Starting a 40 breeder reef.. a few questions!

[exodus]

So I decided to move into a reef setup after having freshwater tanks for quite awhile. I'm getting bored of them and need a bigger challenge. Plus, reef tanks are completely gorgeous.

The plan is to build myself a reef setup using a 40 breeder as the main tank and a 20L as the sump. I plan on following the design on this thread: http://www.aquariumadvice.com/viewtopic.php?t=53046 . I plan on building a stand and canopy for it as I've done with my 55, 20L, and 10g. Lighting is going to be 1-2 250w metal halides.

How many 250's I use on a 40 breeder? I'm assuming one would work quite nicely. Also, do I need a special reef bulb, or will a normal daylight MH work?

The pump I plan on using will probably be a Mag pump with a flow of 350 or 700gph depending on which one I buy. I already ordered a skimmer - Red Sea Berlin Turbo which I've read is quite good.

In the sump I plan on having a LR compartment, skimmer, pump, and I'm reading conflicting things about the benefits of a 'fuge in a reef setup.

Should I go with a 'fuge or not?

I plan on drilling the tank to fit bulkheads for drain purposes. How many do I need on a 40g?

And how big should they be? I was thinking one in each corner @ 1.5".

Also, how do I plumb the return line from the sump? Should it be drilled into the tank as well?

What should I use for the actual bulkhead fittings? PVC parts, or are there special aquarium bulkheads available?

For other equipment, I'm gunna be going with 2x Jager 250w heaters, one as a backup. I can get them for $20 new with my discount, so I'll take advantage of that Powerheads are most likely going to be two or more AquaClear powerheads, which I'll probably throw on a wavemaker.

I'm planning on using about 60lbs of live rock, and fine grained marine sand @ 2" deep. I'm gunna swap about half of that for seeded sand from the LFS I work at and put new sand back in those tanks. I figure that should help get a jump on my cycle. PFS isnt a good option for salt, correct?

I'm also debating getting a calcium reactor at some point as well. I already have a CO2 setup on my 55 planted FW and it would be very easy to throw a manifold on there and run a CO2 hose under the floor to the other side of the room. I see the coralife reactors are listed fairly cheaply, which means list price that I pay is very cheap. Would it be worth it?



Thanks for the help, and sorry for so many questions. I started searching for the info on all this stuff but thought it would be easier to throw it into a thread.

Any help/tips are quite welcome.
TIA!

 

[austinsdad]

Should I go with a 'fuge or not?

Yep! Increased water volume is always good. Good place to put beneficial macro algaes and healing coral, or different critters. I enjoy looking into mine almost as much as my main.

 

[exodus]

Awesome. Fuge is in the plans.

Anyone else?

I really need the plumbing questions answered more than anything else.

 

[sir_dudeguy]

a fuge wont realy do much good as far as adding much volume to a tank..unless you're doing a 10 gallon for the display..but most people only use an in sump fuge, which is prolly only 5 gallons, or a 10 gal. seperate fuge...once you add in (or subtract i should say) the error room for backflow, you lose a few gals..so really, its not that beneficial as far as adding volume..but thats just IMO!

The ARE really usefull for you pods tho..which is why most people use one...throw some chaeto algae over some live sand and live rock rubble in ther, and you'll be good to go...the live sand and rock rubble just gives a place for pods to hide, and they really breed in the algae, which the algae in turn eats up nitrates...but dont let the algae put u in a false sense of security...you can still get nitrate spikes..

check out my post on my sump..it should still be right under this thread...i'm also converting a 40 breeder..that thread may be of some use to you, as there are a couple links on there.

HTH
mike

 

[austinsdad]

True. 5g or so will only help as a pod breeder and macro algae, not water volume. I still think it would be good.

 

[sir_dudeguy]

ya, as do i. After all, an old hob millenium filter has done wonders for my pod population lol..i jsut got a scoop of ls and a thing of chaeto from a friend and put it in there.

 

[Electrobes]

If it helps any I have a 40 breeder, but it is actually sumpless. I was tired of deaing with a HOB overflow, but did not want to drill it. Anyway my website (www button below me) is about my tank, has my set up info and a lot of pics over the years (including when I had a sump and refugium!). Have fun