29 BioCube to a 40 Breeder

[pdiehm]

Right now, I have a 29 Biocube, it's doing ok, not great, not bad...the normal ups and downs of a tank within the first year to 18 months.  I have recently started to part out the equipment from my 120 gallon as, A) it was in the basement, so I never really took care of it and B) it was just too much.  With my life, I need 1 tank, and 1 tank only.  

 

My wife and I were talking about the dismantling of the 120, and she goes, maybe you can get a bigger tank up here in the family room.  I said, I can put a 40 breeder up here, it's bigger but not over powering.  Over the weekend I really started to put things down, and so far this is what I have in mind.

 

Obviously a 40 gallon breeder, but will be using exotic marine's 20" overflow box with 2 return lines (3/4") that are power by a Sicce Syncra 2.0 pump.   This pump is what I used on my algae scrubber for the 120, and seems to be about the right flow rate for a tank of this size.  The back will be painted black (though I am toying with blue).  Under the 40 breeder will be a 20 long sump, which will be using the exotic marine 20 long sump kit.  

 

The stand is probably something I will build as I want to have a cabinet that stores my ATO (hidden), and the other side a cabinet for additives, test kits, but at the same time thinking about where I can put my dosing pump (down the line).  This stand is a work in progress, and will iron this out more in the future.

 

Inside the 40 breeder will be 2 MP10 QD's, some special grade sand, and 2 NSA structures.  The plan is to cycle a brightwell brick to put in the sump and try to eliminate the extended ugly phase.  

 

Lighting this tank will be 2 Hydra 26 HD's.  It may be overkill, but I already have 1, and running BRS's recommended settings for LPS/Softy, which this will be, will give me good spread, but not overpoweringly bright.  

 

the skimmer is TBD, maybe the Icecap K1-100?  i need to research this more, but will be running 20 hours a day with 4 hours off.

 

Livestock planned:  The fish from the biocube (2 clowns and bi-color blenny), a diamond watchman goby for sand maintenance, maybe a dwarf angel (probably not, but I will always ponder this) and probably a group of cardinals.

 

Corals will be zoa's of all colors, some torches/frogspawn/hammers, a brain, some favia's and whatever else I can think of that isn't high maintenance.  The plan is to not dose for as long as possible and control things with water changes.  I have been using ESV salt, but it's getting increasingly hard to get, so I will probably use regular IO, and add calcium up to bring it to 440.  Magnesium may also be dosed in newly mixed water to 1400 if it's not already there.

 

Moral of the story, this will be a keep it simple setup and do weekly 5 gallon water changes.