Starting a new build and looking for opinions.

[Dean Ladd]

Here is my 20 Long Sump for my 40 breeder tank.





Right to left,

*Refugium, I us a very small pump to pump water into the refugium. I overflows back int the sump behind the skimmer.
*DT overflow and skimmer
* Return pump chamber
* The white acrylic box is a auto top with manual float valve shut off.

[rjjr1963]

I wouldn't even consider using that stand. I got my metal stand from Petco for $50.

https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcos...E&gclsrc=aw.ds

[lpsouth1978]

Originally Posted by rjjr1963

I wouldn't even consider using that stand. I got my metal stand from Petco for $50.

https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcos...E&gclsrc=aw.ds

I almost purchased that stand, but I don't like that it is only 30" tall. I also read a number of reviews that said it was not made very well, and the supports did not line up as they should.

I have decided to take my chances and go with the shelving unit. I added additional support beams on the sides and back, and upgraded the shelf boards to 3/4" Plywood coated in melamine. The stand is now ROCK SOLID. I got it all leveled, and have the system running right now with just tap water. So far so good, there are no leaks, it is dead silent, and everything seems to be working as it should. I plan on running it like this for a few days, before emptying and cleaning everything. It will probably be a couple of weeks before I have the salt, rock, and sand, and could be a month before I have the skimmer.

I also got the sump done this weekend. All of the baffles are in and it seems to be doing great so far. I decided to not add a refugium, instead I will use the large middle chamber for the skimmer and any other reactors I may add later.

I added some pics of the system as it sits right now.

[lpsouth1978]

The tank has been running with tap water about 2 1/2 days without issue. I am really happy with this setup so far. My only regret is that I went with the Eshopps Eclipse M. I think I should have, and still may, go with the Eclipse S. The M let's too much water through the weir, keeping the water level in the tank lower than I would like. Luckily this is something that can easily be remedied anytime.

I ordered a few more items today, including DI canisters to add to my existing RO system, a GFCI outlet, and refractometer. I am currently looking into ATO's. I think I am going to go with an ATO from Autotopoff.com. I have used them in the past, and was VERY happy with the unit. I am hoping to be able to order the rock, sand, and salt in the next week. Hopefully the skimmer will be on order soon as well. I will update as things continue to progress.

[lpsouth1978]

Ok, so I did some shopping today. Nothing super exciting, but a lot of necessary items. I stopped in at a LFS today and found a Bubble Magus NAC 3.5 for $75. This thing fits perfectly in my sump and leaves me room for a pretty large fuge. While I was there, I also picked up about 40lbs of dry rock, and 40lbs of dry sand. I have the sand and Rock in the tank just waiting for water. It will take me a few days to fill the tank, but I need my salt first.

I also ordered a few things from Amazon. I got 2x Jebao OW-10 wavemaker pumps, a cheap pump for water changes and mixing saltwater, a box of Reef Crystals, and a Refractometer.

Finally, I finished my light mount and got it all set up. Right now I just have a 165W Mars Aqua hanging from it, but I plan on purchasing the 300W ViparSpectra to replace it.

Here are a few pics of the light on the mount. I decided to use 1/2" steel pipe and fittings. It is attached to the wood shelf below the tank. I painted all of the steel with 5 coats of Rest-o-leum. I then used a couple of carabineers to hang the light from the pipe.

[lpsouth1978]

And here are a few pics of the tank with the rock and sand in it.

[lpsouth1978]

Being patient SUCKS!!!

The tank has been up and running for about a week and a half now. I am just curing the rock and cycling the tank. While it may not be necessary, I have been ghost feeding the tank a bit. The only real problem that I have right now is that the first refractometer I ordered was a piece of garbage. I returned it and will be ordering a better one this week. I mixed saltwater using the instructions, so I know it is close, but can't verify the SG until the new refractometer arrives.

I have also been giving some thought to my stocking list. Let me know what you all think:

- Pair of Ocellaris Clownfish
- Royal Gramma
- Scarlet Pin Stripe Wrasse
- Lawnmower blenny
- Sand Sifting goby (not sure which one yet)
- Maybe a couple Firefish or Cardinals

I am planning on keeping mostly LPS with a few softies and zoas mixed in. I feel this list would do well together as well as help in the care and maintenance of the system. I may add a couple of mexican turbo snails down the road if they are needed.

[LennyD4]

What brand was the refractometer?

Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk

[lpsouth1978]

Originally Posted by LennyD4

What brand was the refractometer?

Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk

I don't know. I tried to save a few bucks and ordered one on Amazon. When it came in, I found that it was ALL plastic and super cheaply made. I thought I would give it a shot anyway, but everything was sooooo out of alignment that i could not even turn the calibration screw far enough to calibrate with 35ppt calibration solution. I will be ordering one from BRS or Marine Depot. They are not real expensive anyway, but though this was one area I could save a few bucks. Live and learn.

