PDA

View Full Version : Ante's 40 Breeder Build Thread


Anteverius
02/17/2009, 08:26 PM
First, a little background info. I got into the hobby a little over a year ago with the assistance of my then roommate. He had inherited a whole setup for free, so we needed some live rock, sand, etc... to get it going. Searching for live rock on craigslist he found a whole setup (with roughly 60lbs LR, lights, fish, all the goodies) for a very good deal. It ended up being cheaper than just buying LR alone. We decided to split the LR into the two tanks and have a reef and a FOWLR. This turned our kitchen into the new fish room.

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b199/Anteverius/40%20Breeder%20Build/FIshRoom2-09.jpg

Fast forward to now...added the frag tank, roommate is gone, and the tanks have become mine. After learning so much in the last year (mostly from here on RC) I have decided that I dont really like my current setup. Crappy sump setup/skimmer, HOB overflow, hard to access sump, the list goes on. This coupled with the fact I want to downsize to only one tank (tired of doing everything twice), I have decided to start a tank from scratch.

Contrary to what most folks around here seem to do, I have decided to go smaller. After seeing a 40 breeder in person, I couldnt resist. Knowing what tank I want, I now am going to start it from scratch. This is where you come in. Not only do I want to document starting this tank from the beginning, I want as much input as possible from the knowledge of RC to make the tank better. I have some plans I have been working on, but things will most surely change before its over.

Some Basic Plans:
Tank: 40 breeder
Sump: 20L (going to have small fuge)
Lights: not sure yet. help!!
Skimmer: not sure yet. help!!
Return Pump: Mag 5 or 7 ??
Water Movement: 2 Koralia 1's. Enough?
Stand/Hood: going to build


The stand is what I will be building first, so I will begin with this. I only have a few requirements for this part:
1.) Be tall enough for easy access/ good viewing height
2.) Sump slide in through front/back or sides
3.) Not really big

I have decided to build something similar to RocketEngineers plans: Stand Plans (http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1169964&perpage=25&pagenumber=1) I built the stand for my frag tank but these plans are better, so I will use these. Wanting my stand to be at least 36" tall and wide enough to fit the sump in from all sides, i have come up with this. This is only the frame. There will be a doors on three sides when the stand is finished.

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b199/Anteverius/40%20Breeder%20Build/stand.jpg

The next part is the sump. So far I am planning on using a 20L for my sump. I already have one, and it seems to be big enough for what I want. I am going to put in baffles myself. What do you think of this plan so far. (these are rough dimensions)

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b199/Anteverius/40%20Breeder%20Build/sumpiso.jpg

In the return area I have a 4"x4" bubble trap to put either a sock or LR rubble. Which is better? Pros/Cons? The skimmer will be in the larger part of this section. The middle is the pump section. I will probably be using a Mag 5 or 7. Will this section be big enough for sufficient flow? The fuge will be fed from tank with a ball valve to control the flow.

Question: Should the water be the same height on either side of the return pump section. From some pictures I have seen (melevs site), it seems the water is higher in the fuge side than it is in the skimmer section.

Heres a pic to show that it fits with decent space on top.

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b199/Anteverius/40%20Breeder%20Build/sump-stand.jpg

Any input so far would be appreciated, and I will post more shortly.

tbar
02/17/2009, 08:57 PM
Looks like you are planning things well. I like the 40 breeders and might of had one if I didn't like tangs so much. Not that my recommendations mean much but I say 250w MH 0r 175 for lighting and a Reef Octopus NW 110 for a skimmer. Go Gators!

Anteverius
02/17/2009, 09:04 PM
I want a change from my HOB oveflow, so I think I am going to use a calfo type PVC overflow. From checking out this thread http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1257783&perpage=25&pagenumber=2I got an idea of what I would like. I made a model to see how it looks in the tank. I also have two koralia 1's and the returns from the pump in front. I went ahead and added these to get a general idea of layout. These parts arent exact, more just for a general idea.

