Basic 40g Breeder Build

[naterealbig]

Must have missed the link or pictures.

Sorry, phone keyboard froze up. I edited my last post, look above.

I could not find a viable 70w halide like the viper that used to be in production. I replaced my thought with a 150 watt halide from BRS. The fixture is $99 plus I'd guess $100 for a ballast, and another $40-$50 for bulb.

 

[lbacha]

Sorry, phone keyboard froze up. I edited my last post, look above.

I could not find a viable 70w halide like the viper that used to be in production. I replaced my thought with a 150 watt halide from BRS. The fixture is $99 plus I'd guess $100 for a ballast, and another $40-$50 for bulb.

If you are going to spend that I would get a kessil a160 tuna sun. It would be a good light for a display fuge and work well with mangroves since it has a small profile

 

[naterealbig]

If you are going to spend that I would get a kessil a160 tuna sun. It would be a good light for a display fuge and work well with mangroves since it has a small profile

Yes, definitely many options for FW-type LED, and Ecotech is not the end-all here (although their RMS mounting system is my favorite). I just am not familiar with the others. I also have used Ecotech products before, and have not had a chance to use some of the other well-known or/and CBB LED's. I'm certain that many would be a great fit, and perhaps at a lower price point.

 

[Rcpilot]

Had a setback today. I was tightening bulkheads on the overflow and the bottom of the overflow box cracked.

 

[naterealbig]

Ack! That really stinks - I'm sorry!

What is your plan?. I was going to guess that it was 1/8" glass you used?. You will need to take it completely apart anyway, and you could rebuild it with 1/4 inch plate glass.... No need for the gussets now, as you would have double the silicon-glass contact area, and, it's much beefier.

A thin piece of wire will do the trick to get the box of the display. Some new razor blades will get the silicone off the back-end and acetone will prep the glass for new silicone (you may have already been to the rodeo here, but if you have questions I can help. I have completely disassembled a 130g aquarium, cut the glass, and rebuilt it)

And look at it this way - it could have happened while it was filled with water, fish, coral, etc.

 

[Rcpilot]

Not sure yet. Yes, this was the bottom of a 2.5g fish tank. 1/8" at best.
The rest of the glass was snapped from a 10g tank that I stripped. So that was closer to 3/16"

I'm calling a local glass company tomorrow morning, with a cut list for 1/4" panels. It stinks, but I gotta get it fixed and keep going. Shoulda known better than to use the thinnest piece for the bottom with three 1-inch bulkheads in it. No sense getting all crazy mad. Just fix it and go. Stupid lesson learned... and you're right, it could have been full of water.

 

[naterealbig]

Yep, deep breath and move forward is all we can do. And if that's the stupidist thing you've done the whole build, you are doing awesome.

If you've got some spare time while waiting on the glass, you can use that to review your plans, research your refugium light, look for algae sources, plan livestock, etc..... Ask me how I know. :)

Chin up and keep trucking along. This thing is gonna be sweet when it's wet!

 

[Rcpilot]

Called a local glass shop today. $13.75 for the glass. Should be ready early next week. [happy dance]

 

[lbacha]

Called a local glass shop today. $13.75 for the glass. Should be ready early next week. [happy dance]

Glass is cheap you should order a backup for the bottom which you will be drilling just to be safe. That way you don’t have to wait for a replacement

Len

 

[Rcpilot]

I got the glass and a spare piece for the bottom, just in case I broke it while drilling. @lbacha
I got the box stuck together this morning and let it cure for 14 hours. Then stuck it on the tank. Seams look slightly better, but still not great.

 

[naterealbig]

I got the glass and a spare piece for the bottom, just in case I broke it while drilling. @lbacha
I got the box stuck together this morning and let it cure for 14 hours. Then stuck it on the tank. Seams look slightly better, but still not great.

Oh that's great!. The seams look much better, and they look pretty thick which is good for support.

You must feel better about this overflow than you did the last one - it definitely looks much more solid.

The whole setup is looking clean - when do you think you'll have it wet? What's the next step?

 

[Rcpilot]

Gotta wait at least 3 or 4 days for silicone. I'm following the manufacturers recommendations and waiting.

Then I need to plumb the overflow to the sump.

Leak test

Maybe a week or two for water.

The new box is cleaner. Looks better.

 

[naterealbig]

Gotta wait at least 3 or 4 days for silicone. I'm following the manufacturers recommendations and waiting.

Then I need to plumb the overflow to the sump.

Leak test

Maybe a week or two for water.

The new box is cleaner. Looks better.

Ok, true. What brand silicone did you go with?

Ok, we getting to the fun part!.

Coincidentally, i am leak testing my new setup as we speak...

Keep the pics coming. Things are looking awesome.

