that are out of my league. I've been doing a lot of research on different types of fish and I think I'm gonna get mostly docile fish that will get along with each other well.

Most likey, I'll get some green chromis, a firefish, some sort of a goby, and maybe a couple clowns.

The fish list is still up in the air...but the fish I plan on getting will be small so I hope it won't be overpopulated.
 
Oh...couple more question for you guys...

In my 6 gallon tank right now...I have a Sebae Clown and a Clown Goby and they just started taking food after about a week. They seem to take the flakes in their mouth but spit it back out and hardly seem to eat them...but they do eat a flake here and there.

1. What other types of food should i try to get for them?

2. Should i get a couple of hermit crabs to clean up the leftover food? cause i seem to be getting quite a bit of fallen flakes.

Thanks
 
try using Formula One and Formula two frozen foods. My clowns love it. small blue legged hermits would ge a good addition (get about 4)

your fish could be not eating because they are having a hard time adjusting to the tiny system. I would get the 40 gallon going ASAP.
 
OK....

I finally got a 40G setup.

I bought a Used setup from a guy but the acrylic tank i got from him was in terrible condition so I went and bought a new 40G glass tank.

Here is what I got from him...

He had a Tang of some sort and a Maroon clown ( pretty big) with about 50-60 lbs of live rock ( im not sure if they are live or not anymore) and about 3" of crushed coral/sand mixture. I also got the Tank/Stand/Canopy from him, a CPR BakPak skimmer, a Magnum 350, a heater, JBJ PC light fixture, and an assortment of chemicals and such.

I will be selling the old beat up tank and the 2 fish to someone so I hope they will end up in good hands.

Now...here are some questions I have.

Well...let me give u guys the run down first... The guy I got the the setup from said he had it for about 5 years....he said he couldnt take care of it anymore so he was getting rid of it....from the looks of it...it looks like he hadnt cleaned the tank in about 2 years as most of the tank was covered in some sort of algae and other crud. While we were taking all the stuff out of his tank...he tried to clean the sand a bit and it looked like he hadnt cleaned the sand in about 3-4 years...water was black and foul smelling!!! When I say the water was black...I mean like muddy black water...no exaggeration!!!

Anyway...after I cleaned up everything...its looking pretty good...especially with my new tank. So back to the questions...

1. I threw out most of the rock as they had some white slimy things on them like they were dead coral or something. I have about 15lbs worth I kept. I am not sure if the rocks are live anymore but I've kept them in SW since I got them yesterday.

2. The sand he had was full of gravel and small pieces of coral and crushed sea shells. Will this type of sand be suitable for LS or will I need to go buy a whole new batch of sand? I really dont want to buy a whole 50lbs or so of sand as I can't find the play sand anywhere in my area. Not only that...I spend like 3 hours cleaning the sand via hand!!! I got all the gunk out and its nice and clean now and I'd hate to see all that work go to waste.

3. Do I have to go through and cycle the tank completely for 4-6 weeks before I can stock with with fish and stuff?? The rocks are from his tank and it seems like there is still some algae on them. I want to try to get my Sebae and Goby from my 6g into my new setup as soon as I can.

4. I plan on getting some more LR from this place http://www.oceanproaquatics.com/shop/index.php/cPath/30_88 . Anyone have any experience with them?? I will be out of town for about a week, so do I start my cycle after I add the new rocks?

Any and all info would be great.

BTW...you guys are awesome with all the great info and help
 
Back
Top Bottom