From 10G to 40G Breeder! Need advice and opinions!

[hentz]

Hey a guys! Recently I upgraded to a 40 gallon breeder from a 10 gallon. Couldn't pass up the $1 per gallon at *****. Built my own stand and all. Over all costing me $55 !
Anyways, need someone to tell me if my equipment is good!
- 50G Aquaclear HOB
- 50G Aquaclear HOB
- Rena Filstar XP2
- Maxijet 400
- Aqueon 500
I currently have stocked
- 1x Ocellaris Clownfish
- 1x True Percula Clownfish
- 1x Black Saddleback Clownfish
- 1x Coral Beauty
- 1x Scooter Blenny
- 3x Peppermint Shrimp
- 3x Hermit Crabs
I'm pushing a total of 175 gallons in filtration. Roughly 4x the amount.
Am I okay do you think? My clownfish are best friends. Was scared at first, but no problems!
Also would this be okay for a Reef tank? equipment wise
And what lighting should I use? Not something crazy expensive, but something that will get the job done for lighting the corals!

 

[snakeblitz33]

I hope that the clowns are friends over time...
Keep up with cleaning that canister filter as much as you can. If you can, only use chemical filtration in it... and keep the mechanical filtration to a minimum. Carbon, GFO, etc. etc.
A HOB protein skimmer may be a good addition to replace one of your aquaclears.... a HOB octopus skimmer would fit the bill very well. Protein skimmers not only remove dissolved organics, but by their foaming action, they do help aid gas exchange and help regulate your pH some.
I'd get another slightly higher flow rate maxijet powerhead, maybe a 900 or so.. a 1200 may be a little too much. They make these little hydor oscillators for like $11 that fit onto those powerheads and make a nice little wave action if you are interested. I like them myself, and I am thinking about going back to them, to be honest. Simpler to me over the years has been better. lol
Make sure you have a couple of really good heaters to keep the temp well regulated. Also, make sure you invest in a refractometer if you are going to do a reef tank. Keep the salinity as stable as you can by topping off your tank every day. Make sure you also invest in a good RO Unit or have a way of getting purified water for water changes. d
Since your tank is only 40g, water changes will suffice for any chemical supplementation until your tank is stocked heavily with corals. Keep up with those water changes... and learn how to do a proper water change.
As far as your lighting question...
Many people are going to LEDs for reef lighting at the moment. Many people are finding that they are enjoying the benefits of LEDs over more traditional methods. Lighting is really a personal choice and personal taste. Some people like canopies, others like open tops. Some like retrofit kits, some like fixtures. It really just depends on how involved you want to be. I personally like T5's for the time being and I am personally going to wait on LED fixtures to get better over the next few years before I invest in one. The cost of a decent LED unit is also coming down some within the last couple of years - so I'm sure it will continue to fall as time progresses. However, for the time being, I like my T5s. lol
For a 40g breeder, you could look into a 27" maxspect R420R LED unit. They are about $450. AI Vega Color's are about $500 a unit and I am finding that they probably will be worth it over time. Retrofit T5 units are a personal favorite of mine.