40 Gallon Breeder reef tank build...

Here's my first base rock set loosely in place. This will be modified of course. Still looking at it and thinking about it.

rockstart.jpg
 
Thanks. Photoshop is great for planning out my aquascaping. Hopefully I keep my patience and take the same care when it comes to stocking my tank with living things!!!
 
Are you going to photoshop corals into place on the structure you create? I think that would be a great way to share the vision you have. [emoji6]
 
ZeeSparrow said:
Are you going to photoshop corals into place on the structure you create? I think that would be a great way to share the vision you have. [emoji6]
Click to expand...

Yeah, probably. But they will have their own ideas as to their best location. ;)

Once I get the rockwork all in place, and after I get the tank filled and cycling, that's when I'll look closer into the varied soft corals and where they might go.

Photoshop is great in that you can move things around visually without having to put yourself (or other life forms) through the hassle of actually moving them. One can also figure out future growth potential and increase the size to see how they might look later on.
 
Yeah I like that idea. Might have to do the same myself. I'm still curing my rock and have yet to build the stand, so I am a bit behind you in my build. I'm also not much of an artist so having that ability (moving pictures around without risk) is very appealing. My tool will be paint.net... Free program similar to photoshop.
 
ZeeSparrow said:
Yeah I like that idea. Might have to do the same myself. I'm still curing my rock and have yet to build the stand, so I am a bit behind you in my build. I'm also not much of an artist so having that ability (moving pictures around without risk) is very appealing. My tool will be paint.net... Free program similar to photoshop.
Click to expand...

There is a better free program available that is almost identical to Photoshop called Serif PhotoPlus. Works with layers so you can move them around and the free version has most of the best, useful Photoshop tools.
 
I would do a sump... Thats my bigest regret. I have a 30gallon bow front and you run out of room or take away from the viewing area with all of the gadgets. I also did a CPR HOB fuge..
 
ABnormalAZ said:
I would do a sump... Thats my bigest regret. I have a 30gallon bow front and you run out of room or take away from the viewing area with all of the gadgets. I also did a CPR HOB fuge..
Click to expand...

Well, I don't really have room for one with my stand. But I have tons of real estate off the back of my tank as it sits in a corner (but the tank is rectangular, so there is lots of space and the canopy hides everything).

Eshopps HOB PSK-100 skimmer, HOT Magnum canister filter (for just circulation or carbon as needed), with plenty of room for a HOB refugium if I ever go that route, etc.

Really I have lots of room off the back yet almost nothing under my tank that would allow for a sump of any usable size AND elbow room to work in it. It's easier to work up top in this arrangement. About the only thing I might do is put a 10 gallon QT under it. That I might have room for.

Besides, this is not going to be a heavily stocked tank and there is not much for gadgets that are going to be that unsightly.

In the future? Who knows. It's not like I wouldn't love a huge tank and sump with all the bells and whistles someday.
 
I purchased a bunch of dry rock (actually reef safe skeleton, not "rock" as it were). I bought a masonry blade for my table saw and I cut one piece with my regular wood saw blade and it went through it like nothing, but I don't want to dull the blade.

I also bought some DryLok Fast Plug and will be putting together my rockscape with it. Since I do not have my tank set up yet and it will need to cycle anyway (so I have plenty of time) I will do some testing as to the effectiveness and safety of the DryLok and report back.
 
Worked on the rockwork today. I made four separate rock structures using fiberglass rods and the DryLok cement.

In the pics I have each tower numbered. They each can stand alone without being propped up by another rock structure. They are each sawed completely flat on the bottom, don't rock and are very stable. They are placed directly on the glass. Numbers 2 and 3, while looking a bit unstable on their own, are not. They are difficult to knock over but are purposely built so that if they tip in any direction they would towards each other. So, number 2 leans towards number 3 and number 3 leans back into number 2 and they meet very tightly in the middle. I did this so I would not have to place them both glued together in the tank. Yet, they are completely balanced and stable standing on their own.

Though a little difficult to see, there are a lot of flat shelves coming out at different angles as well as overhangs and tunnels. There should be a lot flow throughout the structures and lots of room all around and in between.

Front, straight on...

front.jpg


Left side angle...

left.jpg


Right angle, a little more from the top where you can see more space and depth...

right.jpg


And one from the side...you can see how there is space and an overhang between 3 and 4...

side.jpg
 
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Putting the sand in today. I got Carib Sea Aragonite which is already pre-washed so I don't have to wait until I get my RODI to rinse it.
 
What a difference in appearance it makes having the sand in! Looks so much like a landscape now.

After looking it over for a day, I shifted the rock around a little bit to make the pattern flow better. Subtle, but better to me...

sand.jpg


sand2.jpg
 
Thanks. I'm already thinking of future growth and coral placement. I'm still learning about it all, but I've been reading for almost a year about reef keeping (after 35 years of planted freshwater).

I'd like to put some kind of showpiece soft coral that likes a lot of light and current on top of that mushroom-like rock on the left.

There will be a 1000GPH circulating pump in the front upper left, pointed back across the rockwork.
 
I already have an Eshopps HOB PSK-100 skimmer. I also have a HOT Magnum canister with dual outputs and that will be used more for water flow (one outlet pointing up at the surface and one pointing down at the left rock structure. I may run carbon and/or GFO in it as needed. Then I also have a 1000 gph circulation pump (pointing across the face of both structures left to right) in addition to the skimmer's outlet tube pointing at the right structure.

That is something I'll have to play with as I add corals and see what works best.

Basically when it comes to filtration and water flow, I prefer to have more than I need and scale back if necessary, rather than skimp out and only have it be adequate. I still do not plan on overstocking and will keep the stocking minimal.

I've seen too many people try to put too much in their tanks with "just enough" filtration.
 
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