[lpsouth1978]

I finally got my test kit's and checked the progress of my cycle. It looks like the cycle is just about done. The params are:

Ammonia - 0
Nitrite - 25ppm
Nitrate - 160ppm, yes 160

I will do a large water change as soon as I have my new refractometer, supposed to be here by Monday.

[lpsouth1978]

I apologize for the lack of posts lately. My build had to take a little break due to a motorcycle accident. I am finally back home and mobile enough to continue working on the tank. I had the opportunity to do a major water change this weekend. I changed about 40 gallons and got the Nitrates down to 20. I will be doing another in a day or 2 and hope to get it down to <10. Once I am to that point, I will feel comfortable starting to add some fish.

My plan is to get all of the fish in the tank and let everything settle before adding any corals. Hopefully the tank will have it's first inhabitant this weekend. I got all of the power cleaned up and put everything on power strips with individual power switches. I also got the lights set up on timers. The only other thing I am waiting on it the ATO. I ended up ordering a dual switch ATO from Autotopoff.com. It should be here in a day or two.

[lpsouth1978]

The tank is coming along. About 2 weeks ago I added a bonded pair of Black Ocellaris clowns and a Royal Gramma to the tank. They are all doing well, eating well, and seem happy.

Then yesterday afternoon, I visited a couple LFS's and picked up one of my favorite fish, a Melanurus Wrasse, a frogspawn frag, and a speckled hammer coral frag. Both of the corals are doing well so far. The frogspawn opened up almost immediately after going in the tank. The hammer took a couple of hours, but is open and seems to be acclimating well so far. As for the Melanurus, I will have to keep you updated... He is, of course, hiding below the sand, so I don't expect to see him for a couple of days.

As you have all probably surmised, I do not have a QT setup, so I am taking my chances and doing a freshwater dip with Methylene Blue before adding the fish to the system.

I have made a couple of updates to the system as well. I finally got the ATO and set it up. I am currently using a 10g aquarium for the reservoir. I also took off the Flare nozzles for the return and replaced them with random flow generators. So far I am pretty happy with them. They definitely add a bit more random flow to the system.

My next step is to finally get the surround for the stand done. I am hoping to complete that this weekend. I will update with pics once that is done.

I also measured my params this morning and am pretty pleased with everything so far.

DISCLAIMER - I am currently using API test kits, so these results may not be COMPLETELY accurate, but they get me in the ball park for now.

pH - 8.2 (I have a digital pH meter on the way)
Ammonia - Undetectable
Nitrite - Undetectable
Nitrate - Undetectable
Phosphate - Undetectable
Alk - 8 (a little lower than I want, but I blame it on the Reef Crystals. I plan on getting a different salt next time, just haven't decided on which one yet.)
Calcium - 460

And now for a few pics. Please let me know what you think and give any recommendations for improvement. Ignore the fake anemone, It is VERY temporary and will be coming out soon. I put it in there hoping to convince the clown not to use the corner of the tank as their host. It was totally unsuccessful!

[wertoiuy]

Looking forward to the stand update!
Did you decide to go with or without a refugium?
I like the fish and corals so far, but what do you have for CUC and are you worried about the wrasse bothering them?
What kind of random flow generators? Could you take a detailed picture of them?
You said you didn't like the medium Eshopps because of the tank waterline being too low. Is it at least above the rim?

[lpsouth1978]

Originally Posted by wertoiuy

Looking forward to the stand update!
Unfortunately, I did not get a chance to finish the surround for the stand this weekend. I will definitely post pics when I do,
Did you decide to go with or without a refugium?
With, sort of. Right now I just have a ball of chaeto in the center section, but think I will at least add some reef rubble or Marinpure.
I like the fish and corals so far, but what do you have for CUC and are you worried about the wrasse bothering them?
I am not a huge fan of CUC's. It always seems like they kill each other off and need to be constantly replenished. I am hoping to use fish and good husbandry to take the place of a CUC.
What kind of random flow generators? Could you take a detailed picture of them?
They are the RFG (random flow generator) Nozzles by Vivid Creative Aquatics. I attached photos below for you.
You said you didn't like the medium Eshopps because of the tank waterline being too low. Is it at least above the rim?
I think the medium size is too big for a 40b. Using a pump with enough flow to keep the waterline where I want it would simply overpower the tank. I am currently using a Jebao DCP-8000 Sine wave pump @ 60%. The pump is rated at 2110gph, with my plumbing setup, I figure that I am actually pushing roughly 400gph, and if I push it any further it becomes noisy and blows the sand all over the place. The overflow is rated for up to 800gph. I may still switch to the small size one of these days, but I am used to the lower water line now. It JUST comes up to the bottom of the trim.

[wertoiuy]

Wow, that pump is huge! Do you think the head is due to the right angles in your plumbing? Maybe the RFG have a lot of head?

Habe you noticed any shimmer in the MarsAqua light?

