My new 40g breeder Build (lots of PICS)

[chewieee]

I currently have a successful 75g mixed reef tank, with mostly LPS and softies. I run a 30g sump, with a aqua c ev 120, refugium, phosban reactor and carbon reactor, 4X54 Icecap 660 retrofit, DIY canopy you can see here (http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1365166&perpage=25&pagenumber=1) . SOOOO anyways i decided to get into SPS and i decided to do a complete DIY setup on a 40g breeder, I will be making the stand from scratch, and be drilling the tank myself for overflow and return, building a custom sump etc..... so i will be posting pics over the next few days on progress, first up is the stand. Here are some pics i completely forgot to take pics while building so i am sorry for the pics that show im pretty much donw with the stand. But from now on i will be posting as many pics as possible so sit back and enjoy.

Heres Stand almost complete, without doors made, Its completely made out of 2X4 and 1/4 in. plywood for the skin. Then just a Flat black paint.

http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/ee166/chewieee99/DSC00795.jpg

[chewieee]

Sump is a 20g L with baffles made out of 1/4in acrylic that i bought at home depot and just cut with a scoring knife and snaped, then i siliconed them in. The right side will be the skimmer zone which will be a OCTOPUS EXTREME 160, the middle will be the return and the left side will be the refugium, The overflow will split VIA a T and a ball valve will reduce the flow to the refugium.

http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/ee166/chewieee99/DSC00796.jpg

[chewieee]

http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/ee166/chewieee99/DSC00797.jpg

[chewieee]

Next step Doors....

Used 1/2 in. plywood and using just normal molding cut at 45 degrees

http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/ee166/chewieee99/DSC00794.jpg

http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/ee166/chewieee99/DSC00798.jpg

http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/ee166/chewieee99/DSC00799.jpg

http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/ee166/chewieee99/DSC00801.jpg

Doors installed and ready for paint

http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/ee166/chewieee99/DSC00802.jpg

[BWine]

Nice start on your build! :thumbsup:

[DaveG99]

I plan on making the same exact sump. I have built sumps before and always used acrylic baffles. Im thinking of using glass this time around. Acrylic does not adhere to silicone very well. I am almost doen with my stand actually. Just need to install the oak doors I ordered online for $34 shipped! Click the little red house for my build thread.

[chewieee]

ANd now some EQUIPENT SHOTS!!!

ATI POWERMODULE 6X39 Oh yeah!!!! this thing s bright!!!!!

http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/ee166/chewieee99/DSC00835.jpg

Bulb combo from top to bottom

Ati blue +
Uvl 75/25
Ati Aquablue Special
GE 7500K
Ati Blue +
Ati Aqua Blue Special

http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/ee166/chewieee99/DSC00834.jpg

http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/ee166/chewieee99/DSC00833.jpg

[chewieee]

http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/ee166/chewieee99/DSC00836.jpg

[chewieee]

my octopus extreme 160

http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/ee166/chewieee99/DSC00837.jpg

[will16]

Very cool. I have a 40 breeder sitting around trying to figure out what to do with. Been thinking of setting it up as a frag tank. Are you going to use an internal or external overflow? Been trying to decide what to do with mine.

[chewieee]

I will be drilling my tank for an overflow threw the back wall. I bought the 700gph kit from glass-holes.com and will be drilling 2 3/4in returns 1 on each side of overflow.They should come tommorow with pics of course!

[DaveG99]

oooo.....I like the lighting. How much was it and from where? VERY NICE

[chewieee]

ATI 6X39 Powermodule, from reefgeek with bulbs and shipping and candy! cost me $759

[t11t5]

Im watching you....

[chewieee]

And heres the TANK! i will be drilling it today. I will be using Glass-holes.com there 700gph kit and will be drilling a 1 1/2 in bulkhead for the overflow and then 2 3/4in returns right next to the overflow one on each side. Stay tuned for more progress pics!


http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/ee166/chewieee99/DSC00821.jpg

http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/ee166/chewieee99/DSC00819.jpg

[chewieee]

starting my drilling of tank. Make sure you use a dill with a clutch and set it to the lowest setting, will help with slippage if the diamond wheel snags and wil prevent cracking/chipping

http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/ee166/chewieee99/DSC00848.jpg
Diamond hole cutter
http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/ee166/chewieee99/DSC00841.jpg

Template secured and filled with water
http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/ee166/chewieee99/DSC00842.jpg

[mightymizz]

Looking nice so far! I'm tagging along.

[chewieee]

successfully drilled! HOLE 1 of 3

http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/ee166/chewieee99/DSC00843.jpg

[DaveG99]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14485754#post14485754 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by chewieee
ATI 6X39 Powermodule, from reefgeek with bulbs and shipping and candy! cost me $759

$79 tank and a $759 light fixture! :eek1:

[chewieee]

lol yeah!!!

[DaveG99]

it sure is a really nice fixture though. Cant wait to see the finished tank. I too am building a 40 breeder right now. And I have a my first baby due in April! Cute picture of your baby in the tank.

[chewieee]

Awesome congrats! mine is 10 months. And yes the fixture is awesome!

[hummermaniac88]

Any tips drilling the tank? Im edgy on that...

[chewieee]

its completely easier then it looks. i was was not sure at first also but did some research and watched some videos of people doing it and said WTH ill give it a shot. And first time was a breeze. If you go to glass-holes.com they have a very informative video on how to successfully drill the holes. My 2 cents is make sure you use a clutch drill and set it to its lowest speed. The template for the hole helps alot it prevents the drill bit from slipping around. Just use the weight of the drill put no pressure on the drill. Your grinding not rilling wood so it takes a lot more time. Be very patient and dont rush it.. Other then that , its quite easy.

