Basic 40g Breeder Build

[Hemmdog]

I would recommend getting a good reef salt especially since your rocks are so clean. Instant ocean salt is a fairly low end salt. Just looking out for you. My shop uses Red Sea coral pro and I’ve had great results. I used instant ocean before and things were not nearly as colored up, due to the lack of trace elements. Also my earlier comment about the light. Yes I have used it personally on a 55 gal. Everything died, switched to kessil, got new coral. Everything is doing amazing. Most people do kessil or AP for a very good reason; those companies did a ton of research finding the best spectrum for corals and how to deliver it in the brightest most energy efficient package, and they did a fantastic job doing so.

If you add a t5 you will be fine. The current light will be cool supplemental.

I enjoyed reading your build! Excited to see you stock it !

 

[Rcpilot]

I would recommend getting a good reef salt especially since your rocks are so clean. Instant ocean salt is a fairly low end salt. Just looking out for you. My shop uses Red Sea coral pro and I’ve had great results. I used instant ocean before and things were not nearly as colored up, due to the lack of trace elements. Also my earlier comment about the light. Yes I have used it personally on a 55 gal. Everything died, switched to kessil, got new coral. Everything is doing amazing. Most people do kessil or AP for a very good reason; those companies did a ton of research finding the best spectrum for corals and how to deliver it in the brightest most energy efficient package, and they did a fantastic job doing so.

If you add a t5 you will be fine. The current light will be cool supplemental.

I enjoyed reading your build! Excited to see you stock it !

Appreciate the comments on the Instant Ocean. I've used it before and I'm aware of the low trace elements and typically low pH. I bought that 200g box for $15 and plan to only use it to cycle the tank, and probably my QT tank(s). For corals I like Red Sea Coral Pro and Reef Crystals.

I'm going to run the lights I have, and probably supplement with a 2-bulb T5 or more LED's. I've been looking at a 3ft Light Bar from Orphek.

As for the build... we're nowhere near done. It's just getting good!!

 

[Rcpilot]

Slow going lately. I've been waiting 4 days for silicone to dry.

Wiring mess that will all get sorted and organized before we spool the pumps.

Front-ish view of the overflow. Dual 1-inch drains through the tank wall. Bean animal with 1-inch pipes in the back. With a 1050gph pump and 5ft of head (400--475gph), I'm betting my gate valve is gonna be closed quite a bit.

Top view of the overflow box. Siphon on the left, wet channel in the middle, dry emergency on the right.

Tried to lay out my tank penetrations so my pipes would miss the edges of the wood stand as they drop and then turn under the stand. I drilled a 2nd hole in the top of my Icecap 24 sump so both the siphon and the wet channel would enter in the same compartment.

 

[Rcpilot]

There are three 3/4 bulkheads in the back wall of the tank.

The right side, with strainer, is the drain from the refugium above and to the right of the tank. The other 2 bulkheads, with line-loc fittings are return lines.

 

[Rcpilot]

Still to do:

Paint the back of the DT and the back of the refugium, black. I'll probably paint one side of the refugium black as well... the side facing the tank.

Plumbing -- I'm using 3/4" vinyl hose to power the refugium with an Innovative Marine Mighty-Jet controllable pump. It's 326GPH before head pressure and we've got about 42 inches to overcome, so hoping this will slow down to under 100GPH with head pressure and the controller. The bulkhead in the bottom of the refugium will get a tall vertical pipe with a gooseneck at the top, to create a siphon break. I did the math and calculated we should need five or six 3/8" holes to equal the cross section of my 3/4" drain for the refugium. I drilled 8 holes in the refugium baffle and can always drill more. I've got 1/4" hole saws and 3/8" hole saws by the handful.

I also need to get moving ahead on my project box and low voltage controls. Found most of the parts I need except for a solenoid valve and a few different types of relays. My plan is to get it up and running as soon as possible, and move forward with the automation as parts arrive. It's all easy to do, now that the holes are drilled. I still need to hang a bracket in my sump to control my ATO. Still need to get a saltwater mxing tank that fits under my 20H. It needs to have the footprint of a 10g tank to fit inside the stand. That leaves 3 options... a 10g, a 15H and a 20XH. I did test fit the 20XH refugium inm there and it fits, but there's no room on top to do much in the way of piping. The 15H would be my preference.

 

[Rcpilot]

Painting the back and side of the refugium.

Back of the tank and overflow box.

I'm using a cheap $3 brush from Lowes and a latex flat black paint. It's splotchy in spots. Gonna need a 2nd coat. I'll let it dry overnight and hit it again tomorrow morning.

 

[Rcpilot]

Paint dried faster than expected. 2nd coat is done, peeled the tape and stood them back up. Still needs to harden up a bit before I can put the bulkheads in.

 

[naterealbig]

Wow, lots of progress!. Everything looks well thought out, and the black paint covers the black silicone on the overflow nicely. The black will also make everything stand out.

Might drill a few more holes in the refugium baffle, as they may get clogged, and it will be a pain to drill when you've got water in it (lots of plastic shavings I'm thinking).

Can't wait to see this thing wet!

 

[Rcpilot]

Wow, lots of progress!. Everything looks well thought out, and the black paint covers the black silicone on the overflow nicely. The black will also make everything stand out.

