40 Gallon Breeder reef tank build...
- Thread starter mmittlesteadt
- Start date
ChitownBrickie
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ChitownBrickie
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As promised, here is a pic of my corner overflow in action (although there is no action to see)...
This is after one year of being in use. The top, upturned PVC elbow is just right at the water surface in the overflow (about an inch lower than the main tank water level on the other side of the overflow weir). I have it adjusted so that it just barely trickles over that top emergency drain elbow. The bottom (downturned 90 degree elbow) drain is full siphon. You can see the black strainer pushed into that elbow.
You can see the 90 degree PVC elbows coming out the back of the tank. They are glued into the bulkheads. The inside PVC elbows are just push-fitted into the bulkheads for easy removal if necessary (like to clean or whatever).
Oh, so the fittings that are located inside the overflow do not have to be screwed or glued in then? My bulk heads are located on the bottom of the tank so I will be using stand pipes. I wonder if I can get away with out gluing or threading them in? it sure would be nice for cleaning purposes
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mmittlesteadt
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My sump still working great...regular chaeto growth.
mmittlesteadt
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Yes, on the inside you can just push fit pipes or elbows into the bulkheads. Any slight leak doesn't matter one bit because it will only leak into the drain pipes (internally) and it would be so insignificant as to not matter. Elbows and pipes/hoses on the outside must be glued or clamped to prevent anything leaking outside.
And yes, push fitting them on the inside means you can remove them if necessary. It also allows you to custom fit the length of your standpipes after the water is in the tank to adjust them exactly how you want them to be.
ChitownBrickie
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My tank has been up and running since May 9th of this year. In this short period of time my tank has progressed rather nicely.
A little timeline of the phases of my tank in pics...
April 22nd... no water...
May 9th...first filled with water...
May 27th...first day with new Kessil A160WE
June 12th...first corals and first fish, first signs of brown algae...
July 14th...new fish, corals, lots of algae growth...
July 25th...algae controlled by Twin Spot (sand), LM Blenny (rocks) snails and hermits (glass and rock)...
Today, July 29th...A little coral rearranging...
Nice growth in 3 months time. I plan on buying two Kessil A160we for my 55.
ChitownBrickie
New member
Thanks, that is great news! I'm glad I didn't place my BRS order lastnight
I was going to order Threaded bulkheads. My concern was mixing schedule 40 bulkheads with schedule 80 male pipe adapters for the stand pipes. Problem solved I've been reading through your thread as we speak. It's a fun read with lots of creative ideals. The Styrofoam has peaked my interest along with your ATO reserve bucket
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mmittlesteadt
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Thanks, that is great news! I'm glad I didn't place my BRS order lastnight
I've been reading through your thread as we speak. It's a fun read with lots of creative ideals. The Styrofoam has peaked my interest along with your ATO reserve bucket
Thanks! If you have any questions at all, I'd be happy to answer them for you. Take your time planning it out and think everything through. Patience now in the planning stage will afford you a lot more time to enjoy later (instead of chasing after problems)!
With every piece of equipment, or stocking ideas, or how it all works together, I always thought about every possible scenario...what it's purpose was, how every little thing interacts and works together in harmony for the good of the entire system, and that includes the inhabitants themselves. I barely do anything with my tank now, except enjoy it.
mmittlesteadt
New member
I got to chill a bit today and enjoy my little slice of the ocean.
Thanks for sharing it looks beautiful. :thumbsup:
ChitownBrickie
New member
That is fantastic; I want the same outcome that you have. That is what I’m striving for now. During my work season (construction) my time is more limited. I really appreciate all the advice you have given me already. Thank you for offering to answer questions in the future. That is really cool of you.
“Take your time planning it out and think everything through.” It is funny that you say that, and you are so right. I’ve been following that motto for 4 months now as I’ve already learned the hard way. Here, I’ll give you a chuckle…
Oct 2015 - It all started when my neighbor didn’t want her 55 gallon fresh water fish tank anymore. I thought this could be fun Discus tank for my 3 year old daughter to enjoy with me. 15 years ago I had a fresh water 80 Gallon tall tank.
I cleaned my free tank up, then searched online for stand ideals. I saw one that I liked here on reef central. I built it right away. I found myself returning to RC throughout the building process because I was fascinated with everyone’s reef tanks. I hadn’t really seen one prior. I thought this is for me! I ran out and bought Fluval’s top of the line freshwater/saltwater canister filter. I didn’t want a noisy sump.
