johnr's 40g breeder resetup.

[johnr2604]

Well, if you knew anything about me I'm a fish tank horder. I decided I wanted to set up another tank so I went into my fish store in the garage LOL and dug out one of my tanks. I decided to set my 40 breeder back up. I probably wouldn't be doing this except for I already have everything to set it up and so why let it go to waste.
I'm going to approach this tank kinda oddly. It will be a mixture of display plus propagation tank. I was looking for something to grow out some of my monti and zoa colonies but I dont want the stagnant frag tank look. I already have one of those. I am going to be putting a sandbed in and liverock but will be growing the corals in there with the intention of fragging.
I built had this tank setup a little over a year ago as my main display. Its a 40 breeder that I drilled and installed an acylic overfow in. I also built a custom stand for it. I will be trying a 4 bulb T5ho sundial fixture over it to start. If that dosn't give me enough PAR then guess what? I happen to have a halide setup that can go over it in my garage. I will be running a 29g DIY sump with fuge and coralife 125 skimmer. I will be using a mag5 for the return. Not sure what I want to use for flow but I have a bunch of powerheads laying around also.
I will be posting some more pics as I get it set up again but here is a teaser from before.

 

[johnr2604]

Well I spent the day getting the 40b set up. I mainly just wanted to get water flowing so I could get the cycle going. I'm just using a rubbermaid for the sump right now but will be getting or building a baffled sump over the next few weeks. Here are a few pics of the setup. I drilled this tank and built the overflow. I am also using a spraybar on the return which increases the surface agitation. I am currently using a mag 5 but will be slowing that down to a 3 most likely. I am also going to be running a coralife superskimmer 125 which I will most likely upgrade to an octopus eventually.
The light I'm using is a Current Sundial T5HO. Its pretty much like the nova extreme pro but only has 4 bulbs and timers built in. I only have moon light shots because I have robbed the bulbs out of it. I'm going to be ordering a mixture of UVL and ATI lamps next week. Anyway here are some pics of it going up.

 

[rigdon87]

Those are some big pieces of lr,any thoughts on building a canopy?

.I will be tagging along for this one jetskiking

.

 

[johnr2604]

Originally Posted by Rigdon87
http:///forum/post/3153248
Those are some big pieces of lr,any thoughts on building a canopy?

.I will be tagging along for this one jetskiking

.
Yeah, its some dry rock I had stashed in my basement. They are like Tonga branch on steriods LOL. I have a few pieces in my 120 also.
As far as a canopy goes, I will probably leave it open top. I will be putting a screen top on though to keep my wrasses in.

 

[jas1]

The tank is glass right? You didn't have any trouble getting the silicone sticking to the acrylic OF? AWESOME breeder tank BTW

 

[johnr2604]

Originally Posted by Jas1
http:///forum/post/3153286
The tank is glass right? You didn't have any trouble getting the silicone sticking to the acrylic OF? AWESOME breeder tank BTW

Thanks,Yep the tank is glass. There are some tricks to get it to stick. I have built a few acrylic overflows for myself and other reefers and never had a problem. The edge on the acrylic that meets the glass needs to be rough sanded so the silicone bonds better. I did one on a 30 cube that you could pick the tank up by the overflow.
Looks like I wiill be ordering my bulbs today I will be using

• 2x ATI blue plus
• 1x 12k ATI aqua blue
  1x UV actinic white.

This should give me great color pop with good par numbers.

 

[johnr2604]

Got my bulbs in today and I'm really pleased with them. I will get some par readings after some burn in. Here is the order I'm running them, front to back.

• ATI blue plus
• ATI aqua blue
  UV actinic white
  ATI blue plus

It has what I would say is close to a 14k look and I'm supposed to get good numbers. I will be testing that for myself though.

 

[posiden]

What are your plans for "racking" the frags on?
I like the color, It is a little more blue then my PC fixture on my 20L. It looks good.

 

[btldreef]

I'm jealous! I miss my 40G breeder. By far my favorite style tank for a reef, unless it's a 210, lol. I cried the day my husband broke down our 40G to upgrade to our 155.

