40 Breeder Build

MikeDesjean

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Hey all,

I have 3 tanks currently, 2 WaterBox 20 Cubes and a 10 Gallon set up with an Tidal 35 that is holding frags right now and six line wrasse. My current display my first WB 20 is staying as is and is running very well. My other 2 tanks WB 20 and 10G I am going to combine into one 40 breeder. The WB is not really suited for what I am looking to do and neither is the 10G. I was looking to use the WB and the 10G to grow corals out and it just is not enough space. plus I feel the bigger tank will not only add 10 gallons the system making it more stable but gives the freedom of a little more space.

drain out both tanks into buckets with heaters and put the 40 breeder in place of them and fill back up with the water from both tanks. I will go with a shallow sand bed using a 20 lbs bag of fiji pink. Tank inhabitants:
-2 Clowns(20G)
-Watchman Goby(20G)
-Six Line Wrasse (10G)

Filtration:
-Tidal 110 with existing bio media from 20G
-Tidal 35 with existing bio media from 10G'
I will run both filters one on each end of the tank. this will ensure that the bio media from both tanks along with live rock from both will be able to handle bio load which I feel is light for 40B. I wont be adding anything else into the tank. If I do it wont be for some time. This will allow for future ability to take bio media out of 35 and run things like chemi pure gfo or something.
- I will also find a HOB internal skimmer to put on the tank as well to help with nutrient export. If anyone has any recommendations I will consider. I use a Bubble Magus Mini Q in my WB 20 and would like something similar.

Lighting:
- 2 AI Prime 16 HDs


Opinions?
 

G_Lows

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By the sounds of it, if you have good established live rock and or other bio media (ceramic?), I would start the new tank with new fresh mixed salt water and not use the old tank water. All the biological filtration you need is in the rocks and bio media, and would give you a "fresh" start. Especially if you have a parameter or 2 that aren't exactly where you'd like them to be. I recently upgraded from a 25g AIO to a drilled 40 breeder and used all new water, with my established rock and ceramic balls, and most of my corals have never looked better and that was about 10 days ago. Just my 2 cents.
 
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MikeDesjean

MikeDesjean

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By the sounds of it, if you have good established live rock and or other bio media (ceramic?), I would start the new tank with new fresh mixed salt water and not use the old tank water. All the biological filtration you need is in the rocks and bio media, and would give you a "fresh" start. Especially if you have a parameter or 2 that aren't exactly where you'd like them to be. I recently upgraded from a 25g AIO to a drilled 40 breeder and used all new water, with my established rock and ceramic balls, and most of my corals have never looked better and that was about 10 days ago. Just my 2 cents.
Nice! I am considering. I was trying to figure out my self how I could do this. I only have a 20g mixing bucket. So I may have to fill up some 5g buckets and heat the mixing bin of the other 20g fairly warm and mix the 2 to get the temp to where it needs to be faster.

The 40 breeder is going on the same table the other 2 tanks are on so I need to break them down into buckets get the 2 tanks out of the way and put the new one in place. The fish can stay in the buckets for a few hours with air stone and some rock in the bucket while tank heats up.

Bio media is about 10-15 pounds of live rock and the rock bio media that came with tidal 35 (8 months old on 10 G) and the bio media I picked up at Petco for my 20 G that is about 6 months old and seeded with the tidal 35 bio media. I broke down 10 G tank after 2 months and upgraded to WB 20 cube and just transferred live rock over, a few months later I set 10G back up by just taking bio media bag back out and into tidal 35.

My one consern is getting dinos. Will the 100% water change make that happen? or will the fact that it is being skipped cycled and fish going in same day get the nitrogen process pick right back up creating nitrate?
 

G_Lows

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Nice! I am considering. I was trying to figure out my self how I could do this. I only have a 20g mixing bucket. So I may have to fill up some 5g buckets and heat the mixing bin of the other 20g fairly warm and mix the 2 to get the temp to where it needs to be faster.

The 40 breeder is going on the same table the other 2 tanks are on so I need to break them down into buckets get the 2 tanks out of the way and put the new one in place. The fish can stay in the buckets for a few hours with air stone and some rock in the bucket while tank heats up.

Bio media is about 10-15 pounds of live rock and the rock bio media that came with tidal 35 (8 months old on 10 G) and the bio media I picked up at Petco for my 20 G that is about 6 months old and seeded with the tidal 35 bio media. I broke down 10 G tank after 2 months and upgraded to WB 20 cube and just transferred live rock over, a few months later I set 10G back up by just taking bio media bag back out and into tidal 35.

My one consern is getting dinos. Will the 100% water change make that happen? or will the fact that it is being skipped cycled and fish going in same day get the nitrogen process pick right back up creating nitrate?
I didn't have any dinos pop up.. However that would be different from, tank to tank. I just tested basically all parameters daily for the first week. Also I believe a 40 breeder is actually 47 gallons, something to keep in mind while mixing. I think from the sounds of it though, you have well established rock and bio media, so I think it should be a smooth transition.
 
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MikeDesjean

MikeDesjean

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A little longer process than expected but we are up to temp everything going back in soon!
48F42A09-D246-4DB0-B1F1-B7FD97BEDBD4.jpeg
 
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