[hummermaniac88]

Good to know, did you tilt it at first? or just placed it flush to the glass and drilled away?

[chewieee]

Flush because i had the template that keeps the drill from skipping. The reason you would go on a angle and slowly tilt down would be if you have no template to get the bit started so it doesnt skip around..

[Justdrew]

I agree, drilling glass is so much easier than you would think. I also used the glass-holes products and drilled a 100 gal with 3/8" glass with no problems. Check out the videos on their site and it does go as easy as they show it. I installed the 700 gph box and a single 3/4" return line.

Later
Drew

[chewieee]

Now to drill the returns , 2 3/4" return lines one on each side of the overflow. The glass-holes.com kit doesnt come with a template for the return lines (i dont know why) they help very much so i ended up just drilling my own out of the template they supplied for the overflow, as seen in this picture.
http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/ee166/chewieee99/DSC00846.jpg

[chewieee]

attached to tank

http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/ee166/chewieee99/DSC00847.jpg

starting to drill
http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/ee166/chewieee99/DSC00850.jpg

one done

http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/ee166/chewieee99/DSC00851.jpg

[chewieee]

now to paint the back of tank

http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/ee166/chewieee99/DSC00852.jpg

[chewieee]

Ok bulkheads installed, plumbing started and back of tank painted!!!
http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/ee166/chewieee99/DSC00856.jpg

[xenon]

You do know the bottom of aqueon 40g breeder tanks are not tempered right? :)

[scaryperson27]

Hope he isn't planning on putting a closed loop down there...

[chewieee]

uh no just a overflow and a split return

[scaryperson27]

good. BTW, I really like my glass-holes.com overflow.

Build quality is really good.

[chewieee]

yeah i was impressed with glass-holes.com , also they made it very easy to understand on how to successfully drill the holes.

[chewieee]

And the plumbing begins! I will be running a mag 5 for the return that will be split VIA a Y connector that will run to 2 3/4" locline returns one on each side of the overflow. And here is my plumbing helper!!!

http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/ee166/chewieee99/DSC00853.jpg

[DaveG99]

I have to get me some of that krylon fusion paint this wekend. Im drilling the bottom of my 40 breeder saturday and installing a overflow.

How old is the little helper?

[chewieee]

Yeah krylon fusion is awesome, i ended up doing 3 coats and probably should have done 4 or 5 IMO. She is 10 months old now!

[chewieee]

setup on stand and all plumbed

http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/ee166/chewieee99/DSC00839.jpg

[chewieee]

http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/ee166/chewieee99/DSC00855.jpg

[DaveG99]

she is cute! My baby girl is due in April. I hope she helps me with my tank stuff too.

Did you make that sump of yours? Are the baffles glass? Ive made sumps with acrylic baffles before but Im thinking of doing my next one with glass baffles.

[chewieee]

Yeah i made that out of a 20g L i cut acrylic baffles and siliconed them in. I made a sump out of a 30g L for my 75g and used acrylic baffles and ive had 0 problems with them so i did it again! , IMO i see no reason to not use acrylic for me it was easier i cut them myself.

[DaveG99]

the problem is acrylic doesnt bond with the silicone. But as long as you get silcone on there pretty good it should be fine. I like your skimmer too. I was thinking of selling my coralife65 and getting a octopus NW 110.

[chewieee]

yeah i put enough that its stong i guess. on my 75 i have been running it 2 years and never had any problem with the acrlic bafles losing strength. I highly recommend the octopus skimmers. i have a Aqua C EV 120 on my 75 and the octopus was about $20 bucks cheaper and i believe it works much much better!

[scaryperson27]

I have a octopus DNW-150 and it is amazing. I have also had a NW-150, and I prefer the Recirculating myself as they seem to definitely do a way better job.

I get about over a half gallon of sludge a week out of a anemone system at a fish store. I can assure you that I am not skimming wet... It keeps the water so clean with 30+ anemones that the store decided to attach a 65 gallon reef system.

I would advise the the recirculating skimmer also due to the fact that the head pressure of the water inside of the chamber can't push it's way through the bottom where the pump would be attached on the NW model. The absolute water level is set by where you set the valve, or the height of the standpipe. Not by a combination of the water level and the standpipe

http://ibfishstore.ecrater.com/product.php?pid=589543

[racksteris]

Cool set up. Good look.

[chewieee]

And added some Base rock and then about 20 lbs from my established 75 to get it started!
http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/ee166/chewieee99/DSC00854.jpg

[chewieee]

http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/ee166/chewieee99/DSC00860.jpg

[chewieee]

ok tank has been running for about a week now, so cycle has started and i added another MP20 i will post pics tonight.

[unbreakable]

Youre really off to a great start. subscribed to this thread...

[sixspeed]

hey i am in the process of building a 40 gallon breeder as well. I want to drill the bottom of the glass, and IIRC most if not all 40 breeders do not have tempered bottoms. Is this correct?

[chewieee]

i cant say for sure on all 40g breeders but i do know that AGA 40g breeders do not have tempered bottoms

[chewieee]

actually here is proof

http://www.aqueonproducts.com/assets/011/19107.pdf

[sixspeed]

Now lets hope i have a aga tank, thanks.

[chewieee]

mst likely it is

[spleify]

Nice start, keep up the great work and keep us posted.

Thanks for sharing