do i NEED a sump for a 40 gallon tank or can i run a canister filter and and HOB fuge modded filter?

just go with the sump much more clean looking. and i heard canister filter is a no no

i've been running canister filter on my 20 gallon no problem. just have to clean it out once a month but it depends on how heavily feeding is but i only feed once a day very lightly cuz of my mandarin dragonet.

no you dont NEEEEEEEED a sump, but it would be a good idea. helps increases tank volume and like others mentioned, makes the appearance a lot cleaner.

the back of the tank is painted black so no worries about cleanliness.

would an HOB filter be okay then disaster999? or would i need to run a canister filter with HOB skimmer or would an HOB skimmer be just fine?

its not about having the back painted or not...having a HOB fuge and skimmer means having 2 power heads sitting in your tank. but with careful rock placement, they can be easily hidden

like others said, canister filter is generally frowned upon because they trap a lot of crap. you CAN modify the canister filter into a fuge by wiring in a submerge-able light into the canister and run chaeto. do you really NEED a fuge? no, a fuge just helps absorb extra nutrients in the water. do you NEED a skimmer? well it depends on what you are keeping. LSP and softy online generally dont need a skimmer. SPS you might want to get an HOB skimmer.

I only want LPS and softies like ricordea and zoas, nothing fancy. I'm okay with a canister filter because i'm using one right now and it's been working fine for me since i clean is regularly. maybe I'll go with that again.

well whatever works for you. i have people tell me sponges and live rubble are nitrate factories, but i use it anyways because my nitrates were undetectable. why fix it if it works?