upster's 40 breeder

upster · 10/26/2009, 12:22 PM

Here is my first saltwater tank which was set up in April of 2009. I have always liked the footprint of the 40 gallon breeder because I think it makes the tank seem larger than it actually is. The tank was fitted with a DIY overflow box made out of black acrylic along with a durso standpipe. I picked up some established LR from local reefers. I have gone through most of the usual newbie reef headaches: cyano, temp crashes, ect.

Here is the tank shortly after it was set up.

The sump is a 20 gallon high fitted with glass baffles creating sections for a skimmer, refugium, and return. I fitted a Mag 5 pump as a return pump to try and balance out the flow through the refugium. I have found this to be successful but I plan on splitting the overflow using ball valves when I upgrade to a larger pump.

I outfitted the tank originally with cheap used equipment from local reefers including a Coralife super skimmer, a Hagen 2x24" T5, and Coralife 96w fixture.

In order of addition the current inhabitants are:

1x tiger pistol shrimp w. orange spotted shrimp goby (MIA)
2x ocellaris clowns
1x 2 line wrasse
1x coral beauty angelfish

My tank has an ongoing mystery. After 2 weeks in the tank the goby decided to go MIA. I've looked everywhere in and around the tank with no luck. The pistol shrimp is still doing well and digging up a storm. I don't really want to add another goby to replace the little guy but I don't know how long I should wait.

Reward if found:

I have been going through a healthy equipment upgrade and the current specs are:

40g breeder (36" x 18" x 16")
20g sump (24" x 12.5" x 17") w/ chaeto in fuge

-250w Lumenmax 3 pendant
-DE 14K Phoenix bulb
-Sun Supply Galaxy HQI ballast
-Vertex IN-100 skimmer
-Mag 5 return
-Koralia 3 and 1 powerheads
-250w stealth heater
-Phosban 150 w/ GFO
-DIY ATO using aqualifter
-Kalkwasser reactor in line with ATO

Corals of note include:

Various SPS frags (acropora sp., montipora sp.)
Maxima clam (Tridacna sp.)
Open brain (Trachyphylliidae sp)
Green Torch (euphyllia sp.)
Green candy cane (caulastrea sp.)
Green star polyps (cavularia sp.)
Various zoanthids

Current parameters are:

Temp: 78-80f
PH: 8.4-5
Alk: 8 dkh
Cal: 440
N03: undetectable

Sorry for the quality of the pics, I'm working on it.

redsea reefer · 10/26/2009, 02:45 PM

very nice setup...

richgoose · 10/26/2009, 04:00 PM

i agree, 40 breeder is a nice size...

In my biocube 29, i have a high-finned red banded goby paired with a tiger pistol, and I don't see them for days at a time. usually when I turn off the pump to feed he will come out, but sometimes stays hidden for days. so there may be hope

fishnut321 · 10/26/2009, 04:27 PM

looking good! hows the light coverage with that pendant, are there still dark areas on the ends or is it pretty uniform?

upster · 10/27/2009, 12:10 PM

The pendant is set quite high actually. The bulb is about about 14" off the surface. I've been meaning to bring it down to about 10". I set it that high originally because I was concerned about shocking my corals and the spread as you said. I have also noticed a cooling issue but I have taken care of that with a fan controlled by a timer.

There is a definite difference in par from the outer edges to the center but the visual difference is negligible. To be honest I kind of like the different intensities. I am still really new to this and it gives me lots of options for coral placement and helps me learn what they like.

But who knows if it's the light or me that makes for an unhappy coral!

upster · 11/12/2009, 12:01 PM

Hooray!

The LFS just called to tell me that my Euro-reef VS-80 just came in. I've been waiting for this one for a long time. I undertook a redesign of my sump and plumbing in expectation of it.

