Setting Up First Reef Tank

[Thalasstronaut]

Hello all,

After browsing this forum for several months, I’ve made an account to seek specific advice for a few questions I have before setting up my first reef tank.

As a way of background, in about a years time, maybe slightly longer (beginning of 2025) I plan to have a large display tank set up in our living area with a basement sump assembly. There are some other renovations that need to happen first, but I plan to have a large “long term” tank in the near-ish future.

In the mean time, I have been considering my options for starting a smaller reef tank to 1. Kill the time between now and then and 2. Get my feet wet with reefkeeping. I am a semi experienced freshwater aquarist, but I have never kept a saltwater tank, let alone a reef. And I’d like to work out some of the growing pains on a smaller scale, and get some experience appreciating the differences between FW and SW before diving too far in.

So for this tank I’m setting up I am anticipating having it for about a year and then either combining the contents with a larger tank or moving over a few animals and corals and building up the large tank mostly from scratch.

I have several empty tanks sitting around and I’m looking for feedback on which to go with. The only animal I would absolutely love to have (to the point of it being a dealbreaker, I would say) is a snowflake eel. I would like some corals (primarily soft and LPS) and other animals as well but I want to build around the eel primarily.

I’m considering a 55g and a 40 breeder as my options. I know conventional wisdom is 55 as the minimum tank size for a snowflake but I want to know logistically why that is. Is it just the bio load? A 40 breeder has a greater square footage and theoretically a greater swimming area for fish, except those that really make use of the height of their tank. So wouldn’t a 40 breeder make more sense? My preference is to use the 40b just because of the ease of placement (I have a specific area in our front room picked out), the shallowness of the tank, and the better aquascaping opportunities. I really don’t love working with 55s, they are a compromise tank in my experience where I only like them in situations that call for a flat tank that hugs the wall.

So would a 40 breeder do me well for a year or so? If so, is that contingent on running a sump? (I also have a 20 and a 10 gallon tank kicking around that I could repurpose.) I’ve never constructed a sump and I am a little nervous about that aspect. (I don’t intend to run a sump to my basement for a short term tank and the flood risk on the first floor does give me some pause.) My other option is an HOB filter, I don’t really see myself using a canister in a SW application. If a sump is really truly the way to go, I would have specific questions on construction.

Thank you in advance to anyone who replies.

 

[Pickle_soup]

Good luck! There is a ton of great people here who will help you. Personally, I would go with the 40gal and not get the eel right now. Besides they are escape artists, so you need a tight cover on it. I would wait until I get the larger tank. This tank, you can use it for a quarantine tank for your corals and inverts after you get get your DT. I would also put as much LR as I can, so that I can seed the DT when it arrives and insta-cycle it.

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

Welcome to Reef2Reef!

Maybe @lion king or @Slocke would have some ideas on the 40 gal vs 55 gal tank to hold the snowflake eel for a year.

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

the 40 breeder is a good size tank, I have 2 clowns in mine along with 6 other small fish. Welcome and good luck, my suggestion is do lots of research, this hobby is nothing at all like freshwater

 

[lion king]

The 55g is longer and is better suited for an eel.

 

[Slocke]

I think the 40 gallon will work for a year. Though eels grow incredibly fast. What a moray eel needs more than swimming space is space to navigate through rocks so I suggest getting a lot of rock so it can really twist through them.

The tidal 110 is a great filter for even saltwater but making the tank eel proof with an overflow is difficult but can be done with a good screen netting (eels are escape artists). A sump is fairly easy if you have a drilled tank. I use other aquariums and brute cans for sumps.

 

[DrinkinPepsi]

Welcome to Reef2Reef!

Maybe @lion king or @Slocke would have some ideas on the 40 gal vs 55 gal tank to hold the snowflake eel for a year.

When one is deciding on a 55g you should always just opt for a 75g. Same tank but depth goes from 12inch to 18 inch. I went 75 gallon and I wish I would have known that if I went to 24 inch deep I could have gone with a 120 with all other tank dimensions being the same.

If bigger is not an option then do the 40. 55g is a horrible tank to work with.

 

[Thalasstronaut]

I think the 40 gallon will work for a year. Though eels grow incredibly fast. What a moray eel needs more than swimming space is space to navigate through rocks so I suggest getting a lot of rock so it can really twist through them.

The tidal 110 is a great filter for even saltwater but making the tank eel proof with an overflow is difficult but can be done with a good screen netting (eels are escape artists). A sump is fairly easy if you have a drilled tank. I use other aquariums and brute cans for sumps.

Thank you I appreciate the insight. I wasn’t quite sure how to phrase my question on 55 vs 40. Like yes, the 55 has more volume but when is “bigger” not really “bigger”? So I appreciate the bit about rocks. That was kind of my impression already, that I’d rather have the width a 40 provides to give more depth to the rock features.

And the tidal was the exact HOB I was considering. My main concern is on sealing it up. I keep Ropefish in my FW tank and I drilled and sealed holes around the canister input/output tubes myself, as well as taped down the back and baby latched the front lids. I can’t exactly recreate that with the large cutout a HOB takes up.

