40 Breeder vs 55 gallon tank

[Isaacs55]

So I'm in the middle of an argument with myself...and I don't know if I should stick with my 55 gallon tank I have now or switch to a 40 Breeder. I haven't put any rock in yet or water or sand. But I have built the stand already for my 55 gallon tank. But I can always make into a 40 Breeder stand that's not a problem.
So I would like to stock 2 clowns and diamond goby and maybe 2 more fish my wife chooses. Will a 40 Breeder be ok with that many fish? I planned on eventually getting a mandarin after my tank has been established for about a year and once I have a good source of copepods actively growing. Here's a picture of my tank and stand I have now. The stand isn't finished yet though. The main reason I want to switch is because I want the tank drilled.

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[fishgate]

Easy answer for me because of all the tanks ever produced I hate the 55 footprint most. 40B all the way is my vote!

[Mrramsey]

If you have the space for a 55 just upgrade to a 90rr. Use the 40 for the sump. 90 will give you far more fish choices. If it is going to be fish only your costs are not going to be much different than the 55. You'll be happier in the end.

[Jurel6570]

I would go with the 40. All the tank only 12" deep limit rock work to much epically if you plan on building a reef tank.

[morleyz]

For a reef, go with the 40. FOWLR, probably either is fine. The shallower 40 is much easier to light and maintain for a reef.

[dkeller_nc]

Sell the 55 and the stand; they make excellent freshwater tanks (or set it up as a freshwater if that's your preference). Since you have room for a 4' long tank, consider a 75g instead of the 40g (a 3' long tank). The incremental cost for equipment is minimal, and the extra foot will give you a lot more flexibility for aquascaping and some additional room for your fish.

[ReefKeep66]

Originally Posted by dkeller_nc

Sell the 55 and the stand; they make excellent freshwater tanks (or set it up as a freshwater if that's your preference). Since you have room for a 4' long tank, consider a 75g instead of the 40g (a 3' long tank). The incremental cost for equipment is minimal, and the extra foot will give you a lot more flexibility for aquascaping and some additional room for your fish.

+1 I'd look into 75+, something that you can grow into for a few years.

[Isaacs55]

So I'm liking the feedback!!! If I went with the 40B I was going to sell the 55g and turn the stand into a 40B stand by cutting 12 inches off and replacing the width to 19 inches for the 40B. That should work right? All the wood and everything for the stand was about 60 bucks. I know a lot of these stands built the way I built it at a store is probably worth like $300 so maybe I can sell it for $150 on CL?
Thanks guys!!

[Isaacs55]

I originally was going to go with 75 because I absolutely love the footprint, especially love the 4 foot length look lol. Idk see this is too difficult for me lol plus I'd want like 2 Vega lights for a 75 and everything would be much more expensive lol

[toothybugs]

Originally Posted by Isaacs55

and everything would be much more expensive lol

WORTH IT.

That said, I'm on the 90 bandwagon.

[Isaacs55]

Originally Posted by toothybugs

WORTH IT.

That said, I'm on the 90 bandwagon.

Haha this made my day!

[shesacharmer]

I have a reef ready 75 and was given a 55 which I had drilled by a friend. I really enjoy the 75 and a 4' tank length is all I have room for. Aquascaping the 55 has been a bear! If I put the rock in the center there is no sand bed room in front...if I back it up I can't clean back there and it's just turning out to be a pain to have enough rock to do the job and still look attractive. I don't see drilling the tank as being an issue though...I got a slim overflow box from ebay and it works great.

[dkeller_nc]

I'm assuming you mean "Hydra 52" or "Hydra 26" lights - Vegas are old and superceded. You don't have to go LED - a 6-bulb Aquatic Life T5HO fixture for a 4-foot tank can be had for about $450 including bulbs and an integrated timer, and a 4-bulb fixture is about $330.

[Isaacs55]

Yea I was thinking that. Idk though cuz T5HOs would be too much to run. I want LED so I most likely will do the Hydras or even experiment with a less expensive type. I was just always told the more expensive the product the more likely it will last you !

[bwade209]

Go with a 90g and you won't have to tear it down and upgrade in a year because you need/want more real estate

[SteveZZR]

Don't run a 12" front-back reef! Regret doing so with my 30G, and can't wait to move into my 3x2x2.