There doesn't seem to be a lot of info about these new skimmers. I will post pictures when I unbox it tonight.

upster · 11/13/2009, 03:17 AM

Here are the pics of my brand new RS-80p. At first glance I saw no major flaws with the extruded acrylic. The seals were very clean and the skimmer appears to be bullet-proof. But to tell you the truth I was scared that I was going to crack the bubble chamber when I fit the pump. The instructions were basic but for a newbie like me and are direct enough to get everything assembled with confidence.

The box was a big one!

Being a "budget reefer" I don't get many chances to un-box brand new parts.

Here is the final sump configuration. I think I still need to work out how I am going to fit the everything together. I wish I had more real estate

I am having problems with micro bubbles because I left the middle pane of the bubble trap too high. I think I will add a filter sock in the end.

Hamerhed · 11/13/2009, 05:23 AM

pics?

Hamerhed · 11/13/2009, 05:23 AM

oh i guess i had to sign in to see em, never mind...

upster · 11/13/2009, 11:16 AM

I noticed that too....Maybe I need to start hosting the pics on Photobucket?

upster · 01/19/2010, 12:20 AM

I just picked up a Reefkeeper Lite L3 controller so I'm in the mood to post a quick update.....

This aquascape will be short lived as my next project will be a new stand. I've been struggling with a few growing pains. Most notable have been widely swinging temperatures. I tried a few different things and placement of the 250w heater in the overflow seems to be working. This was one of the motivating factors to upgrading to a controller because I don't trust the cheapo stealth thermostat. The initial set up was pretty painless but, truth be told, this was after it took me 20 mins to get my lights on. haha. I have a feeling I will soon forget what it was like to run a tank with anything else. Those stupid click timers and their clutter was driving me nuts.

I think I've got things under control and what few sps I have are on track to restoring their colors. Everything is growing slowly but surely. I'm really happy with the way things are progressing. I am so thankful for the members here at RC. I don't think I'll be picking up any large colonies until the new stand is in place though.

pH 8.1
temp 79 with the help of the RKL
cal 440
alk 8.5
sg 1.025

Top off's have been done using a kalk reactor and to this point calc and alk have been very stable. Hopefully this won't change anytime soon. The newest livestock addition as been a 1.5" Tuxedo Urchin. It's been really good and has yet to bulldoze any corals. I'll do my best to post pics of the stand build, stay tuned...

upster · 01/19/2010, 05:47 PM

I forgot to say that the newest addition was a 1.5" Tuxedo urchin. I did some research on them, hopefully he won't bulldoze my corals. The gf laughs every time he shows up with a new "hat" attached.

Does anyone have experience with these? I am expecting to need to get rid of this guy eventually when he gets bigger.

IridescentLily · 01/19/2010, 05:56 PM

Very nice. I love your torch coral.
Keep up the good work!

upster · 02/01/2010, 11:33 PM

I wanted to try my hand at creating a small tower with epoxy and plastic rods. To be truthful, I was scared and so my first attempt wasn't overly optimistic. Even though I didn't do anything drastic, I am very happy with the way it all tuned out.

