Squatch's Continuing Adventure with a 40g breeder
- Thread starter Squatch XXL
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Squatch XXL
Well-Known Member
I picked up a 20gallon high for a sump. Not wanting to silicone anything any more left me with one choice.
The sump is now a 20g High. However, I just simply used my 10 gallon sump as an "insert". I cut feet from 1-1/2" pipe, then drilled a 1-3/8" hole in the side of the tank as an exit.
It holds quite a bit more than is needed, and will work great. If I ever change out, my 10 gallon tank is now "reef ready" if I remove the baffles.
Check out her rear
The sump is now a 20g High. However, I just simply used my 10 gallon sump as an "insert". I cut feet from 1-1/2" pipe, then drilled a 1-3/8" hole in the side of the tank as an exit.
It holds quite a bit more than is needed, and will work great. If I ever change out, my 10 gallon tank is now "reef ready" if I remove the baffles.
Check out her rear
Squatch XXL
Well-Known Member
Aquascaping is not going well with the reef rocks. Part of the issue is that I was given one "squareish" larger rock, one "shelf" large, and the rest seem to be simply unstackable. Its almost like the shapes are all uniform. I feel like I am stacking bowling balls. I may have 4 hours of mix and match, and it keeps ending up like a pile of rocks...the current stack is as many caves as I could make.
I wanted to use as little of my agrocrete as possible, only because it has a very distinct color (uglyellow)......But it stacks so nice and solid. Also, I wish I would have rinsed the CC substrate better.
Pictures when the dust settles
*EDIT*
After my frustration, I moved a few items around and things began to lock in place. I have a philosophy on rockscapes that I try to find where the rocks want to go, irrelevant of my plans. I am quite satisfied now.
I wanted to use as little of my agrocrete as possible, only because it has a very distinct color (uglyellow)......But it stacks so nice and solid. Also, I wish I would have rinsed the CC substrate better.
Pictures when the dust settles
*EDIT*
After my frustration, I moved a few items around and things began to lock in place. I have a philosophy on rockscapes that I try to find where the rocks want to go, irrelevant of my plans. I am quite satisfied now.
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Squatch XXL
Well-Known Member
Here is my semi-final config.
I added 2# of LFS cured/cultured rubble. The agrocrete stands out like a sore thumb with no lights on. Its more grey than the reef saver rock.
I hid the 3" burrow against the back corner, then built around it. The rocks all have solid bases directly on eggcrate. I added substrate after the rock was in and solid. I then went crazy in the back on covering up the burrow pipe. I wanted lots of caves and shortcuts, and Im thrilled with it.
Left side with burrow entrance/exit
Right side with burrow entrance/exit
The left side has much more room than the angle of the shot shows.
Lights will be upgraded in the future to support basic mushrooms and possibly polyps.
I did a few "quiet" items to the sump line. I used a tee instead of a 90 bend looking down, and installed a cap with a hole in the top (just like the durso). I found this trick on the web and it helped quite a bit on helping keep bubbles out of the sump, and sound of gurgling down. The loudest part of this is the main pump from the sump. I have an idea its going to get changed out.
I added 2# of LFS cured/cultured rubble. The agrocrete stands out like a sore thumb with no lights on. Its more grey than the reef saver rock.
I hid the 3" burrow against the back corner, then built around it. The rocks all have solid bases directly on eggcrate. I added substrate after the rock was in and solid. I then went crazy in the back on covering up the burrow pipe. I wanted lots of caves and shortcuts, and Im thrilled with it.
Left side with burrow entrance/exit
Right side with burrow entrance/exit
The left side has much more room than the angle of the shot shows.
Lights will be upgraded in the future to support basic mushrooms and possibly polyps.
I did a few "quiet" items to the sump line. I used a tee instead of a 90 bend looking down, and installed a cap with a hole in the top (just like the durso). I found this trick on the web and it helped quite a bit on helping keep bubbles out of the sump, and sound of gurgling down. The loudest part of this is the main pump from the sump. I have an idea its going to get changed out.
StirCrayzy
Well-Known Member
Which pump?
And do mantis (mantii?) generally just go in a burrow they find, or do they "want " to dig?
And do mantis (mantii?) generally just go in a burrow they find, or do they "want " to dig?
Squatch XXL
Well-Known Member
current pump is a Aqueon AQ1700.
Everything I have read about the peacock suggests that a burrow of some sort should be provided. Other smasher types will make their own.
Squatch XXL
Well-Known Member
This is after the dust has settled.
Looking good !
Squatch XXL
Well-Known Member
Thanks! I am quite chuffed. This was a great benchmark to get to. I have had over a decade to plan this sort of thing. I certainly have a few things I would do different for very specific reasons.Looking good !
