New 40 Breeder

[nelsoncn]

New to the hobby, and I need some advice on direction I can take the tank given my situation:

My biggest constraints are, living on the 3rd floor in an apartment building, and the tank is located in my bedroom. My biggest concerns are limiting the chance for any sort of water leaking (why I am hesitant to add a sump w/ extra plumbing /ATO), and noise. What are my best options directionally... FOWLR? Limited Reef? and the corresponding equipment/maintenance schedule considerations? Was thinking of a HOB skimmer like the Reef Oct. BH1000. Does this add any real concern for leakage? Should I consider an RO/DI unit?

40 Breeder has gone 1 week with live sand, rock.
Equipment:
Lighting: Dual 39W T5 HO
Circulation: 1x Vortech MP10
Filtration: Fluval 306
150W Heater

Thanks in advance.

[Michigan Mike]

With only two t5ho over a 40b makes you very reef limited. 4 bulbs will help but 6 will let you grow anything you want.
Btw I use a fluval canister and no skimmer and have a mixed reef.

Hob skimmers can be noisy. You don't need one right away also.

What kind of corals do you want ?

Post a pic of your setup if you can.

[TjwBlake]

IMO the HOB equipment would probably give you minimal cause for leakage. They don't hold enough water to do any real damage and as long as visual inspections are part of your maintenance you will probably never have an issue. Even if it did fall off the tank it would be like spilling a cup of water.. no biggy :)

I am not very familiar with the lighting, but I would agree that 4bulb at least would be better but you will probably get away with things like zoas, mushrooms,and other softies.

Ro/DI would make your life easier if it is an option for you, but failing that a good source of filtered water from a store and mix your own.

You don't need a sump at all if you don't want it you can have a great tank with what you have as long as you stay on top of basic maintenance

[csm41]

I have a 56 gallon column that was my only option due to space constraints. Like you, I would love to use a sump but have not got the space. In your situation I would buy some decent lighting if you want to add corals, but the lights you have now are fine for a FOWLER. I bought the Aquatic Life T5 4 bulb and really like it. Plenty of light for corals and an integrated timer that allows staged lighting. I also use a Fluval cannister filter, but only add live rock rubble and phosphate remover to the trays. I considerd a HOB refugium, but decided against it for the time being. As for skimmers, I would eventually get one if I were you. I have an Aquamaxx HOB1. Well built, easy to clean, quiet, and a beast of a pump. I also like the Reef Octopus offerings as well. You can have a successful reef without a sump.

[sponger0]

I wouldnt worry about leaks if you do a sump and plumbing properly. Do the math and make the sump correctly and you wont have to worry about it.

If you are worried about noise, spend money on quality pumps. People have complained that Vortechs can be noisy.

Yes do 4 bulbs. 2 bulbs isnt enough for most corals.

RO/DI is highly recommended.

[ajcanale]

Renters Insurance. If you don't have it, get it. Also talk to an agent or rep and mention the tank and make sure you are protected in regards to liability.

[nelsoncn]

tank pic is attached.

http://i1054.photobucket.com/albums/s497/nelson_cn/tank.jpg

[nelsoncn]

In general I would like to design as much flexibility into the setup as I can get away with, so my options aren't that limited.


Corals
From what I am reading it seems the 2 bulb T-5 ain't gonna cut it. The fixtures are expensive and I'd rather not by a 4 if a 6 is necessary. In my reading this seems to be where there is some debate. Even though the 40breeder is shallow, will SPS thrive with a 4 bulb T-5 lighting setup? What are your recommendations for test kits and dosing when I do get the that point?

Filter Media
Right now I'm using what came with the 306: foam, bio-foam, carbon, and biomax. I bought Purigen separately because I heard nothing but positive reviews on it polishing the water to be crystal clear. I will wait to use it when the tank is stocked. Any advice on media?

Vortech MP10
At night the MP10 is a bit noisy at full power. When my Central AC turns on though, you can't hear it. I usually turn it to 1/4 speed at night so far and have no issues.

Sump
Seems like this will help greatly but If I have weekly water changes and stay on top of maintenance that it is a "nice-to-have" more than a "need-to have". I'd prefer not to add it as a have a very mischievous 2-year old who would love to pull on any extra plumbing I put down there, and I'm not too confident that I can install a failsafe system that would never dump 40G of saltwater into the apartment below.

Insurance
I have the basic renters policy, and shopped around at several of the companies on forums that have been mentioned to cover this sort of thing. My biggest finding is that if you keep asking them probing questions like, "what if my son falls with a toy into the tank and it breaks/leaks onto the floor", their answer quickly changes to "No insurance company covers negligence" The phrasing in the contract might lead some to believe certain situations are covered but in fact they are not. I'm not to worried about a piece of ceiling falling onto my tank and causing a flood, but more of my kid causing problems...more investigating and shopping to do. I'll let you know if I have any luck. Share any feedback or advice if you have any in this area please.

Future equipment purchases I'm now considering
Upgrade lighting to 4 or 6 bulb
Skimmer
RO/DI unit



Thanks for the feedback so far, its been very helpful.