Jimmys 40 breeder

[jdpeters]

Greetings R2R community. I’ve been steadily working on building out a standard 40 breeder reef and delaying a build thread. I will be honest in that I haven’t taken as much photos as necessary but I still think it will be to my benefit to take a stab at this regardless and maybe someone will find inspiration or take caution, you decide!

A little about me. I’ve been keeping fish for about 12 years with an interest predominantly in freshwater. In this time I have maintained a reef system or two with the last being a 42g Cadlights that never really took off and was expensive learning experience. I just wasn’t equipped with enough knowledge or applied what I did have. After a few years I sold it cheap and replaced it with a standard 40 breeder planted tank.

Ive been on a 4+ year hiatus and got the itch really bad and went immediately into planning phase. The only real hurdle is I had to get permission from the boss, same person who told me 4 years ago I would regret selling my system. She is my best friend and a great partner and eventually encouraged me.

It’s important to note that in my absence I set up a 40 gallon planted tank that kept my interest for a short length of time but I quickly needed more. Here’s just one picture I won’t bore the masses with the fresh water side. I do enjoy the GROWN anubias that looks like it’s emersed out the top but it’s just a nice visual blend into pothos growing out the top.

So obviously one fresh water wasn’t enough. During Covid I begged and begged for more room for tanks and eventually she encouraged me to utilize our shop. I built out a 7x7 room in a detached garage and it’s still up and running.

So current day I’m building a 40 breeder reef while maintaining a 27 tank fish room and COMPLETELY uninterested by anything fresh water. I basically go out there and feed my fish while plotting on a coral grow out room. In the mean time, I will keep things healthy and plug away at everything I got going on. The planning phase for me is basically what I love the most. The execution, methods and precision is where I struggle. Once I got the ok I consumed countless hours of YouTube, podcast and asked MANY questions to patient members here on R2R.

I’m not sure how or if compiling my progress up to this point on one post is smart or safe. Stay tuned to my next post. I’d like to stimulate conversation and maybe someone can learn something from me, good or bad lol.

 

[timmyrules]

“I basically go out there and feed my fish while plotting on a coral grow out room.”

:rolling-on-the-floor-laughing: That’s the best thing I’ve read all day!!!!!!

I’m following this!!!

 

[jdpeters]

“I basically go out there and feed my fish while plotting on a coral grow out room.”

:rolling-on-the-floor-laughing: That’s the best thing I’ve read all day!!!!!!

I’m following this!!!

I’m glad you got a laugh. Thanks for following, I have a good deal to update but I may not add anything today we will see.

I have 4 kids and a wife to give my attention to and in addition I drive truck for work and gone 3-4 days a week so that’s one hurdle and when im home I typically try to be as present as possible.

 

[jdpeters]

There was a tremendous amount of consideration as far as to the size of the aquarium, not just gallons but the footprint was a major point for me. I really wanted to go up to a 4 foot but it would eat the wall up that it’s on and additionally the aquarium would be placed in our living room in a house which itself isn’t large. I drive truck for a living so I have nothing but idle time to obsess about details if I care, which is good and bad lol. I decided a 40 breeder was basically the perfect dimensions and I decided to utilize the existing pine stand from my last aquarium. They are not perfect but I trust them vastly over many MDF stands and I wasnt interested in building a stand due to time constraints.

Tank - 40 gallon breeder, marineland
Light - Photon 24 with standard tank mounts
Stand - aqueon pine stand
Return - Sicce syncra sdc6
Overflow - Eshopps Eclipse M
Heater - BRS titanium 200w with Inkbird
Flow - currently 1 AI Nero 3 to start
Media - 5 inch BRS media reactor, likely for carbon periodically
Sump - 20 long with 4 chamber kit from eBay
Skimmer - bubble magus 3EX Extreme Curve
Rock - 30~ pounds purple Marco rock
Substrate - bare bottom - 1/4 textured Black HDPE
Ato - XP Aqua Duetto dual
Reservoir - Red Sea ReefCan 18 liter
Rodi - BRS 4 stage 75gpd
Doser - undecided? Few months from needing
Salt - Reef crystals, affordable and I like the elevated levels.
More to come!

 

[Crabs McJones]

40B's hold a special place in my heart as it's where I started out. Following along for sure!

 

[jdpeters]

Current full tank shot - will add more of the build and progress

 

[Crabs McJones]

Current full tank shot - will add more of the build and progress

You're making me nostalgic. This so much reminds me of my first build. Love it!

