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40 Long vs 40 Breeder

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23K views 16 replies 12 participants last post by  mason01  
#1 ·
Hey everyone! Really finding myself in a pickle between the 40 Long and 40 Breeder tank. My LFS owner is retiring and selling all of his tanks and accessories. The prices on both tanks are the same, but I wanted all of you to voice your opinions on the two. Any pros and cons would be really helpful! Thank you all!
 
#7 ·
Yeah that's very true I guess I never really thought about the lighting costs. They both come with the glass lid, but the lighting is definitely something that would be cheaper for the 40B!

Bump:
You should just combine the best of both worlds and get a 75.
LOL I would love to, but he doesn't have any 75 gallons that he is selling!

Bump:
I've got both. Actually my long is a 45 Each has its own pros and cons. I like that the long fits under my 55. If I could find the long I'd get 2 or three more just because they do fit. All of my tanks are planted. But the long, like the 55 is skinny. Done right it is nice.
The breeder has a nice footprint. Biggest drawback is price of lighting. And it won't fit into any place I have in the house. Mine is out in the fish house
I thought that the lighting would be cheaper for the breeder since it isn't as long? And do you feel like there isn't much room in the 40 long? I just feel like it would be hard for the fish to get around if I added a couple pieces of driftwood and plants. You prefer the 40 long over the breeder?
 
#6 ·
I've got both. Actually my long is a 45 Each has its own pros and cons. I like that the long fits under my 55. If I could find the long I'd get 2 or three more just because they do fit. All of my tanks are planted. But the long, like the 55 is skinny. Done right it is nice.
The breeder has a nice footprint. Biggest drawback is price of lighting. And it won't fit into any place I have in the house. Mine is out in the fish house
 
#8 ·
The long has the exact same footprint as a 55 gallon. 55s might be the second most popular tank after a 10. This means you'll be able to find stands and lights (2nd hand) much easier then you will for the breeder. Being 48" long, they also share the same length fixtures as a 75. The breeder is 36" long, the only other tank I can think of at this length is a 30 gallon. I have a 30 gallon and it is a great tank but it's not a common one meaning fixtures aren't as common (2nd hand).

The biggest issue you'll find with the breeder is the width (front to back) It is much harder to get the light spread from front to back using just one fixture. One 36" light is cheaper then one 48" light but....you may have to use two. If you use a lot of tall plants you wont be able to see the back of the breeder. If you use the depth correctly, you could do a lot of interesting things with the aquascape though.

I actually sold my 55 and got a 40 long because its easier to reach in and trim and the light can penetrate the lesser depth easier.
 
#9 ·
Wow thank you, I have always just saw one light on the 40 breeders, so I assumed I would be fine with one. Did you have any trouble with aquascaping in the 40 Long since it is so skinny? I feel like the plants would still do great in both tanks, but I still want the fish to be happy and not feel smashed. If there is not problem with this in the 40 Long then I would probably want that tank. If not, I would have to go with the 40 breeder. What types of fish do you have in your 40 long?
 
#11 ·
My LFS owner is retiring and selling all of his tanks and accessories. The prices on both tanks are the same, but I wanted all of you to voice your opinions on the two. !
Meaning the store is selling off the stuff they couldn't sell or this is a tank the owner used in the store? Not sure what kind of price you're looking at; but worth noting you can get these new at the $1/gallon sales.

I have a 55 gallon too, but I hate how skinny it is.
Based on that logic you'd probably like the 40 breeder more than the 40 long.


The breeder is 36" long, the only other tank I can think of at this length is a 30 gallon. I have a 30 gallon and it is a great tank but it's not a common one meaning fixtures aren't as common (2nd hand).

I've got a 30 breeder and a 38 (I think thats what the math works out to anyway) which are both 36" long. Exact same footprint on both but the 38 is about 20 inches tall. I lucked out and snagged a few 2nd hand finnex leds for both. I have more trouble finding a true 30" fixture (used) to place on my 29 gallon tank. Which surprises me as I thought the 29s were about as common as the 10s and
 
#14 ·
Meaning the store is selling off the stuff they couldn't sell or this is a tank the owner used in the store? Not sure what kind of price you're looking at; but worth noting you can get these new at the $1/gallon sales.


Based on that logic you'd probably like the 40 breeder more than the 40 long.





I've got a 30 breeder and a 38 (I think thats what the math works out to anyway) which are both 36" long. Exact same footprint on both but the 38 is about 20 inches tall. I lucked out and snagged a few 2nd hand finnex leds for both. I have more trouble finding a true 30" fixture (used) to place on my 29 gallon tank. Which surprises me as I thought the 29s were about as common as the 10s and
There are some new and some used, but he is selling the new for $50 plus the lid and some substrate, so I feel like I kinda have to get at least one lol. Do you think that it would be more expensive to light a 40 breeder or 40 long?
 
#13 ·
I don't know about the 40 long, but we just set up a 40 breeder and love it! It's our first planted tank, but it's so easy to work in. The depth too to bottom is great, as is the depth front to back.

FWIW, we used to have a 29g reef tank and always said if we did it again we would go at least a 40 breeder because of the front to back space.


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#17 ·
If the 40 gal long is taller than a 40 gallon b yea go with it. because i have the 40 gal breeder and its a bit to short on the height. cant grow your plants that high wich i didnt know i thought it was gonna be perfect but yea oh well maybe next time..
Go for the 40 long. We promise you won't regret it ! lol
Idk how it compares to a stock 40, but I think I'm gonna get the 40L. Lol honestly once I get there I'll probably end up getting snother one anyway! Thank you for the input!