 

[lion king]

Here's a 40B with a 20L sump, I used a fiji cube overflow box, I forget which one, the one I listed below will get you 10x turn over in a 40B, the 600 will be best for a 55g or if you wanted more turn over in a 40. Eshopps also makes nice overflow boxes, I really like the fiji. I have 2 drilled 40B. Drilling is not as scary as some make it out to be. The boxes come with a template and you just let the weight of the drill do the work and keep it wet. The sump kit I listed I like as well, you do have other options, they are easy enough to diy. Those Brute cans are for an auto water change system, I used to be a nut thayt did many diy projects.

Fiji Cube Low Profile External Overflow Box 400GPH

The external overflow box is a popular overflow option for hobbyist to build their tanks into the next level. Fiji Cube’s external overflow box features a slim and safe design that offer another solution to perform your tank build. Features: Slim and compact design to suit any aquarium set-ups...

www.fijicube.com

REFUGIUM KIT - 20 Gallon Long aquarium sump kit - Dual Filter Sock Holder | eBay

Refugium / Sump kit is for a 20 gallon Long aquarium (26.25" x 12.5"X 12.75"). We can build you a kit for any size aquarium such as,10 gal, 20 gal L, 20 gal H, 29 gal, 40 gal breeder. We can also make custom kits dividers to any specifications.

www.ebay.com

 

[lion king]

Thank you I appreciate the insight. I wasn’t quite sure how to phrase my question on 55 vs 40. Like yes, the 55 has more volume but when is “bigger” not really “bigger”? So I appreciate the bit about rocks. That was kind of my impression already, that I’d rather have the width a 40 provides to give more depth to the rock features.

And the tidal was the exact HOB I was considering. My main concern is on sealing it up. I keep Ropefish in my FW tank and I drilled and sealed holes around the canister input/output tubes myself, as well as taped down the back and baby latched the front lids. I can’t exactly recreate that with the large cutout a HOB takes up.

I used a tidal on an eel temporary tank, can't find a pic. I used this embroidery mesh to form a cover for the opening of the filter. It's the same stuff I use on the top of an internal overflow to keep eels from going into the sump. You can silicone it, super glue it, or gorilla tape it. For the internal overflow I just use a few drops of superglue, still pops off easily. If amazon link doesn't show up, just search

4 Pieces Plastic Mesh Sheets for Embroidery Black Mesh Fish Tank Divider Screen Craft Mesh 10 Pieces Binding Bars Sliding Bars for Embroidery Crafting Knit and Crochet Projects​

 

[Thalasstronaut]

Here's a 40B with a 20L sump, I used a fiji cube overflow box, I forget which one, the one I listed below will get you 10x turn over in a 40B, the 600 will be best for a 55g or if you wanted more turn over in a 40. Eshopps also makes nice overflow boxes, I really like the fiji. I have 2 drilled 40B. Drilling is not as scary as some make it out to be. The boxes come with a template and you just let the weight of the drill do the work and keep it wet. The sump kit I listed I like as well, you do have other options, they are easy enough to diy. Those Brute cans are for an auto water change system, I used to be a nut thayt did many diy projects.

Fiji Cube Low Profile External Overflow Box 400GPH

The external overflow box is a popular overflow option for hobbyist to build their tanks into the next level. Fiji Cube’s external overflow box features a slim and safe design that offer another solution to perform your tank build. Features: Slim and compact design to suit any aquarium set-ups...

www.fijicube.com

REFUGIUM KIT - 20 Gallon Long aquarium sump kit - Dual Filter Sock Holder | eBay

Refugium / Sump kit is for a 20 gallon Long aquarium (26.25" x 12.5"X 12.75"). We can build you a kit for any size aquarium such as,10 gal, 20 gal L, 20 gal H, 29 gal, 40 gal breeder. We can also make custom kits dividers to any specifications.

www.ebay.com

Awesome thanks a ton. I’m not so worried about the drilling— I’m a handyman by trade and have DIYed plenty of projects and half projects.

I will ask though, are overflow boxes necessary with sump systems? Or is it just to create a redundancy for an emergency drain? Why aren’t drilled tanks plumbed directly from the back of the tank to the sump tank?

 

[Thalasstronaut]

I used a tidal on an eel temporary tank, can't find a pic. I used this embroidery mesh to form a cover for the opening of the filter. It's the same stuff I used on the top of an internal overflow to keep eels from going into ther sump. If amazon link doesn't show up, just search

4 Pieces Plastic Mesh Sheets for Embroidery Black Mesh Fish Tank Divider Screen Craft Mesh 10 Pieces Binding Bars Sliding Bars for Embroidery Crafting Knit and Crochet Projects​

Haha that stuff is awesome. I used it was an anchor material for Java moss on some planters I had in a tank. I got dish sponge caddies and planted some emergent plants in them and then wrapped the outside of the caddies with that mesh to secure some moss to hide the planters in the water. It comes in surprisingly handy. How did you secure it as a tank top/fish barrier?

 

[lion king]

Awesome thanks a ton. I’m not so worried about the drilling— I’m a handyman by trade and have DIYed plenty of projects and half projects.

