captbunzo's 40g reef tank -- 2023 edition

[captbunzo]

I'm pleased to start this build thread for my 40g reef tank. I picked up the tank this week from Petco, a simple 40 gallon breeder under the brand Imagitarium.

Yeah, not real exciting, but this is my first shipment of kit for the tank. That's a 30" Aqua Illumination Coral Grow light and a Black Friday free bucket of salt from BRS.

 

[Peace River]

It looks like you are off to a good start! The 40B is very adaptable so it will likely be usable for other projects if and when you upgrade your tank. Congratulations on the new adventure!

 

[captbunzo]

But much more fun, here's are some Sketchups I made of the stand I am planning on building.

Here's a link to the design on SketchUp.

1. Full tank and stand with doors open
2. And just the skeleton

 

[captbunzo]

The two little squares on the top of the stand will have some pretty hand painted tiles in it.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/1273890363/10x10-cm-sea-and-beach-themed-ceramic
Currently I plan on just doing a pair of these clownfish tiles, but I might do more as I ordered a six pack (4 others in addition to two of these clownfish tiles).

 

[NewReefer69]

this is my 40 tall

 

[captbunzo]

Here's some of the equipment I plan to use. I am starting this on a budget (of sorts), so some of this might not be super fancy. Note that I am planning on running these with softies and LPS.

2x Hydor Evolution 750-850 gph
2x 100w titanium heaters (I might do 200w)
Ink Bird Heater Wifi Temperature Controller
Sand Bed: Not decided fully yet, 30-60 lbs (1-2 inches) of fine grained aragonite
5 Stage Premium Plus 75 GPD RO/DI System
Two Little Fishies PhosBan Reactor (running carbon and GFO)
AquaReady Bullet-3 Hang-On-Back Protein Skimmer (or maybe the Bullet 2)

And eventually...
Xp Aqua Sumpless ATO2 Auto Top Off System

I would greatly appreciate any feedback on the stand design and plan so far.

 

[Rocks reef]

Hello and welcome to R2R!
You are planning this out and taking your time. Kudos for doing that. Patience is your friend in this hobby.
Like @Peace River stated. The 40 breeder is a great tank, you can do so much with it without breaking the bank, taking a second mortgage or selling a kidney.
You have an impressive equipment list as well.
I am looking forward to updates. Don't forget to start a build thread so we can follow.
Again, welcome.
Here's a Pic of my temporary 40g breeder as I finish the stand for my new tank.
However, I will keep this one running as I love the dimensions of it.

 

[Rocks reef]

I really like your stand idea!
I totally forgot to mention that in my previous post.
A reef tank doesn't need to be fancy. My tank that I posted above only has two used MP-10s and a Tunze internal filter. No sump, nothing fancy. I do have an Inkbird for temperature. My ATO sensors are positioned by the filter, you really dont need a 'sumpless' ATO. My ATO pumps directly in to the tank.

 

[captbunzo]

Don't forget to start a build thread so we can follow.

Beautiful tank!

And yeah, I'm excited about my 40 gallon breeder plan. My first thought on deciding to throw this tank together this week wants to do a 29 gallon tank, as that's the first reef tank I ever did years ago. But came across a recommendation on the 40g breeder and decided I liked the idea better.

But anyways, I thought this was my build thread! Maybe I've got it in the wrong forum. I'll have a look.