10/26/2009, 12:22 PM	#1
upster Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Vancouver, BC Posts: 143	upster's 40 breeder Here is my first saltwater tank which was set up in April of 2009. I have always liked the footprint of the 40 gallon breeder because I think it makes the tank seem larger than it actually is. The tank was fitted with a DIY overflow box made out of black acrylic along with a durso standpipe. I picked up some established LR from local reefers. I have gone through most of the usual newbie reef headaches: cyano, temp crashes, ect. Here is the tank shortly after it was set up. The sump is a 20 gallon high fitted with glass baffles creating sections for a skimmer, refugium, and return. I fitted a Mag 5 pump as a return pump to try and balance out the flow through the refugium. I have found this to be successful but I plan on splitting the overflow using ball valves when I upgrade to a larger pump. I outfitted the tank originally with cheap used equipment from local reefers including a Coralife super skimmer, a Hagen 2x24" T5, and Coralife 96w fixture. In order of addition the current inhabitants are: 1x tiger pistol shrimp w. orange spotted shrimp goby (MIA) 2x ocellaris clowns 1x 2 line wrasse 1x coral beauty angelfish My tank has an ongoing mystery. After 2 weeks in the tank the goby decided to go MIA. I've looked everywhere in and around the tank with no luck. The pistol shrimp is still doing well and digging up a storm. I don't really want to add another goby to replace the little guy but I don't know how long I should wait. Reward if found: I have been going through a healthy equipment upgrade and the current specs are: 40g breeder (36" x 18" x 16") 20g sump (24" x 12.5" x 17") w/ chaeto in fuge -250w Lumenmax 3 pendant -DE 14K Phoenix bulb -Sun Supply Galaxy HQI ballast -Vertex IN-100 skimmer -Mag 5 return -Koralia 3 and 1 powerheads -250w stealth heater -Phosban 150 w/ GFO -DIY ATO using aqualifter -Kalkwasser reactor in line with ATO Corals of note include: Various SPS frags (acropora sp., montipora sp.) Maxima clam (Tridacna sp.) Open brain (Trachyphylliidae sp) Green Torch (euphyllia sp.) Green candy cane (caulastrea sp.) Green star polyps (cavularia sp.) Various zoanthids Current parameters are: Temp: 78-80f PH: 8.4-5 Alk: 8 dkh Cal: 440 N03: undetectable Sorry for the quality of the pics, I'm working on it. __________________ "I've fixed it, it'll work this time." Just upgraded to a 58g Oceanic and the only thing I broke was the old tank. Last edited by upster; 10/26/2009 at 12:37 PM.

10/26/2009, 02:45 PM	#2
redsea reefer Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: L.A California Posts: 335	very nice setup... __________________ -Eddie- 34g RSM 130 - Tunze 9002 skimmer with inTank media rack - Vortech MP10

10/27/2009, 12:10 PM	#5
upster Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Vancouver, BC Posts: 143	The pendant is set quite high actually. The bulb is about about 14" off the surface. I've been meaning to bring it down to about 10". I set it that high originally because I was concerned about shocking my corals and the spread as you said. I have also noticed a cooling issue but I have taken care of that with a fan controlled by a timer. There is a definite difference in par from the outer edges to the center but the visual difference is negligible. To be honest I kind of like the different intensities. I am still really new to this and it gives me lots of options for coral placement and helps me learn what they like. But who knows if it's the light or me that makes for an unhappy coral! __________________ "I've fixed it, it'll work this time." Just upgraded to a 58g Oceanic and the only thing I broke was the old tank.

11/12/2009, 12:01 PM	#6
upster Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Vancouver, BC Posts: 143	Hooray! The LFS just called to tell me that my Euro-reef VS-80 just came in. I've been waiting for this one for a long time. I undertook a redesign of my sump and plumbing in expectation of it. There doesn't seem to be a lot of info about these new skimmers. I will post pictures when I unbox it tonight. __________________ "I've fixed it, it'll work this time." Just upgraded to a 58g Oceanic and the only thing I broke was the old tank.

11/13/2009, 03:17 AM	#7
upster Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Vancouver, BC Posts: 143	Here are the pics of my brand new RS-80p. At first glance I saw no major flaws with the extruded acrylic. The seals were very clean and the skimmer appears to be bullet-proof. But to tell you the truth I was scared that I was going to crack the bubble chamber when I fit the pump. The instructions were basic but for a newbie like me and are direct enough to get everything assembled with confidence. The box was a big one! Being a "budget reefer" I don't get many chances to un-box brand new parts. Here is the final sump configuration. I think I still need to work out how I am going to fit the everything together. I wish I had more real estate I am having problems with micro bubbles because I left the middle pane of the bubble trap too high. I think I will add a filter sock in the end. __________________ "I've fixed it, it'll work this time." Just upgraded to a 58g Oceanic and the only thing I broke was the old tank.