 

[timmyrules]

Current full tank shot - will add more of the build and progress

Lookin good!!!! :beaming-face-with-smiling-eyes:

 

[jdpeters]

40B's hold a special place in my heart as it's where I started out. Following along for sure!

They are fantastic for a plethora of reasons. Thanks for following!

 

[jdpeters]

Lookin good!!!! :beaming-face-with-smiling-eyes:

Thanks! Just wait til you see my cord management

 

[Gumbies R Us]

Greetings R2R community. I’ve been steadily working on building out a standard 40 breeder reef and delaying a build thread. I will be honest in that I haven’t taken as much photos as necessary but I still think it will be to my benefit to take a stab at this regardless and maybe someone will find inspiration or take caution, you decide!

A little about me. I’ve been keeping fish for about 12 years with an interest predominantly in freshwater. In this time I have maintained a reef system or two with the last being a 42g Cadlights that never really took off and was expensive learning experience. I just wasn’t equipped with enough knowledge or applied what I did have. After a few years I sold it cheap and replaced it with a standard 40 breeder planted tank.

Ive been on a 4+ year hiatus and got the itch really bad and went immediately into planning phase. The only real hurdle is I had to get permission from the boss, same person who told me 4 years ago I would regret selling my system. She is my best friend and a great partner and eventually encouraged me.

It’s important to note that in my absence I set up a 40 gallon planted tank that kept my interest for a short length of time but I quickly needed more. Here’s just one picture I won’t bore the masses with the fresh water side. I do enjoy the GROWN anubias that looks like it’s emersed out the top but it’s just a nice visual blend into pothos growing out the top.

So obviously one fresh water wasn’t enough. During Covid I begged and begged for more room for tanks and eventually she encouraged me to utilize our shop. I built out a 7x7 room in a detached garage and it’s still up and running.

So current day I’m building a 40 breeder reef while maintaining a 27 tank fish room and COMPLETELY uninterested by anything fresh water. I basically go out there and feed my fish while plotting on a coral grow out room. In the mean time, I will keep things healthy and plug away at everything I got going on. The planning phase for me is basically what I love the most. The execution, methods and precision is where I struggle. Once I got the ok I consumed countless hours of YouTube, podcast and asked MANY questions to patient members here on R2R.

I’m not sure how or if compiling my progress up to this point on one post is smart or safe. Stay tuned to my next post. I’d like to stimulate conversation and maybe someone can learn something from me, good or bad lol.

I’ve got to ask, how hard is maintaining 27 tanks?

 

[jdpeters]

I’ve got to ask, how hard is maintaining 27 tanks?

It depends on entirely on what you are keeping and how you maintain it. Fortunately they are lightly stocked and choked with plants. Minimal water change schedule this time of year and my oldest helps me feed when I’m out of towns. Also helps its all located in the same room, it’s like a production line lol.

It’s been fun having it and I’ve learned a ton. I will never do that many 10 gallons again. It’s 21 10 gallons and 6 20 longs. Also never doing bottom rack again lol

 

[Reefer2.0]

I want a room entirely dedicated to fish….

 

[jdpeters]

I want a room entirely dedicated to fish….

It’s pretty awesome lol. Especially when you get spousal approval.

Now I’m in the VERY early stages in plotting on how I can do a budget raceway with attached sump and nano display. It would be less work than managing 27 aquariums. It’s in small room I framed, wired and insulated. Only a 15 amp circuit is the biggest hurdle

 

[Reefer2.0]

It’s pretty awesome lol. Especially when you get spousal approval.

Now I’m in the VERY early stages in plotting on how I can do a budget raceway with attached sump and nano display. It would be less work than managing 27 aquariums. It’s in small room I framed, wired and insulated. Only a 15 amp circuit is the biggest hurdle

lol. My problem is I don’t have an extra room or the space. If I had that it would just be one very large reef tank. Looks like cement flooring so weight not an issue which is what we will be looking for in our next house IF we ever move.

 

[jdpeters]

lol. My problem is I don’t have an extra room or the space. If I had that it would just be one very large reef tank. Looks like cement flooring so weight not an issue which is what we will be looking for in our next house IF we ever move.

So many considerations right? lol. Our house is small I get you

 

[jdpeters]

So first step in this build was very simple, take down the tank and find space in the fish room for the 50 or so rice fish in it that I bred and partition out the plants. I contemplated reusing the original 40 but it was the half off sale at petsmart. I deemed the time I’d spent scraping and preparing it wasn’t worth it and I wanted to start with a pristine canvas. I listed some of the gear for super cheap, put it on the front couch and it was gone within a few hours

I got the fresh 20 long on the same sale, here’s me starting to test fit the 4 chamber baffle kit.
I cant find a specific link to the kit it appears the guy that makes them has changed his design slightly.

