Breaking into the salty side: 40 breeder reef tank

[Fishbike13]

Like the stand! What did you wrap the frame with? I was going to go tongue and groove on mine but it’s getting costly adding up my materials list.

Its 15/32 sanded pine plywood, then 1x3 for the trim.

 

[BedrockIOMC]

Yes I believe they prefer no filter socks to allow detritus to break down and feed the fuge, and they have the fuge being fed by the overflow, then water flows to the skimmer. I need to do more research on what types of corals i want to keep, so i have an idea what kind of dosing regimen i need to look at.

Triton is attractive to me because of the reduced water changes, and it seems like the process could be somewhat automated with an apex system. I work night shift and have limited time to sleep while at home, so being able to adjust dosing and other controls over my phone seems to make a lot of sense.

Is this overkill for such a small tank, or are most reef tanks the same, the only thing that changes is the volume of water and area of aquascape? My only experience thus far is with freshwater, where water changes are the main export of nutrients, and much more forgiving of the parameter swings that accompany them. I tend to overthink stuff, so please let me know if i am haha.

If I was you having a smaller tank I would just use Red Sea's system it would be a lot easier and you can set the sump up the way you want.
check it out and maybe the other systems they have as well.
Red Sea System
https://www.redseafish.com/reef-care-program/tank-maturation/

 

[Fishbike13]

If I was you having a smaller tank I would just use Red Sea's system it would be a lot easier and you can set the sump up the way you want.
check it out and maybe the other systems they have as well.
Red Sea System
https://www.redseafish.com/reef-care-program/tank-maturation/

That looks a lot easier than the Triton. I will probably use this instead, at least for a while. If i do ever pony up the coin for a controller then i may be able to get more concise with what i dose to the tanks with something like 2 part or kalk etc.

 

[TaylorPilot]

Typically the flow is socks (if you have them), fuge, skimmer, return pump. The reason being the height of the water level in each chamber. If you put the skimmer first, the skimmer section can't be any lower than the fuge that comes next, making adjustable baffles impossible. I have built allot of sumps for 20L tanks. There isn't room for all three. I would suggest if you do go with socks to get something like an ATS or a chaeto reactor. I don't typically run socks 24/7, but they sure are nice when you clean on the tank by stirring sand or cleaning the glass. All that suspended stuff gets stuck in the socks and can be physically removed. Tough decision.

 

[BedrockIOMC]

you should have refuge on one side flowing into your return by its self. It filters on its on, take a look at this video maybe it will help some.
Melev's Reef

This guy is very helpful and knows his stuff.

 

[Fishbike13]

Typically the flow is socks (if you have them), fuge, skimmer, return pump. The reason being the height of the water level in each chamber. If you put the skimmer first, the skimmer section can't be any lower than the fuge that comes next, making adjustable baffles impossible. I have built allot of sumps for 20L tanks. There isn't room for all three. I would suggest if you do go with socks to get something like an ATS or a chaeto reactor. I don't typically run socks 24/7, but they sure are nice when you clean on the tank by stirring sand or cleaning the glass. All that suspended stuff gets stuck in the socks and can be physically removed. Tough decision.

looking at the claims red sea makes with the program posted previously, it would seem that there would not be any nutrients in the tank for a refugium to grow, is this a safe observation to make? If not, would a remote fuge be something that would work? maybe a smaller pump coming from the dump section of the sump feeding the fuge, then have it return to the skimmer section?

I have watched some of the DIY chaeto reactor videos, and i would think that the cheap LED strips used in most wouldn't put out the kind of light power needed to convince the chaeto to outcompete other algae. If they do work then i am certainly willing to try it. On that note, instead of a chaeto reactor why not a GFO/carbon reactor?

I should also mention that i went ahead and ordered the exotic marine sump baffle kit. I liked the more standardized sump organization, because i feel that i simply dont know enough about water level control at this time to spec out my own baffle sizes. If i desire in the future i can pick up another 20L or 29 gal tank and make a new sump in the future.

