Getting started 40 gal... filtration

[Rfirman]

Hey every one i wanted to some of your opinions on setting up a 40 gallon saltwater tank.
Well i mainly wanted to help on choosing the best filtration.

For a reef and fish aquarium i want a sump refugium right?

What is the cheepest but most reliable one to buy?

And what protien skimmer should i get that will fit the sump that i buy?

Or is it best to just make a DIY Sump?

I just want to start figuring out what i need.

 

[Nu-Nu the eel]

For a 40 gallon i wouldnt say you need a sump at all! You could if you wanted too, but i wouldnt say its necassary, neither is a protein skimmer.

 

[Rfirman]

oh what shall i get for filtration then?

 

[chbix]

I think it depends on what you want to keep in the tank. If your just doing fish and live rock I would think that if you would be ok as long as you stocked lightly. You could look at a hob solution.

 

[Rfirman]

Im thinking like some coral, clowns, a tang, maybe a snowflake eel. and your talking about a hang on the back right?

 

[chbix]

Yes hang on back. If your running corals and fish then I think a protein skinner will be needed to help with keeping the water clean for the coral. If you don't want to run a sump then a hang on back protein skimmer is your solution

 

[Rfirman]

ok sweet will i need any other hang on the back stuff like a refugium or another regular filter?

 

[Beengirl]

You can do a hob filter, just get one rated for at least twice the size of the tank. Aqua clear are good cuz you can modify the contents easily. Also, just as a side note, there is no tang that will live happily in a 40g tank.
You could get a hob skimmer too, but if you do regular PWCs and feed lightly, it's probably not necessary. Good luck!!

 

[Rfirman]

but but tangs are awesome ok thanks for the info. is there anything else i should get, im not really sure. what about an ro/di unit? shall i get one?

 

[Beengirl]

You should get a RO unit at some point. Whether it needs to be sooner rather than later depends on if you have a LFS that sells RODI water and your finances. I dont have one yet, but I have 2 LFS that sell it for under 0.40/gal. So i buy buckets of it every week, but that's obviously not the most ideal situation.
Sorry about the tangs- they are awesome, I agree. I don't have one either cuz my biggest tank is a 55g and most tangs need at least a 6' tank. Tangs are very prone to ich, so if they're not happy, they can get ich and wipe out your whole tank. Not worth it, there are lots of other beautiful fish that will work in a 40g.

 

[Rfirman]

ya i will have to thing of some other fish and corals!

 

[chbix]

The Refugium is up to you...it helps as another type of filtering and also adds water volume. I don't feel that other filters are needed in a sw tank ( meaning the hob fw type mechanical filters).

Yes Ro/di Should be a high priority as well.

 

[Rfirman]

Any advise on a good skimmer for a 40 gal. And anyone have any advise on fish to get?

 

[Beengirl]

Any advise on a good skimmer for a 40 gal. And anyone have any advise on fish to get?

Check out liveaquaria.com and look up fish there. It'll tell you the tank size requirement for each type of fish. The nano section will help you, but some for a 40g will be in the regular section too.

 

[Rfirman]

Awesome thanks. Is there any thread or info anyone can give me on how I can customize the acuaclear hob filter?

 

[Beengirl]

Awesome thanks. Is there any thread or info anyone can give me on how I can customize the acuaclear hob filter?

they're pretty easy to customize. You can do sponge, ceramic rings, LR, chaeto, purigen, Chemipure, or any combination of those things. It's really up to you. The ac filters just have an open space. I use the sponge, ceramic rings and chemipure in mine on my 30g FOWLR. Then in my 55g reef, I use an AC as a hob fuge, there are some threads about doing that in the DIY section.