I will ask though, are overflow boxes necessary with sump systems? Or is it just to create a redundancy for an emergency drain? Why aren’t drilled tanks plumbed directly from the back of the tank to the sump tank?

Plumbing directly to the sump is noisier that HE!! Boxes like the one I listed have 2 drains one emergency drain and you install a stockman standpipe in the other one, and it is whisper quiet. You can find many examples of how to make your stockman for a few dollars and 20 minutes, there are many youtube vids as well. Some other more expensive boxes may already contain a version of stockman.

 

[lion king]

Haha that stuff is awesome. I used it was an anchor material for Java moss on some planters I had in a tank. I got dish sponge caddies and planted some emergent plants in them and then wrapped the outside of the caddies with that mesh to secure some moss to hide the planters in the water. It comes in surprisingly handy. How did you secure it as a tank top/fish barrier?

Just trim to the area you want to cover and use a few drops of super glue, one single drop every few inches or so to create a good anchor. Easy to pop off if you need, just put a blade between right at the drop and pop.

 

[lion king]

Haha that stuff is awesome. I used it was an anchor material for Java moss on some planters I had in a tank. I got dish sponge caddies and planted some emergent plants in them and then wrapped the outside of the caddies with that mesh to secure some moss to hide the planters in the water. It comes in surprisingly handy. How did you secure it as a tank top/fish barrier?

I may have used gorilla tape around the tidal, it was in my fish room so I wasn't as concerned with aesthetics. That stuff bends so bend it from the top glass to the edges of the tidal, then anchor on the side and top against the tidal. They will escape there, it is guaranteed, so this area must be sealed. Super glue or black silicone can be used if you don't want to use tape. You may think up other methods, that mesh is good because that area of the filter is used for O2 exchange, so you do want an air exchange.

 

[Thalasstronaut]

I may have used gorilla tape around the tidal, it was in my fish room so I wasn't as concerned with aesthetics. That stuff bends so bend it from the top glass to the edges of the tidal, then anchor on the side and top against the tidal. They will escape there, it is guaranteed, so this area must be sealed. Super glue or black silicone can be used if you don't want to use tape. You may think up other methods, that mesh is good because that area of the filter is used for O2 exchange, so you do want an air exchange.

So you’re describing going over the output of the Tidal?

Would there be a risk of them going up current into the HOB? I was picturing cutting out a block from the back of the lid and then replacing it with mesh and letting the output of the filter hit the mesh and run through? Or not a great idea?

 

[lion king]

Here you go, here's a tidal and some mesh. Cut the mesh to fit that front opening, use a couple/few drops of superglue on each side. Place a weight on the top of the tidal, an eel can push right through that top. Trim the back strip of the tank around the tidal very tightly,, and make sure front and sides are completely sealed with absolutely no gaps. This is where you can use tape or black silicone. If the tank is in a social area of your house, you can cleanly and aesthitically use black silicone to fill in or secure any covering. And you can clean it off if you ever need to re-purpose the rank. I'm taking this time because the #1 cause of premature death in captive eels is carpet surfing, nutritional defencencies is 2nd, so check out some of my threads on nutrition.

 

[lion king]

So you’re describing going over the output of the Tidal?

Would there be a risk of them going up current into the HOB? I was picturing cutting out a block from the back of the lid and then replacing it with mesh and letting the output of the filter hit the mesh and run through? Or not a great idea?

You won't get proper flow through the mesh, it will back up and will also give a place for algae growth. You want the mesh cut to the top of the glass, then seal that area between the mesh and glass either with the back strip or bending the mesh to the top of the glass.

 

[PotatoPig]

When one is deciding on a 55g you should always just opt for a 75g. Same tank but depth goes from 12inch to 18 inch. I went 75 gallon and I wish I would have known that if I went to 24 inch deep I could have gone with a 120 with all other tank dimensions being the same.

If bigger is not an option then do the 40. 55g is a horrible tank to work with.

Also going to second 75 over 55

The 55 really doesn’t leave much room in it for rockwork and so on. The extra width of a 75 gives you much more flexibility.

IMO the standard 75g rimmed tank is a great first tank, and large enough to be many peoples last talk also. Nice water volume, lots of fish options, lots of space, but not so deep it’s difficult to access the rear/base, lots of sump options, and lots of economical equipment options.

 

[Thalasstronaut]

Here you go, here's a tidal and some mesh. Cut the mesh to fit that front opening, use a couple/few drops of superglue on each side. Place a weight on the top of the tidal, an eel can push right through that top. Trim the back strip of the tank around the tidal very tightly,, and make sure front and sides are completely sealed with absolutely no gaps. This is where you can use tape or black silicone. If the tank is in a social area of your house, you can cleanly and aesthitically use black silicone to fill in or secure any covering. And you can clean it off if you ever need to re-purpose the rank. I'm taking this time because the #1 cause of premature death in captive eels is carpet surfing, nutritional defencencies is 2nd, so check out some of my threads on nutrition.

Thank you for the reply, I definitely appreciate the info. So I would be wise to assume an eel could access the HOB at some point and just make sure the lid to that is secured as well as the tank lid itself? That makes sense.