 

[BedrockIOMC]

looking at the claims red sea makes with the program posted previously, it would seem that there would not be any nutrients in the tank for a refugium to grow, is this a safe observation to make? If not, would a remote fuge be something that would work? maybe a smaller pump coming from the dump section of the sump feeding the fuge, then have it return to the skimmer section?

I have watched some of the DIY chaeto reactor videos, and i would think that the cheap LED strips used in most wouldn't put out the kind of light power needed to convince the chaeto to outcompete other algae. If they do work then i am certainly willing to try it. On that note, instead of a chaeto reactor why not a GFO/carbon reactor?

I should also mention that i went ahead and ordered the exotic marine sump baffle kit. I liked the more standardized sump organization, because i feel that i simply dont know enough about water level control at this time to spec out my own baffle sizes. If i desire in the future i can pick up another 20L or 29 gal tank and make a new sump in the future.

You don't want your water from the refuge to go into the skimmer and lose the good stuff that it puts into the water. Pump it into the return pump area if you are going to do a separate tank for a refuge.

 

[Bayareareefer18]

Alright making a snails pace of progress, but as stated above, i intend to be finishing up this tank to begin stocking some time this winter. That being said, the stand is finished. 3 coats of poly on the outside, and a coat of kilz and spar urethane on the inside.

I am now looking at the sump. I found the 20 long kit by exotic marine, and am about to pull the trigger on it because i like the adjustable skimmer baffle, and i think i can work in a fuge if i remove the filter socks. Does anybody have experience with this kit?

I also like their overflow boxes because i can get a 24 or 35" slim box with 1" drains for the bean animal i want to run, so i believe i can throttle the siphon back so that it is not overkill (they are rated up to 1500GPH)
The bean animal is appealing to me because i like the triple redundancy, seeing as when things go wrong at my house, they are catastrophic.

Input on this thought process? I would like to order the sump kit this week, so that I can start silicone next week and begin to plan out plumbing, maybe end up drilling the tank mid september.

Check out the fiji cube kits also. I use one for my 40b sump and really like it

Edit: sorry just read your baffles have been ordered

 

[Bayareareefer18]

looking at the claims red sea makes with the program posted previously, it would seem that there would not be any nutrients in the tank for a refugium to grow, is this a safe observation to make? If not, would a remote fuge be something that would work? maybe a smaller pump coming from the dump section of the sump feeding the fuge, then have it return to the skimmer section?

I have watched some of the DIY chaeto reactor videos, and i would think that the cheap LED strips used in most wouldn't put out the kind of light power needed to convince the chaeto to outcompete other algae. If they do work then i am certainly willing to try it. On that note, instead of a chaeto reactor why not a GFO/carbon reactor?

I should also mention that i went ahead and ordered the exotic marine sump baffle kit. I liked the more standardized sump organization, because i feel that i simply dont know enough about water level control at this time to spec out my own baffle sizes. If i desire in the future i can pick up another 20L or 29 gal tank and make a new sump in the future.

Why not an ATS? I'm strongly considering just dropping a Santa Monica rain 2 into my fuge section

 

[Fishbike13]

Check out the fiji cube kits also. I use one for my 40b sump and really like it

Edit: sorry just read your baffles have been ordered

Haha, sorry, I asked the question, got antsy and hit the checkout button. Beer had no influence in this purchase.....;Hilarious

 

[Fishbike13]

Why not an ATS? I'm strongly considering just dropping a Santa Monica rain 2 into my fuge section

I will certainly look into this as well.

All these things that i didnt know existed.

 

[Bayareareefer18]

I will certainly look into this as well.

All these things that i didnt know existed.

No worries. I just jumped into the reef world from cichlids back in March. Still learning as I go.

