# 46G bow versus 40G breeder - This is where my salt journey begins...



## des (Jul 30, 2011)

Hello

I have been doing some reading and A LOT thinking and my head is exhausted. Perhaps too much reading/thinking is taking me off course of my initial goals. I need some direction. Over the holidays, I struck a good deal on a used 46 gallon bow front with stand (mint condition). I'm a fresh water guy so immediately I was thinking about Africans or perhaps a planted tank. During this time, my inbox gets hit with many boxing week sales and every year it's inevitable, salt is on sale! This is where my salt journey begins...

For the last two weeks, I've been reading and shopping to setup this tank. The tank is presently in the *"cycling"* process but I will get back to this part later on.

*Summary of what I'm using:*
46G bow
Caribsea argonite
22lbs of Haitian rock - I'm assuming live but has dead stuff on it too.
Tunze Comeline 9004 skimmer
AquaClear70 - yeah I know, what is it doing on the tank!? Remember I'm freshwater guy... hard habit to break.
Ecotech VorTech MP10wes x2
Vertex Puratek Deluxe 100GPD RO/DI 
API Salt Water and Reef Master test kits
Sybon Refractometer

*Planning:*
1. Research canister filters and appropriate media to use OR sump and how to build one.
- If my HOB filter is not adequate for salt, I read a canister filter with appropriate media would work for fish only. Would I be able to use old media from a fresh water setup or is it best to buy all new media? What would you recommend I use for media?
- Suppose I want a sump and retro fit my tank without drilling. The idea of a HOB overflow worries me if it ever got clogged, the pump would over fill the tank. Is this correct or is there a safety feature like a float valve to turn the pump off some how?
2. LED light fixtures
3. livestock compatibility
4. corals

*Dilemma: *
I have a 40G breeder sitting empty... would the majority of you use a 40G breeder over a 46 gallon bow for your tank? Help me with pros and cons.

46G bow dimensions: 36.4" x 16.4" x 21.9
-having the height for a DT would be nice
-bow front appearance is appealing
-less evaporation
-holds larger volume of water 

40G bdr dimensions: 36.2" x 18.3" x 17"
-larger footprint for aquascape
-no center brace means less issue for lighting
-opportunity for sump use

Thank you for reading.


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## altcharacter (Jan 10, 2011)

Bowfronts on saltwater really suck for alot of reasons. First one would be "cleaning" of the bowed glass. Every person I know with a bowfront always says "I can't wait to get rid of this tank." All the conventional cleaners for saltwater tanks are meant to clean flat glass and not curved glass so you will be stuck cleaning it only left to right with some sort of scraper since a magfloat won't work properly.

Another reason they aren't the best is the distance of the front of the tank to the lights. There is somewhat of a dead zone in the front of the tank since the current and lighting is a little bit harder to reach there.

Lastly, There is no real stands meant for a bowfront tank to have a sump underneath. Yes you could go buy a standard table or stand and throw the sump under it...but then you would have the front edges of the stand sticking out. Doesn't appeal to me.

The cons for the 40g are the height. 17" is short, but alot of people like that! I know my tank is 19" and I love it.

Here is my two cents on what you do.
Ditch the bowfront...
Cook all your liverock and ensure there is nothing left on it dead or alive
Ditch the AC70 
Ditch the API test kits (they will give you more of a headache than you know)

Go out and buy a used 50g tank or even a 60g!!
Here is an awesome deal
http://toronto.kijiji.ca/c-pets-accessories-Fish-tank-Aquarium-W0QQAdIdZ556995417
Drill it for a durso, bean animal, or whatever you like and install an overflow then use your 40g breeder as a sump.

Good luck!!


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## tom g (Jul 8, 2009)

*tank recc...*

hey there and congrats and welcome to the dark side ....
agree with what alt said .
the stand situation for a 46 gallon kinda sucks as alt says , I have seen a few threads on reef central where they basically added a section to the original stand .I like his idea of the 50 or 60 gal one of my fav sizes .
I ran a 40 gal breeder as a salt tank all hang on back I ran a refuge on the back /delco skimmer /heater .
I always hated the clutter but totally sustainable I loved the tank the size and how it looked .what I adjusted was the height of the stand and tank togeather 
I always hated bending over to look into my tank it was the perfect height for cleaning but hated the bending over to see what was going on .so I ended up switching the stand out for a taller stand .
currently I have a 90 gallon reef ready tank .and I am loving it I have a few ups and downs but that's what its all about 
good luck and feel free to msg me if u want to ask more questions .
cheers 
tom


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## des (Jul 30, 2011)

altcharacter said:


> Go out and buy a used 50g tank or even a 60g!!


This option does not help my MTS!! Otherwise, I would go get a new 75G with corner overflow. =)



altcharacter said:


> Good luck!!


Thanks for the heads up on the bow fronts. I will need all the luck I can get.


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## des (Jul 30, 2011)

tom g said:


> hey there and congrats and welcome to the dark side ....


Thanks for the welcome Tom. I sure hope my freshwater buddies don't see this thread.


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## tom g (Jul 8, 2009)

*tanks*

I still have my 75 planted tank man ........... all good


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## videosilva (Oct 14, 2013)

*Good information*

WOW ! I am glad that I read the thread and was thinking in investing in a bow front.


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## fesso clown (Nov 15, 2011)

40 Breeder has really nice dimensions for SW. As a first tank it is the smallest I would recommend. 
I can't stress enough that you'll have a better time if you drill the tank and go with a sump. Even if you just use a little 10-20G you can house your heater and a skimmer. 
Check it out: 









(ignore the external pump and plumbing for it, it's a really easy set-up and you'll thank yourself later!!)


