# 40g breeder reef project!



## jlpropst00 (Jun 12, 2011)

A start to finish reef of sorts

It has begun. Here are the plans for my 40breeder reef tank. This is going to be an ongoing thread because I’m buying the equipment piece by piece as I can afford it. I think my lighting will be strong enough for SPS I like softies and LPS better for some reason. So it’s going to be a softie/LPS with some SPS. This will be a pic heavy thread as I plan to document as much as I can. So let’s get to it.

Some of the specs are vague because I haven’t decided on the exact equipment and we probably change before all is said and done.

Tank: 40g breeder 36x18x16

Sump/Refugium: 20g Long 30x12x12

Lighting: T5 HO 6x39w. I don’t want MH because I don’t want to deal with the heat. I would love LEDs but they just aren’t in the budget. I believe that 6x39w at a tank depth of 16in will be sufficient for SPS if I want them. 

Filtration: Live rock & Skimmer

Protein Skimmer: Reef Octopus. Not sure which one yet. 

Live Rock: I plan to go with a majority Dry rock and some Live to seed it. The savings are worth the extra cycle time IMO. Also there are no unwanted pests.

Power heads/pumps: I will probably go with Tunze powerheads. They are the best value as far as price/quality/footprint. I would love to put in MP10s but can’t justify the expense. 

Return pump: Eheim universal

I plan to drill the tank and incorporate the Herbie overflow system. Probably 1” drain and ¾” return. I am still working all the plumbing out. I want it as simple as possible. 

Others:
JBJ A.T.O auto top off system as well 
Also a BRS 4 stage RO/DI system 75gpd

Stand: Plan to build my own. 

That’s the basics. I have more to think out like if I want/need any reactors I might do a combined GFO/Carbon, but I’ll cross that bridge when I get there.
As far as livestock the only must have is a Clownfish pair. I have wanted them since I was like 5 years old. Also maybe a Goby/Pistle Shrimp pair.
Hope you like. Hope you follow along. This will be a learning experience and I fully plan on making mistakes but I hope to learn from them and move on and maybe help some others out.


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## jlpropst00 (Jun 12, 2011)

The Stand: 
Me and my brother in-law built the stand for my tank last night. It only took three hours and it is stout! The back is currently open because I don’t how my pluming in going to work. We also put faux doors on the front so it just has like and access panel. I have not painted it yet but plan on a mold and mildew resistant paint for the inside and black on the outside. 

























Hope you like it. I will post pics once its painted.


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## Cory1990 (Jun 14, 2012)

The stand looks great!! Good job on getting out there and building! I look forward to fallowing this as I'm in the same spot as you are now, I'm not doing a sump though. so we can both go step by step with the task of going to salt lol.


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## Coolfish (Apr 30, 2012)

How hard is it to setup a reef? I know nothing of SW fish.


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## Cory1990 (Jun 14, 2012)

I wouldn't say it's hard, although I will say iv spent more on the two sw tanks then all my freshwater tanks combined.


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## Cory1990 (Jun 14, 2012)

Is the stand built with some sort of press board?


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## Cory1990 (Jun 14, 2012)

I like the look of it as is, I would paint all the trim black throw some clear on it and call it done.


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## jlpropst00 (Jun 12, 2011)

I just used 3/4 plywood and 2x4s. I want the stand to be dark so that it doesnt take away from the tank. When you look at it I want you to see the tank not the stand. 
Saltwater isn't hard I think it's just different. A few more things to consider you could say.


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## Cory1990 (Jun 14, 2012)

I still think saltwater is harder. Anyone can throw up a fw tank and the fw can thrive. Saltwater takes a bit more work.


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## funlad3 (Oct 9, 2010)

So far, everything looks and sounds great! You've got some nice equipment slated, and it sounds like your tank will be set up right. Looking forwards to this build!


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## kay-bee (Dec 6, 2006)

Coolfish said:


> How hard is it to setup a *reef*? I know nothing of SW fish.


That depends on a lot of variables. By the way, there are three categories of SW set ups (not all SW tanks are 'reefs'):

1. Reef (characterized by the presence of corals and live rock)
2. Fish Only With Live Rock/FOWLR (similar to a reef but minus the corals)
3. Fish Only/FO (lacking live rock, these SW aquariums are near identical to FW set up's, primarily using the same type of filters one would use on a freshwater aquarium.