I noticed you have a herbie drain. Could you not restric the flow on that rather than increasing pump flow? Is the herbie annoying to tweak?

Sent from my SM-S727VL using Tapatalk

[lpsouth1978]

Originally Posted by wertoiuy

Wow, that pump is huge! Do you think the head is due to the right angles in your plumbing? Maybe the RFG have a lot of head?

Habe you noticed any shimmer in the MarsAqua light?

I noticed you have a herbie drain. Could you not restric the flow on that rather than increasing pump flow? Is the herbie annoying to tweak?

Sent from my SM-S727VL using Tapatalk

Yeah, it is a big pump, but I wanted to have enough flow to be able to plumb in reactors and such down the road if needed. I think that the flow is in part due to standard head loss plus the use of a '"T" and 4 x 90 degree elbows. Also, I am only running the pump at 60%, starting the flow at about 1200gph.

The flow is restricted using the herbie. Any adjustment to the herbie requires and adjustment to the pump flow as well. Everything is balanced, so I cannot raise the water level by just adjusting the gate valve on the herbie without adjusting the flow rate as well.

The Mars Aqua actually has quite a bit of shimmer. I actually removed about half of the lenses to provide better color blending and reduce the disco ball effect. I am pretty happy with it, but will be replacing it with the 300W version in order to cover the entire tank more evenly.

[lpsouth1978]

The tank is doing well and still progressing slowly. I have now increased the stocking to include:

- Bonded pair of Black Ocellaris Clown
- Royal Gramma Basslet
- Melanurus Wrasse
- 3 x Pajama Cardinals
- Neon Dottyback (currently in the sump)
- Frogspawn frag
- Hammer frag

Unfortunately, I decided while at the LFS the other day to make an impulse purchase of the Neon Dottback. I have had them before, but did not realize that it would not get along with the Royal Gramma. I had to catch him and move him to the fuge until I can find him a new home.

I tested the water tonight in preparation of a water change tomorrow, and am VERY happy with the current parameters of the tank. They are:

Temp - 78.5 (digital Thermometer)
SG - 1.026 (refractometer)
pH - 8.4 (digital pH tester)
Ammonia - 0 (API)
Nitrite - 0 (API)
Nitrate - Undetectable (API)
Phosphate - Undetectable (API)
Alk - 7.5 (API)
Calcium - 480 (API)

I am using the API tests for now, because I think they are accurate enough for my current needs. Eventually I plan on getting more reliable and accurate test kits, but these should suffice for a while. I will try to get some more pics tomorrow.

[lpsouth1978]

I made the rounds to a few LFS today and picked up a Rainbow BTA. I am really happy with it and it seems to be doing really well so far. It attached to the rock almost as soon as it touched it. My clowns have not paid it any attention, but hopefully in time they will come together.

[lpsouth1978]

I made a pretty big purchase for the tank yesterday and upgraded from the Chinese black box to 2 x AI Prime HD. So far I really like the lights, and things in the tank seem to be responding well so far. I am also quite happy with look of the tank with these lights on it. I feel like it is a cleaner look. The previous light looked good and I didn't think it looked cluttered before, but now that these are on there, looking back it did look cluttered.

[lpsouth1978]

I only made it one week with the AI Prime HD. I just made a purchase to upgrade from the Prime's. I found a great deal on a pair of 2 month old Hydra 26 HD's with tank mounts. I should have them about the middle of next week. Now I just have to decide what to do with the Primes.

[lpsouth1978]

This is mainly going to be a picture update. UPS shows that my new lights are not going to be here until Thurs, so I am just in a holding pattern for now. In the meantime, I have all the stuff to make diffusers for the Prime's so I think I will play with that this weekend. I plan on making some for the Hydra's when they get here, so I figure this will be a good test. I will keep you all posted.

In the mean time, enjoy some pics of the tank as it looks today.

P.S. - I posted 2 pics of my torch, the first is of it in the spot I originally placed it. The second is of it 20 minutes later, after moving it in front of a rock. I guess it didn't like the first spot.

[lpsouth1978]

More Pics:

[BruceWayne]

Im a big refugium guy, but your either one or not personally wouldn't set up a tank with out one. Couldnt you have 3 chamber
1. tank to chamber 1 bags, skimmer,
2. refugium, 3 return

[lpsouth1978]

Originally Posted by BruceWayne

Im a big refugium guy, but your either one or not personally wouldn't set up a tank with out one. Couldnt you have 3 chamber
1. tank to chamber 1 bags, skimmer,
2. refugium, 3 return

About that....

It looks like I forgot to mention that I ended up finding a Bubble Magus NAC 3.5 skimmer that fits perfectly in the first chamber. I now have a ball of chaeto in the middle chamber that is roughly the size of a volleball. I plan on adding some marine pure blocks in there eventually, but for now it is working great.

[BruceWayne]

Great to hear it’s doign well looks great