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## damsel_den (Oct 31, 2011)

I had a 46 bowfront as my first tank..
It was horrible..
It was a pain to clean the glass, it was so cluttered with cords ect...
The view was always distorted when I viewed it from my couch..
And hubby HATED it...

I now have a 40 gallon (it's not a breeder)
It's easy to clean, there's no cords and it's perfect!!
I also would never not have a sump ever again.


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## matti2uude (Jan 10, 2009)

des said:


> Thanks for the welcome Tom. I sure hope my freshwater buddies don't see this thread.


Too late. lol


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## Tbird (Oct 5, 2009)

des said:


> Thanks for the welcome Tom. I sure hope my freshwater buddies don't see this thread.


Hi Buddy!!!  Good luck with the adventure. I'll be following this for sure. I'm debating going a little bigger with my tank too. But I have the MTS problem too.

LOL


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## Kweli (Jun 2, 2010)

Its one thing to setup a tank, and another to maintain it.

I am not sure what is required in freshwater, but in saltwater there is enormous benefit in having a 'sump' tank setup.

I would go with the 40G breeder like mentioned above


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## NVES (Apr 21, 2010)

Personally I love the bowfront look fresh or salt!

Yes it's a little more work to clean the front glass, but I have a magfloat med turned sideways and it works perfectly.

Cheers,
Aaron


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## 10G (Sep 15, 2013)

Sweets, another nano. Welcome my freshwater brother. MP10 x2, ballerrrrrr.

I love the AC70, pack that baby up, if I were you I would pack it with:

sponge filter
ceramic rings
chemi pure (not really necessary, would be nice to have)
activated carbon

Yes, you can re-use the media, just make sure it's clean. You can soak the used media in a 50/50 bleach and water solution to make sure it's clean, just be sure to soak and wash the media off with double the de-chlorinater really well before using.

The AC70 filter will serve mostly for mechanical and chemical filtration with the media above, some bio but most of the bio filtration will come from your live rock. Who told you canister filters are only for FOWLRs? Lots of people on Reef Central who have been reefing for years have been using canister filters for many many years with great success. I personally like canister filters and bow fronts  and HOB filters, hahaha. If you end up getting a canister, you have the option of using the AC70 as a fuge, only if you wanted to ofcourse, it's your tank 

If you plan to go with the HOB overflow route, below is a great post from nano-reef.com. It however, highly suggests not going this route, but if you must, it has good info to get your mind and research going.
http://www.nano-reef.com/topic/330550-reliable-hob-overflow-guide/

As for the bow front vs the 40B, all preference brother, all preference, just depends how you want to setup your tank. Overall, think of what your short/long term goals are and keep in mind how scalable you want your start-up equipment to be. And yes, a MagFloat will work on a bow front, just not those huge ones.

If you decide to ditch your API test kits, make sure to ditch them over my way, LOL. I'll make good use of 'em.

Great start!

May the light, inspiration and positivity, of the freshwater brotherhood be with you.

Sweet YouTube channel BTW, I hope you share your journey with your subscribers as well because I just subbed! What camera do you use and what video editor?

peace.


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## des (Jul 30, 2011)

videosilva said:


> WOW ! I am glad that I read the thread and was thinking in investing in a bow front.


Everyone will have different opinion on bow fronts. It's not for everyone. This is my first one and like I said before I struck a pretty good deal so I'm not at all upset. I actually always wanted one. It has it's purposes. For YOU who won't plan on ever using a SUMP - I think a bow could work for you.


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## des (Jul 30, 2011)

*fesso clown
damsel_den
Kweli
NVES*
Thank you all for your input, your experience means a lot.

*Tbird* - You found me here and why am I surprised! Haha It's going to be interesting and hopefully no failure..

So... it was difficult to shut down 1 tank. This afternoon an addtional two tanks have been shut down. I can tell you it's painful for me. It is rare to find an empty tank in my home and I know some of you know what I mean. By doing this, will give me more to time to focus on maintenance of the tanks I have running now and the new salty. Well, that is my excuse for all of you but the truth is I have to convince my other to allow me to start 'the real' salt tank project with a larger tank and sump.



Here is the 46G bow that I started. I have decided to use it temporarly for fish only, until I am 100% ready for that larger tank and sump project. This will at least provide relief for my salt crave.



What do you think about these pieces of "Haitian Live Rock" that I recently acquired?


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## des (Jul 30, 2011)

10G said:


> Sweets, another nano. Welcome my freshwater brother. MP10 x2, ballerrrrrr.
> 
> I love the AC70, pack that baby up, if I were you I would pack it with:
> 
> ...


LOL. Thanks for taking the time to write all this. It's appreciated. It's all coming together soon. I need to experiment and learn some the hard way before I make the big jump.

Thanks for visiting my channel and subscribing. I use a Canon DSLR and Adobe Premier Element. I think there are more powerful software out there for video editing or perhaps I just don't know how to use it for its potential.


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## cerebrous (Jan 30, 2013)

Have a 46 G Bow and a 80G "normal" (125G build in progress to replace both) 

Wife likes the 46G bow so I can't ditch it... 

As for cleaning (sideways magfloat works) but the corners are harder so you need to put your whole arm in 

Center brace on the 46g not really a big issue but the if you put a LARGE light that sits on top you will have a hard time lighting the BOW part. 

My 46G is NON sump = not a good idea 
80G is 40g sump = way easier to keep stable


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