IF it was a tall tank, I would have drilled the holes lower so that I could have more room to fiddle with larger fittings. From what I read, Durso's standpipes work best with a one size over vs the drain line(s). I have no complaints about noise, and am quite serious that for a SW it is very quiet. Once I get a proper cover for the sump, it will reduce noise quite a bit. With this tank, It was already quite shallow. I wanted 100% of the base to place rocks and a burrow and still bury it all. I think that had I gone lower with my holes, I might as well have a top to bottom overflow. This tank was perfectly capable to have the bottom drilled, but I wanted space more than a massive OF box. The larger fittings of 1" are long enough that it was a pipe dream. If I oversized, I would lose the bottom of the tank in that area.
In any future tanks, I plan on the lowest footprint coast to coast overflow.....more than likely it will be affixed at an odd angle so I can get away with only gluing one piece.
Any level that is not precise will throw off your box heights. I used a standard level as I would at work. I am within a 1/16" variance, but this causes most of the flow to head to that overflow (left side). The remedy was to install a quarter turn shutoff, and throttle the flow down. If you install/make your own overflows, plan on adding at least one valve unless you use a laser level and/or a machinists level.
I would have used my noggin a bit, and move the tank over to the left 3 feet and I could have put the sump in my man-cave closet. I missed the most obvious simple solution to noise. I actually did not even ponder it until I noticed it last night. I could have even mounted it level with the tank. That would have removed the need for overflow boxes totally AND allowed a pump to run at the rated GPM with minimal loss only for fittings and not for height.
Im still thrilled.
The next part of the project is DIY lighting. Im sure that a DIY 4 bulb 30" t5-HO hood could be pretty cheap. I have most of the materials already. I don't want to go overboard, and really want to focus on an ample amount for mushrooms and polyps....Would this amount of light be beneficial to other coral types? I have never used t5, and am interested in others' experiences with them. This is the first time I have built a tank out and have not turned to metal halide, only because I don't want to sun burn the resident(s)
Thanks again!
StirCrayzy
Well-Known Member
You might spend just as much building a T5 fixture as LEDs. to me, there's more benefits to LED, and I highly recommend going that route.
Squatch XXL
Well-Known Member
Right now that is a potential issue. I know mostly everything about MH, t8 and t5....though I never used t5s before. I could build a simple hood for a dual t5 and I think that it would be more than enough for simple mushrooms and zoas.
I know nothing about LED, and am of the belief that the useful quality models are simply more expensive due to a number of improvements. Wattage is a poor metric to measure the intensity of them. Id like a 36" long unit that I can sit on my tank. I have found a few cost effective models but it seems that they are "useless" in the eyes of the most vocal majority. I have googled every "cost effective" model and read threads from a bazillion different forums. Most other forums do not have ettiquite that seems to exist here, so info was limited to grunts and chest pounding over how much better a 350% more expensive unit is....I don't know enough to say if it is simply elitism or actual reviews. I like the lights on the tank or in a canopy.
I refuse to spend more than a set amount on lighting equal to my estimated costs of a 4x T5. I don't think I could touch any LED light of any worth at that price.
Its funny to me that 15 years ago it was a joke to ever think that an LED could support coral of any kind.....Fast forward to today and it is amazing the improvements that have been made. I do love the way they cause the light to twinkle just like a metal halide.
Work has been hectic, and I have no time at all. Its gonna be a few more weeks till I have time to research anything at all.
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StirCrayzy
Well-Known Member
I thought you were comparing DIY T5 vs DIY LED. If you are buying on a budget instead , you are best to buy T5 , it's the best bang for the $$.
I agree with your findings, you can't find a production LED fixture for cheap and be coral worthy for a 36" tank .
You could build a single channel LED setup or a dual bulb T5 for around $100. Just for the record.
I agree with your findings, you can't find a production LED fixture for cheap and be coral worthy for a 36" tank .
You could build a single channel LED setup or a dual bulb T5 for around $100. Just for the record.
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Squatch XXL
Well-Known Member
This was the EXACT plan based on the balance of price and "effect" ...If I add a small LED set It should produce a shimmer effect, but still have just enough wattage to keep more tolerant corals and the other inhabitants happy. I love how you think! In about 3 weeks we will kick back down from 70 hours a week to a standard 40. I'll have it figured out pretty quickly at that time.
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Squatch XXL
Well-Known Member
I sprang for a dual 36" Power compact DIY setup. It comes with the reflector, ballast and end caps. In my past I HATED 12k bulbs, and IIRC I loved the look of 6700k with a substantially less additional wattage in actinics. When I ran my 75, I kept a 400w MH @ 6700k, and 4x 48" actinic florescent. SPS & anemones loved it...I actually had no issues fragging hard corals.