I really like the ATS (small footprint) and good reviews. There are some pretty good YouTube vids about it

I think one of the problems we face is being able to have a fuge large enough to actually be affective

My chaeto grows at a decent rate but I still run gfo in a reactor. I'm on the fence about stronger fuge light or the ats. To me ats seems like the better way to go

 

[mntbiker2008]

subscribed!

 

[Fishbike13]

Another small update. I got the RODI unit hung, and plumbed. I tapped off the feed line of an undersink water filter that i have, and fed it through the back wall of the cabinet, and into the wall behind that.
Excuse the mess, i had just finished working.
Underskink filter removed for visibility.

I then fed it up the wall and out the other side to where the RODI unit is mounted in the mud room. Adapted the RODI feed to 3/8 tubing because that is what size is used under the sink, and it is easier to find a 3/8 tee. Water pressure is steady at 80psi. So i expect decent performance from the unit.

Eventually there will be a barrel on the floor just to the left of the unit, and a waste line run along the wall outside to a 55G storage barrel to use for watering the mulch beds, as i recently found out what i thought were weeds, are actually some really nice looking flowers when they get enough water. Ive been in this house for 2 years now and about a month ago is the first time anything planted by the previous owners has flowered.

The room where the DT will be is directly to the right of the RODI unit, so water changes should be a breeze without the need to lug buckets or run a rediculously long hose to the tank.

 

[Bayareareefer18]

Another small update. I got the RODI unit hung, and plumbed. I tapped off the feed line of an undersink water filter that i have, and fed it through the back wall of the cabinet, and into the wall behind that.
Excuse the mess, i had just finished working.
Underskink filter removed for visibility.

I then fed it up the wall and out the other side to where the RODI unit is mounted in the mud room. Adapted the RODI feed to 3/8 tubing because that is what size is used under the sink, and it is easier to find a 3/8 tee. Water pressure is steady at 80psi. So i expect decent performance from the unit.

Eventually there will be a barrel on the floor just to the left of the unit, and a waste line run along the wall outside to a 55G storage barrel to use for watering the mulch beds, as i recently found out what i thought were weeds, are actually some really nice looking flowers when they get enough water. Ive been in this house for 2 years now and about a month ago is the first time anything planted by the previous owners has flowered.

The room where the DT will be is directly to the right of the RODI unit, so water changes should be a breeze without the need to lug buckets or run a rediculously long hose to the tank.

You are lucky. I had to add a booster for my brs 5 stage 150 gpd unit. Now with 80-82 psi it produces water fast! And better production to waste ratio

 

[Fishbike13]

You are lucky. I had to add a booster for my brs 5 stage 150 gpd unit. Now with 80-82 psi it produces water fast! And better production to waste ratio

Lucky now, at tge beginning on the month i had to have my main replaced because the old one was springing pin holes left and right.

 

[Bayareareefer18]

Lucky now, at tge beginning on the month i had to have my main replaced because the old one was springing pin holes left and right.

Man bummer. I know about that all too well. I own a leak detection business lol

 

[Fishbike13]

At risk of starting a big debate, i began looking into qt setups, and i have a 10g tank, an ac70 hob, and a light for the tank as well as a glass lid. My question is, would it be too early to set up the 10g with some biomax in the filter, and cycle it with dr tims over the next 3-4 weeks so that i can begin quarantine for the first fish right around the same time im beginning the cycle on the dt?

First fish will probably be a red firefish so that he can get comfortable in the tank without any more boisterous fish to worry about.

 

[DeniseAndy]

No need to cycle the qt. Just set up when need it. I would definitely get the fish through qt while waiting on cycle. Especially that little guy in a 10g, he will be fine.

 

[Fishbike13]

Another small update,

Scored an open box deal on a reef octo 110sss skimmer today for 150$! Still waiting on the exotic marine baffle kit, but i have been assured my order was not forgotten.

Once that shows up and is installed, i can get to work on ordering the overflow box, finding a return pump, and plumbing.

After that the cycling starts while i take out a second mortgage to buy a light!