Gareth’s 40 Gallon Breeder of Learning

Gareth elliott

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Ok updating so its more up to date for anyone who clicks.
Equipment

Tank: standard 40 gallon breeder.

Overflow: eshopps small.

Return: Current Loop 1050

Flow: 2 current loop 2150 powerheads

Lights: 3 ai primes

Sump: trigger amethyst 26

Skimmer: eshopps x-160

Reactor: 1 brs mini for carbon and a somatic fluidized reactor for gfo as needed.

Calcium reactor: Skimz C93 to be installed

Controllers: a seneye reef monitor, current loop blue tooth controller for pumps. A profilux 4 to be installed.

Fish

-Pair of clown fish
-A coral beauty angelfish
-A red lined wrasse
-A lubocki fairy wrasse

Corals

-assorted acropora
-photosynthetic gorgorians
-tonga torch
-ric mushroom.

Sure i missed somethings since not at my tank will edit again to add.
 
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Crabs McJones

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Tank started in 2015 as a 15g long.

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Tank started with live fiji rock.

First fish was a purple fire fish that joined the tank several weeks later. Still here :)

Upgraded to a 20g by not long after.

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Added a clownfish in march of 2016 and a another not long after that. For the next year other than snails and hermits the live stock stayed this way.

My first clownfish the one in the picture above was found on the floor in front of my tank. Managed to jump through egg crate somehow.

Changed filtration around a bit since its setup.

Finally started adding coral with purchase of galaxyhydro 165 for $60

At first a green paly
Then a frogspawn
Then a soft flowing thing(later id’d as corky finger)

And there it stayed for a few months. After i felt sufficiently safe that i wasnt killing corals.
I added some sps.

I have also replaced my jumper with a new black and white.
I really like that rock in the 20gallon on the right, with the hole. Fun rock for the fish to swim through :) Looking good :)
 
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Gareth elliott

Gareth elliott

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Now that we are in the present, first part of the upgrade is a place for the electronics.
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This will be the electronic cabinet and stand for a terrarium. Electronics from both the reef and terrarium will be housed in here and additional storage.

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orchid says hi.
 
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Gareth elliott

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I really like that rock in the 20gallon on the right, with the hole. Fun rock for the fish to swim through :) Looking good :)

That rock is actually texas holey rock lol. Was what was left of my cichlid tank i tore down.
 

Crabs McJones

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That rock is actually texas holey rock lol. Was what was left of my cichlid tank i tore down.
If that rock was used in freshwater keep a close eye on it. It may have absorbed some unwanted stuff from the freshwater that can later leak out into your saltwater such as copper, phosphates, or other metals which corals and inverts will not like :)
 
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Gareth elliott

Gareth elliott

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If that rock was used in freshwater keep a close eye on it. It may have absorbed some unwanted stuff from the freshwater that can later leak out into your saltwater such as copper, phosphates, or other metals which corals and inverts will not like :)

Thanks :)
i had cured the rock long before it went i this tank. The green terror tank was taken down in 2012 lol. The rock has been in the tank for awhile now with no ill effect. Texas holey rock is less porous than a lot of rock. Its dead coral but millions of years dead coral lol. It wont make it to the next build displaces too much water.
 
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Gareth elliott

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What has been upgraded already:
Going out of business sale so probably the largest skimmer someone has put on a 20 gallon lol.
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eshopps axium 160 cost $150 brand new.
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3 ai primes hd to replace the galaxyhydro. Third still in the box.
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settings its on.
Still need a tank, circulation pumps, return pump and new overflow.
Will be doing another diy sump with either 20g or 15g.
Current dosing is BRS 2 part and iron. Have unopened ATI essentials.
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jebao dosing pump.
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Using ranjib’s reef pi for ato and temperature controller.
 
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Gareth elliott

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Door added to cabinet. Went with a magnet clasp instead of a handle.

Sides next, bought some neodymium magnets to attach those so if need to play with controller or wires all but the back will be accessible.
 
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Gareth elliott

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Dosing containers almost complete, few more coats. Then printing labels.
Still deciding what color to go with on the cabinet thinking high gloss white as room walls are a dark brown and white might show less salt and streaks.
 
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Super gluing rare earth magnets to line up square might be the single most annoying project ever lol.
 
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Gareth elliott

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Dosing containers almost finished. Ordered nontoxic nail polish to finish the caps.
The bulk heads i ordered were slightly larger than the acrylic tubing. So had to make some washers out of some silicone tubing. Cut 1cm pieces, heated with a space heater slipped over the ends. Viola snug bulkhead to acrylic tube fitting.

Had a small breakout of bryopsis, so on day 4 of reef flux treatment. If by day 14 i see no change will do some heavy rock scrubbing. And restart the treatment.

Adding to my clean up crew today,
Fire shrimp
More snails
And some snails and shrimp for my freshwater planted(my last diamond tetra passed, 5 years old, can have shrimp again i hope.
 
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Gareth elliott

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Gave up waiting solely on the reef flux to work. Bought a flipper and cleaned all my glass, did a water change and scrubbed all my rocks in the water change water. Then added the reef flux to the new water.

Decided on eflux 2100 wave pumps. Ordered 1 complete unit, will see if i need a second for random flow. And for ease if use will eventually change the return pump to the eflux dc.
 
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Gareth elliott

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Some finishing touches to electronics cabinet.

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Most recent tank shot.
Next step is changing my aquascape to add some space for the sps frags on the rack.
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The rather plain looking one is a wild Australian acro frag. Is slowly coloring up. And does show some nice pe at night, a barnacle actually survived bayer then reef dip.

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Gareth elliott

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Finished the cabinet. Next up is rock curing ordered 10lbs of tonga branch rock to replace the texas holey rock. Plan is to add leggs to the fiji rock with epoxy and then a long horizontal structure with drilled holes for frags in my rack and future frags. Plan is to be done with my mini upgrade in time for me to switch my emphasis to bees for spring and summer.
Also replaced my co2 regulator on my planted tank.
 
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Gareth elliott

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Tonga branch rock came in Thursday , have it sitting in tote of tap water and bleach. Totes were on sale at kmart for $5.99 with a lid. Will dump end of the week and start several weeks of soaking in tap water. Dumping and refilling till phosphate is undetected. Im not going to seed since adding to existing rock. Just replacing some dense rock pieces so have more coral locations and get rid of my wall scape lol.
 
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Gareth elliott

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Today purchased the bluetooth hub for the current pumps. Adds wireless control plus temperature sensor. Also today is epoxy day for the branch rock, so will be heading to homedepot shortly.

Has been sitting in freshwater for the last 3 weeks no noticeable P or N with my salifert tests.
But going to soak for another 3 weeks in salt water anyway so probably not testing again lol.
Will test ammonia for cycling.
 
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Gareth elliott

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Well couple projects were added while at home depot lol.

Trim for the electrical cabinet
And polycarbonate sheets to change my sump to the 15g long sitting outside.
2 reasons one, my glass cutting job on the current one is terrible. Second add a little bit more room and water volume.
 

Mastering the art of locking and unlocking water pathways: What type of valves do you have on your aquarium plumbing?

  • Ball valves.

    Votes: 36 54.5%
  • Gate valves.

    Votes: 37 56.1%
  • Check valves.

    Votes: 15 22.7%
  • None.

    Votes: 14 21.2%
  • Other.

    Votes: 6 9.1%
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