40 breeder build .

[Scurvy]

Sounds like a great start . Are you gonna do a build thread ?

Eventually.... ive got two others that i dont update often enough as it is Heres a couple shots as it stands right now.

 

[bo0sted2g]

Any particular reason you didn't use the second drain on the overflow as an emergency drain?

Other than that this build is looking good!

 

[McArcher]

Any particular reason you didn't use the second drain on the overflow as an emergency drain?

Other than that this build is looking good!

+1
I would recommend not tying the two drains together the way you have it. One day you will wish you had that emergency backup.

 

[gilman]

So I got the metal stand . Moved everything over and now I need to replumb the drain and return . I also built a couple wood panels that hung on the stand that I was very unhappy with . The stain didnt come out like I wanted and I couldnt get them to sit how I wanted so I went a different route and used wall panel boards cut to size with magnets and double sided tape . This worked out so much better and looks amazing .

Im added a aquamax nano calcium reactor , lsm module with dual leds , and apex feeder . I need to get a co2 bottle . I think I need a co2 check valve also but Im not sure . I need to do some research on it , what do you guys think ?

First picture is the wood panels I made .
Second is of the wall panels .

Its almost time to get it cycling . Two more weeks !

 

[gilman]

I

+1
I would recommend not tying the two drains together the way you have it. One day you will wish you had that emergency backup.

Im going to change that . I was originally going to use a ffm module and optical sensor in the overflow to shut down the return pump if the water ever got to high but I think Ill just replumb it

 

[gilman]

So I built a board that hangs on the wall next to the tank and is removable . I set up all my tank equipment controllers and wiring on the board . Its clean but still messy with all the wires goingnout to the equipment . Eventually I will box it off so you cant see any of it .

Added a Apex AFS this week . Got everything in for the Ca reactor so all i need is a CO2 bottle and I can get cracking on the installation of that .

 

[gilman]

The tank has been coming along excellent . Its been stocked I think around a month and has been growing in like crazy . Im really loving the Orphek v4 compact , the color and growth from it are amazing . I even order a Orphek OR90 to kick up the color during the day also . It should really light up the tank end to end with no dark dim spots .

I custom built a aluminum frame and wrapped it in paneling like I did the stand . It came out awesome and barely weighs anything .

 

[NY_Caveman]

Just saw your tank in the FTS thread. Very nice!

 

[OffTopic]

Looks great! Following along

 

[gilman]

Its been some time since I’ve updated . June to be exact . So i figure I’ll update this while I’m starting a new build thread on my Waterbox 20 cube !

I haven’t changed much except replacing the jbj smart ato with an Apex ATK after the jbj failed (4months old) and dumped the ato reservoir into the sump , luckily I was home and caught it just as it happened and didnt have a catastrophe. I added a koralia nano to brake up the surface water also . I started using mesh sock in place of the felt and it’s so much easier to deal with . The felt would back up the flow through the sump causing ato issues . Changing to the mesh stopped all of that .

After purchasing during the Fraghouse , WWC , and Joe Knows Reef live sales I’ve added a number of frags . I traded my frogspawn and started an Acan garden and Zoa garden . Ive relocated my Fungia which was the right move since its gotten a lot larger ! My Acro colonies are growing fast and all my frags are encrusting and taking off ! Lots of growth out of the rest of the coral !

Dialed in all my equipment and have great steady parameters. I really want to test the PAR in the reef as I’ve brought the intensity’s and photo period of the lights down . I think I can come down more with the Atlantik since its at 85% on the Blue and UV channels . Im running my White , Green , and Infared channels at 40% for 4 hours ramping up and down 2 hours both ways .

I started out doing 5g a week water changes and switched to 10g every two weeks . I think it’s to much at once so I’m going to go back to 5s . I test salinity daily , Alk twice a week , Cal once a month and NO3 , PO4 , Mag every couple months .

I feed Reef Prime flakes daily , Formula one flakes sometimes , Formula two frozen and Mysis sparingly . I use Brightwell Zooplankton and Reef Roids once a week .

Check out my new Waterbox build ! Also once we move into our new Home I have a 120 gallon I will be setting up !

 

[gilman]

Here are some coral pics with my crappy Iphone . I suppose I can attempt a stock list !

Acropora:
Joe The Coral
Jesus stag
Green Slimer
Strawberry Lemonade
Two Pink Millipora’s
Cornbread Over the Rainbow Milli
Cornbread OMG acro
Four other no name Millipora
Two no name stags
JF razmatazz
500 dollar efflo
Tri color Valida
Oregon Tort
Greg Hiller Tort
Aussie wild colonie
Garf Bonsai
Walt Disney
Unknown from Mind Blowing Corals
Hawkins Enchinata
WWC Toxic Waste

Frag House Coral Acropora:
Equilibrium
Electrolite
Generac
Satans Missile
Tropical Punch Milli
M80 Milli
Nightmare Milli
One I cant remember

Montipora:
Danae
Spongodes
Superman
Red cap
Green with blue polyp cap
Purple digi
Bubble gum digi
Mystic Sunset

Purple Stylophora
Two Porcilopora
Pavona
PSA

Chalices:
Hollywood Stunner
Superman
Bubblegum Monster
Watermelon
Red with Gold eyes colonie
Green colonie
Mind Blowing Corals Wonderland

Two different Rhodactis shrooms
Orange Ricordea Florida
Teal Ricordea Florida

Neon Green Candy Canes
Pink Candy Canes
Fungia Plate
Duncans
Lobophyllia
Seventeen different Acans

Zoanthids:
WWC Redbulls
WWC Spiderman
WWC Rising Sun
WWC Golden Eye
WWC Twizzlers
Smurfs
Fruit loops
Wammin Watermelons
Orange Oxides
Ninja
King Midas
Dragon Eyes
Two Im not sure of
Cinnamon Paly

Maxima Clam
Bumble Bee Shrimp
Skunk Cleaner Shrimp
Red Banded Pistol Shrimp
Astrea Snails
Blue legged Hermits

Fish:
Sailfin Tang
Aurora Shrimp Goby
Two Fire Fish

I think thats all ! Seems like sooooo much in a 40 breeder !

 

[gilman]

Heres some top downs of the tank !
I had some issues the week before Christmas . My TDS meter was reading 20tds coming out of the RO/DI . I changed the prefilter , added a second carbon block , anion and cation resins and a new mixed bed .

I had an outbreak of diatoms and the spots of hair algae got bigger so I added a small amount of GFO to my filter sock and ran it a few days . Im pretty sure my Zoanthids and a few other random corals started closing or bleaching and looked really bad because of it . I had my reefing buddy come over and help he calibrate all my equipment , run numerous tests , and help me get everything straightened out . My PH probes where off , along with my refractometer . The tank was 1.022 and PH was low and Ive been trying to keep it up since .

Ended up shutting down the co2 for my reactor . Running a fresh air line from my skimmer to the basement . Pulled that GFO . Did a 5 gallon water change followed by a 10 gallon water change a few days later . Dosed some microbacter7 , fresh carbon , cleaned and filled my cal reactor , and cleaned my pumps .

I moved almost all my Zoas and a Chalice to my 20 and the Zoa’s opened up immediately. Chalice is puffy again and starting to color up .

The tank is looking 99% today with the Zoa’s left just barely curled up .

So now I have a secondary chamber for my reactor on its way . Im hoping this works to reduce co2 to the tank so I can keep my PH up . Reactor on it sits at 7.8 during the and drops into 7.6ish at night with the reactor running . Tank is at 8.18 with it off .

 

[gilman]

Some macro shots .