40 breeder build (pictures/queations/first saltwater tank)

[mmittlesteadt]

Good idea on the tray for the mud. I'm going to use pots for the mud, for my mangroves as I want to keep the mud separate from the sand as well. Who knows what you may want to do down the road and if the mud is all mixed in it would a be a huge mess to deal with later on.

After more than three months my tank is just now almost done cycling...perhaps another week yet. It was really hard to stay patient, but really taking my time with everything has paid off in the long run.

 

[tdtreefer]

Love the 40b I might have to turn my planted t40b to a reef. Hmmm

 

[Isaacs55]

Love the 40b I might have to turn my planted t40b to a reef. Hmmm

You should definitely do it! It takes time and it's not as quick as setting up a freshwater, but it's well worth it.

 

[Isaacs55]

Hey guys, so I finally finished my sump. I never posted pictures after it was done and completed so if you want to check it out just click on this link to my youtube video. Thanks guys


https://youtu.be/fG0pruXQeGA

 

[mmittlesteadt]

Good work. You may or may not want a bubble trap. Some people don't need them.

Your middle section for the fuge, you may find the the water flow spilling over the top of the right baffle will travel right over to the top of the left one without circulating in your fuge. That's why I did the baffles the way I did, to force the water flow under and through my rock before going up and over the right return baffle (mine going left to right).

But it should be fine, especially if you put a small powerhead in the fuge for circulation.

 

[Isaacs55]

Good work. You may or may not want a bubble trap. Some people don't need them.

Your middle section for the fuge, you may find the the water flow spilling over the top of the right baffle will travel right over to the top of the left one without circulating in your fuge. That's why I did the baffles the way I did, to force the water flow under and through my rock before going up and over the right return baffle (mine going left to right).

But it should be fine, especially if you put a small powerhead in the fuge for circulation.

Thanks for the info!yea man I love your sump to its entirety lol great layout. I may just put a baffle their to force the water through my refugium for flow just because I like your idea so much lol

 

[mmittlesteadt]

Thanks for the info!yea man I love your sump to its entirety lol great layout. I may just put a baffle their to force the water through my refugium for flow just because I like your idea so much lol

Designing a sump isn't so baffling if you just think about the reasons for baffles in the first place. Their only purpose is to direct water where and how you want it flow.

Want it to flow a bit slower (meaning the level has to rise higher)? Just make the baffle taller. Want it to empty quicker? Make the baffle shorter. Want it to flow in certain directions to go around or through things? Make longer/shorter horizontal/vertical baffles to make it do just that.

You can literally create a maze of baffles to make the water go through a variety of media as you see fit. The only limitation to sump design is purpose and imagination (and so of course funds too! ).

 

[Isaacs55]

Alright guys so I got my tank aquascaped. I made a video on my youtube channel you can check it out there guys I leave a link at the bottom to take you guys there. But first things first. I got some great advice from everyone on here about Marco Rock and I'm glad I went with them over Bulkreefsupply.com. ..no offense to BRS it's just Marco really take the time to make sure everyone gets exactly what they want. Great customer service. I will be placing my Rock in a brute trash can with saltwater at 1.026 which is what my tank will be set at. It will be in there for about 3 months roughly. I will not be adding anything to because I want to really test the phosphates. The only way to do that is if your testing the rock alone and no added nutrients guys. If i we're to ghost feed it and start my cycle during the curing process, I'm not going to know where exactly the phosphates are coming from. So I will be doing that within the next week or 2. After 3 months I will test the water and see if there is really any phosphates. If there isn't then I should be good to go. After 3 months phosphates should leech out if any. Now once my rock is in my tank and I start cycling my tank...the moment I see phosphates present I'm going to know it's from ghost feeding and not my rock. So I hope this test will be helpful to those wanting to start a tank with Marco rock or are curious to see if there is any phosphates in the rock. Anyways its time for the fun stuff...pictures. but you gotta check out the video it really shows all the aquascape in detail, click the link.

https://youtu.be/em9rkrMRkUY

Here are some pictures of my aquascape but really the video shows the most detail.







Hope you guys like it so far. Thanks guys

 

[mmittlesteadt]

Excellent!

Do you have space behind the rocks? The reason I ask is that I have my return and pumps situated so that water goes all around my rockwork (even behind it) with very few dead spots at all. I can watch food circulate all around my rockwork and stay suspended in the water until it almost dissolves if not eaten.

Your rockwork gives you lots of places for coral, but also lots of hiding places, low and high light, and water flow throughout it. Very good job! Can't wait to see it all full of water and lit.

 

[Isaacs55]

Excellent!

Do you have space behind the rocks? The reason I ask is that I have my return and pumps situated so that water goes all around my rockwork (even behind it) with very few dead spots at all. I can watch food circulate all around my rockwork and stay suspended in the water until it almost dissolves if not eaten.

Your rockwork gives you lots of places for coral, but also lots of hiding places, low and high light, and water flow throughout it. Very good job! Can't wait to see it all full of water and lit.