Front View
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b199/Anteverius/40%20Breeder%20Build/tankwithjustoverflowandks.jpg

Angle View
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b199/Anteverius/40%20Breeder%20Build/tankwithjustoverflowandksangled.jpg


It really isnt that obtrusive. So far, I am planning on using 1 in PVC. According to the drainage calculator, this should be enough. Each hole (11 total) in the pipe is planned to be around 1"x0.25" ovals. Anyone with an overflow like this know if this or a long slit down the center of the pipe is better? Again, I am planning on using either a Mag 5 or 7 for the return pump. Will a mag 5 and two koralia 1's be enough flow? Probably not going to be a full SPS reef, but I will have some.

I will post more later.

Anteverius
02/17/2009, 09:09 PM
Heres a view from the top so you can see that it shouldnt stick out too much. Also, in all of these pictures, the pipes are white for ease of viewing. They will be painted black before going in the tank.

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b199/Anteverius/40%20Breeder%20Build/tankwithjustoverflowandkstop.jpg

2004jetta
02/17/2009, 09:26 PM
Are the 2 PVC pipes in the front the returns? If they are and your power goes out or your pump quits you'll have around 40 gallons of water on your floor.

Anteverius
02/17/2009, 09:31 PM
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14420374#post14420374 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by 2004jetta
Are the 2 PVC pipes in the front the returns? If they are and your power goes out or your pump quits you'll have around 40 gallons of water on your floor.

If i end up leaving them there, they would have a check valve inline after the pump/ before the tank to prevent backflow.

OrionN
02/17/2009, 10:06 PM
I would not set up the tank as you draw.
Check valve never works when you need it, I would not rely on it. Best to put the return high so you won't have to worry about tank drank to the sump and floor.
After several months with salt water running over it, check valves just fail and will only slow but won't stop drain of your tank.
You can't drill that close to the corner, the chance of breaking is much higher near the edge of the glass, and much higher near to corner (two edges)
I would just put one overflow box, with return above the tank, and two Korellia 3 or 4. That will be plenty of flow for even SPS.
As you draw, the drain is not enough for flow. Need much bigger drain area to feed your return pump, not just a perforated pipes

Anteverius
02/17/2009, 10:21 PM
yeah, I was worried about the check valves over time. I will prob move the returns to the top. I dont really know anything about drilled tanks, so thanks for the info. As for the overflow, I am currently running a Mag 5 with a HOB overflow on both my 55's that has less actual oveflow area than this plan does. I have no problems with this setup.

The overflow calculator says i will need a minimum of 8 inches of overflow length and 0.92 pipe diameter. With this plan there will be a total of eleven inches (i could even make it a long slit) and 1 inch pipe. I input 500 gph. Am i not understanding this right?

OrionN
02/17/2009, 10:32 PM
About overflow, the length they talk about is edge length of the perimeter of the overflow box where water overflow into an container. Slits on a pipe is not anywhere near the same. Imagine that if you cut a slit only 1/8 inches wide the full length of the tank, 36 inches, it still would not be enough flow for your pump.

Anteverius
02/17/2009, 10:40 PM
ok, but on my HOB overflows, there are only 15 quarter inch spaces that the water is flowing through. These work fine. It is not flowing over the pertimeter of the box, it is flowing through these slits. :confused:

OrionN
02/17/2009, 10:44 PM
How much flow go through these slits depend on the height differences of the water level on the two sides. In a vertical slits and the water level raise, the flow area increases and the height different increases thus result in more flow. This does not happen in your horizontal slits as in your drawing.

Anteverius
02/17/2009, 10:54 PM
Ok, I see. I hope someone else with one of these setups will chime in, because they supposedly work. If not, i will just go with something like a coast to coast.

frags75
02/17/2009, 11:46 PM
I have a 40B and this is what I did. Drilled for corner overflow, which I modded to the upper left corner only. It does not take up the whole corner, and return on the right. 20L sump no fuge. I have a mag 9.5 for return and a K3. The lighting is 1 250mh 15k xm and 2 96w pc 420 actinics. I have had good success with this setup. It all depends on what you are keeping. Mine is mostly sps with zoos and shrooms and 2 small lps. I built the stand and hood also. Hope that gives you ideas.