You should get a 4x2x2, it will barely take up any extra space and you'll have so much more available to you to choose from! It's the size I'd have gone for if the 3ft wasn't a squeeze already!

[Knd107]

+1 for 40B in lieu of 55 if not the 75/ 90

[Crooked Reef]

I like the footprint of te 40b better than the 55 as well. A 65 has the same footprint as a 40b if you are stuck in that size. I have a 65 and love it, but would trade up for a 90 or 120 if I had the extra time and money in an instant.

[dkeller_nc]

Originally Posted by Isaacs55

Yea I was thinking that. Idk though cuz T5HOs would be too much to run. I want LED so I most likely will do the Hydras or even experiment with a less expensive type. I was just always told the more expensive the product the more likely it will last you !

The amount of power that 4' T5HO 6-bulb fixture is nominally 216 watts. Assuming about a 10 hour full-power photoperiod, it will use 67 kwh per month. At $0.10/kwh, that's $7 per month. At $0.15/kwh, it's $10.5 per month.

Approximately speaking, sufficient LED fixtures to offer the same coverage and intensity will use about 2/3s of that figure. So the difference in power costs will be about $2.30 per month at $0.10/kwh, or $3.47 per month at $0.15/kwh.

And T5HOs are bullet-proof; the spectrum's all there, and coverage over the tank is complete without any shadows. This is not necessarily the case with inexpensive LED fixtures.

[Ianwagz]

I'm sure everyone will most likely agree with me on this; you will get sucked into corals. I told my self 5 years ago, I just want fish, nothing else. Well, with in two months I had a handful of zoas and soft corals. I also went from two clowns and a yellow tang to 8 fish in my 60. So I would say go bigger. The breeder has more depth which is better for reef but the gallons and length of the 55 will be more suitable for active swimming fish. Good luck!

[Isaacs55]

Originally Posted by dkeller_nc

The amount of power that 4' T5HO 6-bulb fixture is nominally 216 watts. Assuming about a 10 hour full-power photoperiod, it will use 67 kwh per month. At $0.10/kwh, that's $7 per month. At $0.15/kwh, it's $10.5 per month.

Approximately speaking, sufficient LED fixtures to offer the same coverage and intensity will use about 2/3s of that figure. So the difference in power costs will be about $2.30 per month at $0.10/kwh, or $3.47 per month at $0.15/kwh.

And T5HOs are bullet-proof; the spectrum's all there, and coverage over the tank is complete without any shadows. This is not necessarily the case with inexpensive LED fixtures.

See I totally agree with you, however efficiency is what I'm looking for with almost the same results. LEDs can give me that efficiency I'm looking for but also give me style/modern look I'm going for. I appreciate all the great comments and advice you guys are giving me!! It's great stuff. I've got a lot to think about.

Although I've got good news!! I actually sold my stand for $200!! the guy didn't want the 55 tank cuz he said he already has one so I'm stuck with a 55g tank at the moment lol but hey I can't complain I may just make a living out of aquarium stands haha jk

So my next step is to figure out what yank I want to go with. I do have a return pump already that I purchased a while back...it's a Rio 2500...so it pushes a lot of water. I'm actually leaning towards a 40 Breeder. It's not too big or too small. I know a lot of people are saying go big or go home lol but idk if really want one that big yet. Maybe in like 3-4 years I'll upgrade to a 70 or 90...but I haven't made up my mind yet. When I do I'll post some pictures of the tank. And then build a stand for her lol
Thanks guys

[bpcardona]

40B are always sold out for a reason. I buy a couple when we have the dollar per gallon sale, just to have them or sell them later. That dimensions of the 40b are just great. The 55 is just to narrow.

[Boom]

If you're interested, I have a 40 g acrylic, drilled with new skimmer and new sump and simple wood stand for sale or trade... $200. My fiance decided he wants a 200 gallon freshwater tank instead:

[Boom]

Shoot. Moderators i don't know how to delete that post! I thought I was on my local reefer site! Please delete for me!

[mandarin_goby]

I have a 40b reef and a 55 freshwater...the 40b dimensions are so much better, but my new 75 takes the cake - 4ft long and wider than the 55? Yep, it's perfect!

My new 75 is freshwater tho (just transferring everything from the 55 over) - equipment-wise, the 40b is more manageable regarding prices. Also, buying live rock for a 75 would cost a lot of $$. Stick with the 40b...for now.