Dec 2015 - With the stand now complete, I had time to read. I figured it would be a quick process. Well, I learned otherwise quickly. I found myself at a cross road, fresh water or saltwater, easy or hard? After seeing reef tanks, fresh water bored me so I dove into researching.
1st) Canister filter – Big no no.
Okay, I’ll go with a Sump then. I discover the Ultra Quiet Herbie Method, super excited!
2nd) I Can’t drill free tank from my neighbor, its tempered glass, grrr.
I learn that 40 gallon breeder tanks are a great way to go. I want one, but I already build the stand. I thought about selling the stand and starting over, but I like it and do not have time to build another. My 55 Gallon is not optimal for rockscaping, but definitely can be done. So, I bought a 55 gallon reef ready tank. Which was not easy to find, but it worked out in the end.
After all that, I felt like I was at square one and I was happy with that. I Put the brakes on and indulged myself into researching. I told my wife that I don’t care if it isn’t up and running until next winter, I’m going to do this right. Initially, I had no idea how much was involved in reef tanks. Now, I find the learning process to be very enjoyable and even exciting at times. I can see how this is a very rewarding hobby.
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Swope2bc
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BOOM, got another one! Addicted! Think about what you said/did. I want s/w now but really like the stand I built for my free tank so I bought a new tank to fit my stand! Lol, glad I'm not alone in the addiction. Give us a link to your build thread so we can all follow along too.
mmittlesteadt
New member
I can't tell you how many times I changed my mind about some piece of equipment (although I did if you read my thread all the way through
). I went from a 33 gallon long with internal everything, to a 40 breeder with internal, and then decided to utilize my 65 gallon for my sump and keep it in the basement, out of the way of my display tank upstairs in my living room. Many people wondered why I wouldn't use the 65 gallon for the display and my 40 breeder for the sump. First of all they have the same footprint, meaning you can't keep any more fish in one than the other (same surface area). Secondly, I hate working in tall tanks. And lastly, my 65 gallon allowed me to have a large refugium with all kinds of failsafes against flooding due to it's size and because it's larger than the 40 I filled it all the way up and used the return pump to fill my 40 upstairs.
If you take your time, and really dive into every little thing and explore all the possibilities, when you do put it all together you'll be rewarded with every well thought out decision. give us a link to your build so we can follow along and offer advice when you need it.
mmittlesteadt
New member
Just wanted to bump this video...
I got to chill a bit today and enjoy my little slice of the ocean.
I got to chill a bit today and enjoy my little slice of the ocean.
mmittlesteadt
New member
Bought a couple of Hydor Koralia Evo 600 circulation pumps today. I get them at cost (about $22 each). About the same output as my Aquatop 425's I had (which were more direct) but these produce a wider dispersion, are super quiet and use magnets instead of suction cups to mount them. They are bigger, but I love them so far.
mmittlesteadt
New member
In my opinion, if anyone wants to do a reef, but doesn't have the space or the budget for a big tank, a 40 breeder is the perfect size as it has a great footprint, giving you more depth (front to back) for a more open rockscape with no dead spots, very easy to work in, even at the very bottom. Costs less to populate the entire tank with fish and corals, and costs less to light, filter, etc. It also is just big enough to have a decent population of fish and corals and be able to easily maintain stability. Of course it helps that I have a 65 gallon sump (as I really have twice as much water surface area and double the overall water volume), but that isn't a necessity.
There are times I wish I had a much bigger tank (like a 220), but from the photos, unless I told someone how small my tank is, they'd assume it was bigger than it is.
mmittlesteadt
New member
Yes, just the A160WE. I don't have the controller yet. It's just on an on/off timer. I adjust it before I leave for work, then adjust it brighter with a broader spectrum when I get home, and then adjust it down at night before it goes off on it's own. It's worked well this way for over a year now.
I prefer the coverage where it tapers off at the edges of the tank. I also still love the shimmering affect as well as the light and shadows, rather than blasting the entire tank with bright light.
mmittlesteadt
New member
Will the real anemone please stand up?
My anemone is on the move again. Apparently he wants to check out the impostor that hosts my clownfish.
My anemone is on the move again. Apparently he wants to check out the impostor that hosts my clownfish.