10/26/2009, 04:00 PM	#3
richgoose Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Pinellas, FL Posts: 84	i agree, 40 breeder is a nice size... In my biocube 29, i have a high-finned red banded goby paired with a tiger pistol, and I don't see them for days at a time. usually when I turn off the pump to feed he will come out, but sometimes stays hidden for days. so there may be hope

10/26/2009, 04:27 PM	#4
fishnut321 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Warrensburg, Mo Posts: 763	looking good! hows the light coverage with that pendant, are there still dark areas on the ends or is it pretty uniform?

11/13/2009, 05:23 AM	#8
Hamerhed Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Great White North Posts: 66	pics? __________________ 20g tank, 20g sump/ref, coralife skimmer 30lbs LR, chaetos, 6 astrea 96w T5HO 2 clarkii clowns, 1 firefish, 1 blood shrimp red, blue and hairy mushrooms, frogspawn, Pumping Zenia, Blue Snowflake, Zoanthids, Hammer, ricordia, cocoa worm, blue ridge, Candy Cane, Green Acropora Never mind your tank let me see your sump Current Tank Info: Up since july 1 2009

11/13/2009, 11:16 AM	#10
upster Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Vancouver, BC Posts: 143	I noticed that too....Maybe I need to start hosting the pics on Photobucket? __________________ "I've fixed it, it'll work this time." Just upgraded to a 58g Oceanic and the only thing I broke was the old tank.

01/19/2010, 12:20 AM	#11
upster Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Vancouver, BC Posts: 143	I just picked up a Reefkeeper Lite L3 controller so I'm in the mood to post a quick update..... This aquascape will be short lived as my next project will be a new stand. I've been struggling with a few growing pains. Most notable have been widely swinging temperatures. I tried a few different things and placement of the 250w heater in the overflow seems to be working. This was one of the motivating factors to upgrading to a controller because I don't trust the cheapo stealth thermostat. The initial set up was pretty painless but, truth be told, this was after it took me 20 mins to get my lights on. haha. I have a feeling I will soon forget what it was like to run a tank with anything else. Those stupid click timers and their clutter was driving me nuts. I think I've got things under control and what few sps I have are on track to restoring their colors. Everything is growing slowly but surely. I'm really happy with the way things are progressing. I am so thankful for the members here at RC. I don't think I'll be picking up any large colonies until the new stand is in place though. pH 8.1 temp 79 with the help of the RKL cal 440 alk 8.5 sg 1.025 Top off's have been done using a kalk reactor and to this point calc and alk have been very stable. Hopefully this won't change anytime soon. The newest livestock addition as been a 1.5" Tuxedo Urchin. It's been really good and has yet to bulldoze any corals. I'll do my best to post pics of the stand build, stay tuned... __________________ "I've fixed it, it'll work this time." Just upgraded to a 58g Oceanic and the only thing I broke was the old tank.

01/19/2010, 05:47 PM	#12
upster Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Vancouver, BC Posts: 143	I forgot to say that the newest addition was a 1.5" Tuxedo urchin. I did some research on them, hopefully he won't bulldoze my corals. The gf laughs every time he shows up with a new "hat" attached. Does anyone have experience with these? I am expecting to need to get rid of this guy eventually when he gets bigger. __________________ "I've fixed it, it'll work this time." Just upgraded to a 58g Oceanic and the only thing I broke was the old tank.

01/19/2010, 05:56 PM	#13
IridescentLily Editor-Reefkeeping mag Join Date: May 2008 Location: Albuquerque, New Mexico Posts: 3,858 Blog Entries: 5	Very nice. I love your torch coral. Keep up the good work! __________________ ~April Editor-Reefkeeping Magazine

02/01/2010, 11:33 PM	#14
upster Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Vancouver, BC Posts: 143	I wanted to try my hand at creating a small tower with epoxy and plastic rods. To be truthful, I was scared and so my first attempt wasn't overly optimistic. Even though I didn't do anything drastic, I am very happy with the way it all tuned out. __________________ "I've fixed it, it'll work this time." Just upgraded to a 58g Oceanic and the only thing I broke was the old tank.