Might drill a few more holes in the refugium baffle, as they may get clogged, and it will be a pain to drill when you've got water in it (lots of plastic shavings I'm thinking).

Can't wait to see this thing wet!

Thanks!

That refugium baffle is glass, so I need to drill now if I'm gonna put more in. I was concerned about blockages.

What do you think.... 7 more, staggered below the first row?

BTW they're small holes, but the glass is a full 1/4". They're TOUGH to drill. Gotta hang in there for about 7--8 minutes per hole.

 

[naterealbig]

Oh manxi didn't realize it was glass, although makes sense - it looks super nice.

Yes, I think a few extra holes would be worth it, and will give you a bit of buffer between cleanings. 4 minimum, extra 7 if you can handle it... I know the feeling...

 

[naterealbig]

Happy New Year!

 

[Rcpilot]

@naterealbig

Drilled 7 more holes today.

 

[Rcpilot]

Got the refugium tied into the DT.
Piping looks crooked in the pics. It's not.

 

[lbacha]

Looking good

 

[naterealbig]

Oh man, things are looking spot on!. That second set of holes makes me feel better, and I KNOW you are probably feeling better about it too. The standpipe is perfect, and that strainer on the refugium drain bulkhead is great as it adds a second layer of protection from snails and whatnot.

I can't remember if you posted it or not, but what light are you planning running on the fuge?

 

[Rcpilot]

Oh man, things are looking spot on!. That second set of holes makes me feel better, and I KNOW you are probably feeling better about it too. The standpipe is perfect, and that strainer on the refugium drain bulkhead is great as it adds a second layer of protection from snails and whatnot.

I can't remember if you posted it or not, but what light are you planning running on the fuge?

Yeah, 2nd set of holes adds a nice buffer.

I'm using a strainer on both the drain side and the tank inlet side. The tank inlet side is flat and round, like a pancake. Don't want any snails going backwards up that tube and making a man cave.

Connecting the union between the 2 tanks is fun. It needs to be just right or there will be torque on the bulkheads. Trying to gently nudge a 40g tank on a painted piece of plywood has its challenges. I know all plumbing should be supported, but no idea how to support this. It might just have to hang there. It's fairly light overall and won't be getting bumped. The valve is only for emergency use.

I was going to plumb the return pump tonight, but I forgot a couple fittings, so a trip to Lowes is in order. I'm back to work tomorrow so updates may be spotty or slow during the week.

 

[naterealbig]

Yeah, 2nd set of holes adds a nice buffer.

I'm using a strainer on both the drain side and the tank inlet side. The tank inlet side is flat and round, like a pancake. Don't want any snails going backwards up that tube and making a man cave.

Connecting the union between the 2 tanks is fun. It needs to be just right or there will be torque on the bulkheads. Trying to gently nudge a 40g tank on a painted piece of plywood has its challenges. I know all plumbing should be supported, but no idea how to support this. It might just have to hang there. It's fairly light overall and won't be getting bumped. The valve is only for emergency use.

I was going to plumb the return pump tonight, but I forgot a couple fittings, so a trip to Lowes is in order. I'm back to work tomorrow so updates may be spotty or slow during the week.

Lol lol @ snail man cave!. Don't sweat the unsupported piping- it's a short run and the plumbing is small. I have built many longer and larger pipe runs without support and there was never a problem. Honestly, unless your running >4" pipe, or you have a run longer than 4 feet you really don't need them. I'm using them in my setup because the look pro, and all of my plumbing and equipment is on exhibit [emoji851].

My god, if I don't make 10 trips to Lowe's for a single project, I'm doing it wrong!. It's the story of my life..... If I'm lucky i remember before I leave the parking lot.

No sweat on slow updates, at least it's a short week!. I'm keeping my eyes peeled... Can't wait to see this baby up and running!

Best

 

[Rcpilot]

I can't remember if you posted it or not, but what light are you planning running on the fuge?

I haven't made a decision yet. In the past, I've used a clamp on spotlight with a curly-Q compact fluorescent bulb from lowes. But that's ugly.

Looking for an LED fixture this time. It needs to be a clamp on, as there is no hood or canopy over the refugium.

 

[naterealbig]

I haven't made a decision yet. In the past, I've used a clamp on spotlight with a curly-Q compact fluorescent bulb from lowes. But that's ugly.

Looking for an LED fixture this time. It needs to be a clamp on, as there is no hood or canopy over the refugium.

Yes, ugly and weak. I'm currently using this setup to QT. It's not a great setup, but for around the same price, MUCH better than a clamp on.

A 70w 6.5-10k halide would look incredible, and would give you excellent export capability. If budget allowed, my top choice would be an XR15 (for freshwater) with an RMS mount.

My Chaeto QT light setup:

Would be awesome from BRS:

My choice:

I am going to use the Kessil H380 (for horticulture) on my fuge, but this light is bright pink, and would make for a crappy display refuge I think.....

 

[Rcpilot]

Yes, ugly and weak. I'm currently using this setup to QT. It's not a great setup, but for around the same price, MUCH better than a clamp on.

A 70w 6.5-10k halide would look incredible, and would give you excellent export capability. If budget allowed, my top choice would be an XR15 (for freshwater) with an RMS mount.

My Chaeto QT light setup:

Must have missed the link or pictures.