40g finished cycle, now what?

I got the idea thanks, but now how do I accommodate the small fan on to the top of the tank in order to direct the airflow towards the water surface? the cover is glass and the lamp sits right on top, there is only a small opening for filters and pumps wiring etc. It sounds like I may have to do major modifications if I go using the fan.
 
Last edited:
You're right--if you have a glass cover, a small fan won't help. In our setup, the top of the tank is open, with the lights in the top of the canopy about 12 inches away from the surface. If you don't have a canopy, then a fan won't work. Do you have a sump? You could run the fan on the sump just as well as in the main tank. Other cooling options include a fan along the top off the lights--not as effective, but it will reduce the effect light's heat on the tank. A fan along the back of the tank, forcing air over the glass will help a bit, but not much. Keeping the lights on for only about 8-9 hours a day will help as well. If it's really bad--ie, going over 85--you can freeze a gallon of water (ie, a jug of some kind) and let that float in your tank, preferable in front of a powerhead or filter, so the water runs around it.
 
A friend of mine just gave me yesterday this little fan assembled on a Plexiglas base and it fitted perfect on top of my AC 300 filter instead of the lid, temp is now around 80 F:) is this better? I’m also thinking to get a large fan for the room and put it near the tank. Thanks a lot for all you help.

Any suggestions on the critters I should get in order to start populating the rocks?
 
Last edited:
Good plan! It's amazing what we come up with for our tanks! 80 is probably higher than the stores willl maintain, so be sure to acclimate any purchases slowly to the higher heat.

Hermit crabs, nassarius and cerith snails, maybe a few of the larger algae grazers. Shrimp (I prefer a large group of one kind, instead of a mixed bag, but as long as they won't kill each other off, your call). Maybe a few crabs?

What kind of fish do you plan on getting?
 
Thanks for your advice,
I want to get the algae-eating and scavenging invertebrates first, also some sand sifters which ones are good? Later I'm planning on a couple of Royal Gammas and then I don't know I may have to look in a guide, some clowns OR yellow tangs maybe, what is better?
 
Last edited:
For sand sifters in my tank I plan on picking up a herd of red legged hermits soon. I just bought some skunk cleaner shrimp for last night and I really like them. They seem to run all over my rockwork. Is the 40 a breeder size? Just curious. I'd recommend against the tang, as popular (and probably correct) opinion around here is a 6 ft. minimum length for a tang tank. Besides, clowns are THE classic SW fish. Everyone should own one sooner or later.
 
Thanks for the recommendations, tank is not quite a 40, but an AGA 37 tall, and yes I just found out about the tangs, they are aggressive, and grow fast and large.
 
AquariaCentral.com