The plan at the moment is to fashion a hood that holds the 2 Power compacts and 2 of my Standard output florescent and use the low output bulbs for tweaking the lighting. I may add a few LEDs later on to add to the effect.
Id prefer to create the hood from metal, and noticed that there are plenty of "DIY" hoods ready for modifications. I may yet simply pick up one of them and put my hardware into it.
More when the mail delivers.
The plan at the moment is to fashion a hood that holds the 2 Power compacts and 2 of my Standard output florescent and use the low output bulbs for tweaking the lighting. I may add a few LEDs later on to add to the effect.
Id prefer to create the hood from metal, and noticed that there are plenty of "DIY" hoods ready for modifications. I may yet simply pick up one of them and put my hardware into it.
More when the mail delivers.
Squatch XXL
Well-Known Member
More fun was introduced yesterday.
My wonderful wife was out-and-about hitting some out of the way thrift shops and picked me up a random fish tank for $30.
It was a great gift. Its a 1991 made All-glass faux oak trim 38 gallon. I hate the center brace, but it will work. What makes me stoked about this is that after all my shopping sprees have finished I just happened to have one too many lights and skimmers.
This may get turned into a community tank/snail breeding tank. I did notice it had a minor chip on the back panel near the bottom. My 30g was used with a similar crack for over a decade by me then sat in my basement for another 8, than gifted to a friend about 6 years ago. (He actually broke the bottom panel last weekend R.I.P. my first saltwater tank). Its only 12 inches front to back, so its going to suffer from looking like a photograph unless great care is taken with stacking.
Another option would be to upgrade my FW planted 10 to this. This would be a massive upgrade and give my plants a place to spread out. A pair of sunlight PC would certainly do great at the
No real news on my 40 breeder. I've been working 20+ hours of overtime a week for the past 3 weeks. It just ended, so I am recouping and enjoying my first weekend off in some time.
I introduced a black and white chromis last week. I cant get a photo with it sitting still.
I added a 10-pack cleaner crew of snails and hermits earlier this week. I needed something to clean up after the messy/picky eater that the Chromis is. I thought I saw algae, but it disappeared when they got there.
Since June 8 setup, I lost 2.5 gallons of water.
I keep meaning to get a test kit pack, but its been busy.
Happy Fathers Day
My wonderful wife was out-and-about hitting some out of the way thrift shops and picked me up a random fish tank for $30.
It was a great gift. Its a 1991 made All-glass faux oak trim 38 gallon. I hate the center brace, but it will work. What makes me stoked about this is that after all my shopping sprees have finished I just happened to have one too many lights and skimmers.
This may get turned into a community tank/snail breeding tank. I did notice it had a minor chip on the back panel near the bottom. My 30g was used with a similar crack for over a decade by me then sat in my basement for another 8, than gifted to a friend about 6 years ago. (He actually broke the bottom panel last weekend R.I.P. my first saltwater tank). Its only 12 inches front to back, so its going to suffer from looking like a photograph unless great care is taken with stacking.
Another option would be to upgrade my FW planted 10 to this. This would be a massive upgrade and give my plants a place to spread out. A pair of sunlight PC would certainly do great at the
No real news on my 40 breeder. I've been working 20+ hours of overtime a week for the past 3 weeks. It just ended, so I am recouping and enjoying my first weekend off in some time.
I introduced a black and white chromis last week. I cant get a photo with it sitting still.
I added a 10-pack cleaner crew of snails and hermits earlier this week. I needed something to clean up after the messy/picky eater that the Chromis is. I thought I saw algae, but it disappeared when they got there.
Since June 8 setup, I lost 2.5 gallons of water.
I keep meaning to get a test kit pack, but its been busy.
Happy Fathers Day
Squatch XXL
Well-Known Member
Pods EVERYWHERE. These are my first confirmed "hitchhiker" They are covering my areas inside of my overflow box. This thrilled me. They are EVERYWHERE when I explored more.
Yesterday I got in the mail a quad t5-ho fixture. It is generic as it gets, but it seems to work well. I also went out to my LFS and picked up a nice sized polyp colony, as well as a "bargain bin" of a different variety of polyps that had begun receding. I doubt they will make it, but in my past I have had near perfect success with nursing corals and fish back to health. I am keeping optimistic....however it has what I believe to be 2 varieties of polyps and 2 different looking filter feeders (tube type)
Ill post up some photos...nothing exciting, unless you are into fish tanks.
Yesterday I got in the mail a quad t5-ho fixture. It is generic as it gets, but it seems to work well. I also went out to my LFS and picked up a nice sized polyp colony, as well as a "bargain bin" of a different variety of polyps that had begun receding. I doubt they will make it, but in my past I have had near perfect success with nursing corals and fish back to health. I am keeping optimistic....however it has what I believe to be 2 varieties of polyps and 2 different looking filter feeders (tube type)
Ill post up some photos...nothing exciting, unless you are into fish tanks.