I was a little anxious about the process but it was surprisingly easy. If I was to make any suggestions just slow down and take good measurements, follow the manufacturers instructions. It really helped to use a marker and tape to get the chambers to the size I needed and also be mindful of the equipment I intended on keeping. I thought I nailed the return chamber but I didn’t fully consider the hole in the display tank for the return plumbing but thankfully I was just accurate enough. I would have benefited from slowing down even more.

Also I wasn’t quite sure how to get a 20 long into a 40 breeder stand, i suspected I would have to cut out a support and remount but thankfully you just have to tip it up endo and slide it in. Here’s the test fit:

Love that the splash box has a convenient lid, super slick.
Next step for me was drilling the display. I was kinda nervous but I approached it as a learning lesson. Thankfully there are a million references online and if I messed up I would only be out 60 bucks. After the fact I realized I put the return a bit lower than I should have but it’s not too limiting.

More to come!

 

[Gumbies R Us]

It depends on entirely on what you are keeping and how you maintain it. Fortunately they are lightly stocked and choked with plants. Minimal water change schedule this time of year and my oldest helps me feed when I’m out of towns. Also helps its all located in the same room, it’s like a production line lol.

It’s been fun having it and I’ve learned a ton. I will never do that many 10 gallons again. It’s 21 10 gallons and 6 20 longs. Also never doing bottom rack again lol

That seems more manageable than I thought! I was thinking you had tanks ranging from 5g all the way to 50+, haha.

 

[jdpeters]

That seems more manageable than I thought! I was thinking you had tanks ranging from 5g all the way to 50+, haha.

Ya I think so. I like symmetry and it was all built out at one time. I would do it again in a similar fashion if giving the choice. It I only set up a few at a time I’d risk turning it into a incomplete hodgepodge of tanks

 

[jdpeters]

Next step for me was plumbing. I spent the extra cash at BRS and got colored schedule 40 pipe and schedule 80 fittings. My thought process was that with the overflow box off the rear I knew I would have to have the tank much further off the wall than I had been use to with the tank prior. Additionally, when entering my house you are immediately greeted with the side profile view of the reef and I thought having the sleek eshopps overflow box that it should be met with something better than the standard white pvc. I WAY overshot the fittings and ordered a slew of pieces just in case I screwed up or Re envisioned the arrangement. After purchasing everything I found other vendors online and price compared, I think BRS took me for a ride. This was a learning curve for me.

Unfortunately, I didn’t take any photos of the plumbing process but you get the idea. I was really nervous that I didn’t do a good job gluing so I had no idea if I did a sufficient job until it was wet. I put a ton of forethought into the plumbing but to be honest it didn’t line up as perfectly as I hoped. Thankfully there’s a ton of video references and I genuinely believe anyone can do it. One thing I was excited about is I took the time to add several unions and a manifold for the addition of whatever I wanted in the future. With the SDC6 I had plenty of power and I don’t want to add equipment and have individual or additional pumps.

I’m not a DIY guy but it’s been exciting to learn more skills that may eventually lead to me building out my dream tank one day down the line with a support/fish room behind it. Also important to note, I thought I would save a few bucks going this route and I was VASTLY wrong. There are so many plug and play options now and spending the money up front may have saved me from a ton of stress and saved a significant amount of time. I have already made it thus far so no turning back.

I really went back and forth of a controller but ultimately i decided not to. Most of the components I will be able to control already with WiFi and I wanted a little more simplistic approach. I decided to get a 8 way outlet with individual on off switches. It was affordable and well built. I did consider using a Kasa outlet so I could control each outlet via Wi-Fi, I use a ton of Kasa products in my home and my fishroom is ran on it:. My big concern was sometimes after an outage or WiFi hiccup Kasa sometimes needs a little tinkering. Since I’m gone 3+ days a week I didn’t want that to be a problem.

It being a 40 breeder and needing to keep all the cords and such inside the stand ( I have 4 young children) I didn’t have a ton of options for mounting. Thankfully the sump splash box has a tight fitting lid, but in the future I may create an acrylic or hdpe outlet cover to further protect the unit from potential creep or water. The circuit is GFCI protected and the stand has child locks on it. I think this is the best mounting solution.

One more plumbing shot