Generally, of the three types a reef is probably the most complex due to the needs of the corals. FO set up's will generally require more frequent/larger water changes for nitrate removal (unless nitrate-removal measures are in place).


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## TheOldSalt (Jan 28, 2005)

Softball vs Baseball- Same game, with slightly different, yet critical factors. 
Salt vs Fresh- same deal.


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## Cory1990 (Jun 14, 2012)

IMO still harder lol. It may just be because I'm so new to it. I'm sure 6 months to a year in I'll agree with you old salt. A for now I'm spending a lot more and struggling to get the perfect water conditions in my 35 my 10 was good the first day


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## jlpropst00 (Jun 12, 2011)

My advice is to read. read. read. That's all I've done lately. There is a lot of information out there. You can't go with the first thing you read either. There is a lot of opinion in this hobby so you have to compare notes and find what is best for you situation. And like Kay-bee said it depends on what kind of tank. A FO tank really just needs correct SG, temp, and PH. Not that much different from a chiclid tank and probably easier than a discus tank.


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## funlad3 (Oct 9, 2010)

jlpropst00 said:


> A FO tank really just needs correct SG, temp, and PH. Not that much different from a chiclid tank and probably easier than a discus tank.


And most of the time, you don't have to worry about any of those as long as you do your water changes correctly and have a non-faulty heater.


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## Cory1990 (Jun 14, 2012)

I don't see my cichlid tank being the same lol. My tap water already had a high ph the only thing I had to do was hardness.

And yea iv been reading a ton as well. I'm not putting anything in them until I feel ready. I put a wrap on top of both the tanks so water can't get out. Iv still got them running with the power heads. Just takes time.


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## jlpropst00 (Jun 12, 2011)

Quick update...
I haven't had time to finish my stand but its almost done. In the mean time here is a very rough drawing of my pluming. I'm still trying to make up my mind on pluming sizes.


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## jlpropst00 (Jun 12, 2011)

UPDATE

Well its not a very exciting update but its an update all the same. I finished my stand! I also got a GFI installed where the tank is going to go. I hope to have the bulkheads in the mail next week. Then comes the drilling...I'm a little nervous. Here are a few pics of the stand with the tank. Oh and the paint is supposed to look kinda splotchy. Its chalk paint and it makes things look antique. The pics don't do it justice. I used mold resistant paint on the inside.


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## funlad3 (Oct 9, 2010)

AWESOME looking stand! I'd consider swithcing the location of the fuge and return section and teeing off the drain line with a ball valve leading to the fuge. You don't want that much flow moving through your refugium.


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## jlpropst00 (Jun 12, 2011)

Thanks Funlad, yeah I have redone my drawing on the pluming. I'll probably move the fuge to an end and put the return in the middle. I'll have a line that runs to the fuge from the drain. Also added a manifold to run reactors off the return pump.


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## funlad3 (Oct 9, 2010)

Sounds awesome! What reactors will you run?


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## jlpropst00 (Jun 12, 2011)

I'm still researching this but probably GFO and Carbon. Also I've been considering ditching the fuge and going biopellets or doing both even if it is kinda redundant. There is a guy in our local reef club that runs only biopellets on his 120g and his phosphates and nitrates are almost non existent. I'm major OCD when it comes to my tanks so water quality is huge. So in short I'll run whatever I need to get pristine conditions.
One good thing about having a smaller tank size is that BRS and TLF both make fairly cheap smaller volume media reactors. Oh, and if I do ditch the fuge I might put my ATO container as part of my sump.


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## Flishstar (Jul 26, 2012)

Nice Stand! What species are you planning on getting?


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## jlpropst00 (Jun 12, 2011)

There are so many fish I want. First off clowns I've always wanted a pair. I would love two snowflake clowns. Firefish, Chromis, Pistol shrimp/Goby pair. That's where I plan to start. As far a coral I'm planning on a mixed reef.


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## funlad3 (Oct 9, 2010)

You could easily do a pair of clowns, pair of firefish, and the pistol goby in a 40 gallon.


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