Thank you I appreciate it, especially coming from you and your amazing aquascape!! I actually do have good amount of space behind my rock, here's a picture...but if i need more I can always just move them an inch upfront

 

[mmittlesteadt]

Yeah, I can see that space behind it now. That will work great!

In mine I created a gyre (instead of pumps pointing right at each other). It makes the water circulate in a circle all around and through my rock. I don't have much for dead spots (just a few where you can see a little eddy where the fallen food swirls in little circles on the sandbed...where my hermit crabs love to come for lunch and dinner. ).

My return is split from a 1" into two 3/4" PVC...a tee with one part pointing down behind my rocks, and a 45 degree elbow with it pointing up and towards the front glass to create some turbulence on the surface, but also to blow the water off my front glass and over to my overflow. Then two circulation pumps (just 250GPH each) one in the back right pointing down and towards the front glass and the other towards the front and point down behind the rocks on the left. I had a larger pump in there, but it was way overkill.

Here's my return and my circulation pump on the right side...

And here's a pic of my overflow (weir is behind the eggcrate diffuser) and the left pump...

 

[Isaacs55]

Yeah, I can see that space behind it now. That will work great!

In mine I created a gyre (instead of pumps pointing right at each other). It makes the water circulate in a circle all around and through my rock. I don't have much for dead spots (just a few where you can see a little eddy where the fallen food swirls in little circles on the sandbed...where my hermit crabs love to come for lunch and dinner. ).

My return is split from a 1" into two 3/4" PVC...a tee with one part pointing down behind my rocks, and a 45 degree elbow with it pointing up and towards the front glass to create some turbulence on the surface, but also to blow the water off my front glass and over to my overflow. Then two circulation pumps (just 250GPH each) one in the back right pointing down and towards the front glass and the other towards the front and point down behind the rocks on the left. I had a larger pump in there, but it was way overkill.

Here's my return and my circulation pump on the right side...

And here's a pic of my overflow (weir is behind the eggcrate diffuser) and the left pump...

Jeez I really love your aquascape! Everything that went into your build is awesome!! I wish I had the time and patience to do this lol

 

[Isaacs55]

Update for anyone who hasn't seen it yet...

Enjoy


<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/em9rkrMRkUY" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

[Dkuhlmann]

Iaasc what are you using for a return pump?

 

[Isaacs55]

Iaasc what are you using for a return pump?

Rio 2500. It works great and it's super quiet!

Thanks,
Isaac

 

[Isaacs55]

Iaasc what are you using for a return pump?

Here's a video of my rio in action. You can see it in my return chamber.my system is u per duper quiet as you can see by the video lol very little humming noise as well

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/BCIAa5q8U7w" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

[Dkuhlmann]

Thanks! I appreciate the info!

 

[Scubareefman]

You going to add a filter sock? Just noticing you don't have anything to catch stuff. I like how quite it turned out. My system is nice and quite in the day time and at night my skimmer runs for a few hours and my MP10 runs in sleep mode so the noise gets a bit louder, but I'm asleep so I don't care

I don't use a sock, was thinking of adding one but I have filter chambers in my sump that catch most of the larger stuff and slow down the water to purge any micro-bubbles the skimmer kicks out.

Diatoms have come and gone and my system is now welcoming the first of the purple algae on all black surfaces.

Tom
Tom

 

[Isaacs55]

You going to add a filter sock? Just noticing you don't have anything to catch stuff. I like how quite it turned out. My system is nice and quite in the day time and at night my skimmer runs for a few hours and my MP10 runs in sleep mode so the noise gets a bit louder, but I'm asleep so I don't care

I don't use a sock, was thinking of adding one but I have filter chambers in my sump that catch most of the larger stuff and slow down the water to purge any micro-bubbles the skimmer kicks out.

Diatoms have come and gone and my system is now welcoming the first of the purple algae on all black surfaces.

Tom
Tom

Hey Tom!
No filter sock, I don't want to have to deal with changing them out all the time. But I will be putting in like phosgaurd or some carbon in there between a baffle. Also still have to get my Reef octopus 100 gallon skimmer. That video of my herbie method is old. I'll be doing a new video of just flow on my youtube channel, so I'll post it on here when I do. But yea man your tank is coming along great!! I can't wait to get there. I may start a 10 gallon nano with my dry rock to start my cycle and get some coraline growth on there so when mu tank is set up I'll take it out and use it as a seed rock for my actual 40 reef tank. And then just turn that 10 nano into my QT tank.

 

[Isaacs55]

So the process continues finally!! Finished my stand and put water in it today! Unfortunately I will be going sumpless for now until I finish supporting my floor... (landlord wants that done before I add more weight with the sump) so for now I'm sumpless.

Here's a picture of the stand in progress and after its finished.
I'll get another picture up with water in it when the cloudyness goes away. Oh and I'm going to change the doors cuz I don't like the way these look. I want them flush so it looks more modern.





Marsaqua I got in today. Going to be changing some of the leds though. Changing all soft whites for 14,000k cool whites and a couple blues for violet 420nm. I'll post pictures of that when it's finished.