To support the pipe and prevent any unnecessary stresses on the overflow box, these would be my choice.... Used then on my setup - they are awesome.

 

[Rcpilot]

@naterealbig
I used real aquarium silicone from ASI. They said wait 24hrs to handle and 4 days for full cure.

Those clamps are just what I need. I want to clamp to the stand or make a bracket that attaches to the stand. I also need to support my return line.

I've got the refugium pump plumbed with vinyl tubing. Need to support that under the stand.

Gonna paint the back again tomorrow.

I may add a branch line and a ball valve off my return line and use it for water changes. I need to make a hole or chase in the wall behind the tank. Planning to run a piece of 3 or 4 inch steel pipe and fire caulk it in place. Then use a rubber boot on each side of the pipe to help prevent spiders from moving between the garage and the house. It's Florida, so no avoiding them. I spray monthly outside and keep them fairly beaten back.

 

[naterealbig]

@naterealbig
I used real aquarium silicone from ASI. They said wait 24hrs to handle and 4 days for full cure.

Those clamps are just what I need. I want to clamp to the stand or make a bracket that attaches to the stand. I also need to support my return line.

I've got the refugium pump plumbed with vinyl tubing. Need to support that under the stand.

Gonna paint the back again tomorrow.

I may add a branch line and a ball valve off my return line and use it for water changes. I need to make a hole or chase in the wall behind the tank. Planning to run a piece of 3 or 4 inch steel pipe and fire caulk it in place. Then use a rubber boot on each side of the pipe to help prevent spiders from moving between the garage and the house. It's Florida, so no avoiding them. I spray monthly outside and keep them fairly beaten back.

Perfect. Good to know you used a pro product for the seals. I also like RTV, which is an aeronautical grade silicone, and use it for most of my aquarium builds.

Have you used these clamps before?. I've got a couple tricks to help you use them while building the plumbing if you need.

Keep in mind your grass will eventually die in the spot where the water empties. It will be localized, and it will take a while, but it will happen eventually. The idea is great though - one less step in the water change process, means they are more likely to get done! :)

I'm in Tampa, and grew up in Kissimmee, so I know what you mean about the spiders. And ants, and all kinds of other Florida critters that like to hang out in the AC with us!. When we get our stuff set up, we can grab lunch in Orlando and trade frags!

 

[Rcpilot]

I have a mop sink in the garage, right behind the wall that the tank sits on. I'll drain to there.

 

[naterealbig]

Need update!

 

[Rcpilot]

Shenanigans....

My wife's contract is done, in early April. We're packing the house and listing it to sell between March 10-15. We're shipping off somewhere. Got a couple options, but some details to work out. She's going to get another promotion and more money.

I work from home and have a corporate job, but it's highly portable. I also have a small web design company that I manage from home. It's not hard to pick up and go. My wife has a ridiculous amount of education and she's worked really hard for 25 years in the same industry. It's finally paying off so if she wants to bounce around and climb the ladder... I'm in. We don't have any kids living at home anymore. I'd be a fool not to support her career goals after she spent her whole life working for these exact opportunities.

So the basic 40g breeder build comes to a temporary halt. I'll hopefully get this going again by June. We should be done closing on a new house and be unpacked by June ..... I hope and pray.

 

[naterealbig]

Well congrats on the wife's promotion! How exciting! Any idea where you are headed?. Hope you have an uneventful move. I'll keep my eyes peeled for updates in the coming months. Best wishes.

 

[Rcpilot]

Well congrats on the wife's promotion! How exciting! Any idea where you are headed?. Hope you have an uneventful move. I'll keep my eyes peeled for updates in the coming months. Best wishes.

Thanks so much.

Our options include:
Huntsville, AL
Alexandria, VA (DC corridor)
Palmdale, CA
Los Angeles, CA
Colorado Springs, CO
Grand Forks, ND

Still no idea yet. It takes her employer forever to make a decision. I'm sure there's a lot in the background that I don't know about. When we left Colorado and moved to Florida, it was literally an 11th hour decision, and then we had 10 days to get here.... only 1,987 miles away. It will probably be more of the same this time. They'll decide where they want her, and the moving trucks will show up in a day or two.

We've got to do it different this time. Uncle Sam removed the moving expenses deduction in 2018, so the money we spent to move to Florida isn't going to be tax deductable. It used to be. Imagaine our shock when we discovered that roughly $2,100 worth of travel, hotel rooms, insurance and other moving expense wasn't deductable this year. It was last year, so we planned our trip around deducting the expenses. Got screwed out of that deduction. Funny thing though, the $30k her company paid for the professional movers .... well Uncle Same says that's income for us, so thats part of our tax bill this year. We'll probably get another "relocation package" and of course none of our actual expenses will be tax deductable... and the relocation package will cost us again next year. I hate the government.