 

[johnr2604]

Originally Posted by Posiden
http:///forum/post/3156181
What are your plans for "racking" the frags on?
I like the color, It is a little more blue then my PC fixture on my 20L. It looks good.
There will be no racked frags. I quit using pegged plugs and just use the discs now. I will be mounting the monti colonies to the rock to grow out. I will be growing out the zoas on the sand bed which I have found makes fraging easy. They will spread the mat out onto the sand bed and it can be trimmed off. This will be more of a display type growout tank if that make sense. I still have my other frag tank thats plumbed to my 120 I will move the cut frags to but they will be on discs

 

[johnr2604]

Originally Posted by BTLDreef
http:///forum/post/3156187
I'm jealous! I miss my 40G breeder. By far my favorite style tank for a reef, unless it's a 210, lol. I cried the day my husband broke down our 40G to upgrade to our 155.
Yeh, I'm glad I didn't get rid of it. I still love my 120 but I missed the 40b. I had to find an excuse to set it back up

 

[posiden]

Originally Posted by johnr2604
http:///forum/post/3156195
There will be no racked frags. I quit using pegged plugs and just use the discs now. I will be mounting the monti colonies to the rock to grow out. I will be growing out the zoas on the sand bed which I have found makes fraging easy. They will spread the mat out onto the sand bed and it can be trimmed off. This will be more of a display type growout tank if that make sense. I still have my other frag tank thats plumbed to my 120 I will move the cut frags to but they will be on discs
That's a darned good idea on the zoa matt on the sand bed.

Sorry yea, I guess that makes sense to have good solid parent corals to cut from.

 

[johnr2604]

Originally Posted by Posiden
http:///forum/post/3156203
That's a darned good idea on the zoa matt on the sand bed.

Sorry yea, I guess that makes sense to have good solid parent corals to cut from.

The zoas don't spread as fast as they do on a rock its just drastically easier to frag them.

 

[posiden]

Originally Posted by johnr2604
http:///forum/post/3156213
The zoas don't spread as fast as they do on a rock its just drastically easier to frag them.
I don't want to skew the topic on your build but, may I ask you a fraging question here?

 

[johnr2604]

Originally Posted by Posiden
http:///forum/post/3156216
I don't want to skew the topic on your build but, may I ask you a fraging question here?
Sure

 

[posiden]

Originally Posted by johnr2604
http:///forum/post/3156217
Sure
I have a large rock and it has a large coline of zoas on it. To the point I want to frag them. I have let them go beyond the point I would like them to be. So I will be cutting a lot off. I wont say that I cant but, I don't want to remove the rock they are on due to its size and all the other rock that is resting on it. So, how bad would it be for me to frag them in the tank? Should I only cut a little bit at one time or get it over with? If a little bit, how much and how long should I wait inbetween cuttings?
Thank you for letting me ask you this in a non fraggin thread.

 

[johnr2604]

Originally Posted by Posiden
http:///forum/post/3156224
I have a large rock and it has a large coline of zoas on it. To the point I want to frag them. I have let them go beyond the point I would like them to be. So I will be cutting a lot off. I wont say that I cant but, I don't want to remove the rock they are on due to its size and all the other rock that is resting on it. So, how bad would it be for me to frag them in the tank? Should I only cut a little bit at one time or get it over with? If a little bit, how much and how long should I wait inbetween cuttings?
Thank you for letting me ask you this in a non fraggin thread.

I have seen arguements about this but I have fragged multiple zoas in my tanks without problems. I would just make sure your running carbon and its not old. I do remove them when I can but If its a real hassle then I'll cut them right in the tank

 

[posiden]

Originally Posted by johnr2604
http:///forum/post/3156234
I have seen arguements about this but I have fragged multiple zoas in my tanks without problems. I would just make sure your running carbon and its not old. I do remove them when I can but If its a real hassle then I'll cut them right in the tank

So no worries about the amount then. I will change the carbon right before I do it. Thank you.
Back to the topic at hand.
How did you bend the PVC pipe for your spray bar?

 

[johnr2604]

Originally Posted by Posiden
http:///forum/post/3156237
So no worries about the amount then. I will change the carbon right before I do it. Thank you.
Back to the topic at hand.
How did you bend the PVC pipe for your spray bar?
I bent it with a heat gun then painted it with krylon fusion.

 

[johnr2604]

Well guys, as fast as it began again it ends. I had an opportunity present itself so I traded it off. I'm pretty pumped though. Here is what I traded for.
83"x32"x6", center overflow, eurobraced,75g sump, skimmer, 2x250 halides and all the pumps. I've been wanting to build a setup incorporating some light movers. Well I got my chance LOL.