Squatch XXL
Well-Known Member
Oh drat. Here comes the first speedbump.
I shut off the water during feeding of the one fish (flake food) to keep it from going down the tubes. Today I forgot to valve on the water while I ate dinner.....After which I found my sump almost full (20 gallon) and water level in my tank lower than the overflow box should allow.
I found that the right side box did not seal very well against the back wall. To be honest, it looks like I missed caulk, so I obviously dropped the ball. The spot missed is about 1" long and was just spread too thin from the look of it. I may cut out the old glue, and give it a new thick coat. I think it would work best. I also have the option to pack it in from the back. This would be the "cleanest". With it being a low pressure issue, I think the back method would be just as likely to succeed.
This COULD mean that a few parts of my rockwork spends 24 hours out of the water (while the silicone cures). As new as my tank is, I am almost willing to risk not moving it. I guarantee I won't be able to get it back together again IF I move it.
This is turning out to be a "tomorrow" project.
I shut off the water during feeding of the one fish (flake food) to keep it from going down the tubes. Today I forgot to valve on the water while I ate dinner.....After which I found my sump almost full (20 gallon) and water level in my tank lower than the overflow box should allow.
I found that the right side box did not seal very well against the back wall. To be honest, it looks like I missed caulk, so I obviously dropped the ball. The spot missed is about 1" long and was just spread too thin from the look of it. I may cut out the old glue, and give it a new thick coat. I think it would work best. I also have the option to pack it in from the back. This would be the "cleanest". With it being a low pressure issue, I think the back method would be just as likely to succeed.
This COULD mean that a few parts of my rockwork spends 24 hours out of the water (while the silicone cures). As new as my tank is, I am almost willing to risk not moving it. I guarantee I won't be able to get it back together again IF I move it.
This is turning out to be a "tomorrow" project.
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Squatch XXL
Well-Known Member
Well the project is "finished". I did not have total success. I still have what I measure in drops that are coming through still. I am slightly miffed about this, but am also realistic that this is minor compared to before. I feel comfortable that IF there is a power outage now that I have more than enough time to wait for the power to come back on. IF the sump overflows, it is because of a 12+ hour outage, and it would probably affect the critters before the overflow.
Also, my livestock survived the half full tank that had only one temp power head pushing water around.
Squatch XXL
Well-Known Member
Here is my half full tank during the repair.
Here is the generic zoa that my lfs sold me
Here is a dying zoa that was deeply discounted.
They dying zoa acts similar to the well one. However I moved it higher in the water than the well one. It opens and acts as I should see a zoa act. If it survives and propagates there are a few people that owe me money.
I am expecting a "mini-cycle" as a portion of my rocks were out of water 22 hours.
Also, I replaced the white return lines with a painted black. Now the return lines disappear.
Here is the generic zoa that my lfs sold me
Here is a dying zoa that was deeply discounted.
They dying zoa acts similar to the well one. However I moved it higher in the water than the well one. It opens and acts as I should see a zoa act. If it survives and propagates there are a few people that owe me money.
I am expecting a "mini-cycle" as a portion of my rocks were out of water 22 hours.
Also, I replaced the white return lines with a painted black. Now the return lines disappear.
Squatch XXL
Well-Known Member
The tank was back up and running last night. No ill effects from the 24 hour drain. The polyps are still acting well. I missed Full tank Friday because it looked like a disaster.
Here are a few photos.
Full Tank Shot:
Zoas:
:
Funny story about that......
I made an impulse buy when I was out. This specimen is just over 4 inches long from eyeballing it....It seems to be a female, which is a bonus for me. I gave it a short period of acclimation, then left it out into its new world. Less than 2 minutes after that it banged on the back wall twice. I was ready to catch her and take her back, but something caught her eye.....That something being a hermit crab....She has been busy as a beaver the last hour beating up no less than 4 hermits. She has yet to find her burrow....which the Chromis has been much to comfortable in the last few weeks.....It could end badly for the fish. More photos will come as time goes on.
Here are a few photos.
Full Tank Shot:
Zoas:
:
Funny story about that......
I made an impulse buy when I was out. This specimen is just over 4 inches long from eyeballing it....It seems to be a female, which is a bonus for me. I gave it a short period of acclimation, then left it out into its new world. Less than 2 minutes after that it banged on the back wall twice. I was ready to catch her and take her back, but something caught her eye.....That something being a hermit crab....She has been busy as a beaver the last hour beating up no less than 4 hermits. She has yet to find her burrow....which the Chromis has been much to comfortable in the last few weeks.....It could end badly for the fish. More photos will come as time goes on.