Falc's 40 breeder

[falc]

So over the summer decided I wanted to set up a 40b salt water display tank, so I picked up a 40 breeder and a 20 long at the dollar per gallon sale, started ordering some pvc and a steel shelving unit at the big orange box store to use as a skeleton for my stand. The shelving has a powder coat enamel coating on the steel frame and I used marine paint to protect the wood surfaces and I’ll skin the whole thing in plywood when I finish installing everything.

DISCLAIMER: I started this build in late August but I am just getting around to adding a build thread.. I procrastinate (A LOT!).

OK first off I used an acrylic baffle kit I picked up on Flea’bay to divide up the sump. Sealed up real tight for my first time doing this.




I drilled the tank for an Eclipse M Overflow Box and got it plumbed in place



The Eclipse Overflow Box seems like a nice overflow but not the best I think for a rimmed tank? I have this one mounted as high as I can against the rim but the water level is still lower than my liking.. Maybe I did something wrong??

Now time to plumb the rest of the tank! (FYI, I suc at plumbing!). I used 1/2" lines for the return and 3/4" for the drain. I used a ball valve on the return and a gate valve on the drain line.


As you can see, I drilled the return a little too low.. I had to get a little creative to add a siphon break in (still have not got it exactly like I want!). I put a ball valve inline with the return as well as a Wye check valve, now I know what some will say about check valves but I am not depending on this to prevent overflows but I want to keep as much water as I can from draining out of the return line and filling with air every time I shut down my main pump.

Here is how I worked out with the return

Not pretty but it will work, I still want to drill and tap 90 degree John Guest elbow into the 1/2 elbow as another siphon break (got the idea from this build thread)

Now time to get everything wet and check for leaks! I am using a Sicce Syncra Silent 3.0 pump on the return.





Here is how everything in the sump connects

Had a couple drips around the PVC couplers and had to add a 1/8 turn to the overflow bulkhead but all in all a success!! I left this running for a couple days with the return pump going and tested the siphon breaks a few times to make sure the sump could handle everything. Time to drain it and make it salty!! More to come!

 

[SPR1968]

Great pictures and thanks for sharing them with us, and very nice build so far

 

[falc]

Great pictures and thanks for sharing them with us, and very nice build so far

Thanks! my latest iPhone does pretty good sometimes!

 

[Instigate]

Very nice! Do you already know what fish and type of corals you're going to stock it with?

 

[falc]

Very nice! Do you already know what fish and type of corals you're going to stock it with?

Thanks! At this point I am just planning on a mixed reef tank, nothing fancy, just a light fish load of reef safe, peaceful fishes.

 

[CNDReef]

Nice build
On the overflow , if you increase your return flow it’ll actually bring the water level higher but, if it gets clogged it’ll overflow faster onto the floor.

 

[falc]

Nice build
On the overflow , if you increase your return flow it’ll actually bring the water level higher but, if it gets clogged it’ll overflow faster onto the floor.

Thanks! Good idea about increasing the flow but I just checked and the Sicce 3.0 pump I purchased is maxed out, I must have miscalculated my head pressure when designing the plumbing? I may have to purchase a larger pump??

 

[CNDReef]

You could but you have to look at what you’re going to keep in the sump since that will be what determines how much flow you can have going through the sump. I guess you could clog a tooth or two and see where the water level gets.

 

[falc]

More updates

So after all the leak tests were complete and the tank was in its final spot all leveled up we added the RO water and salt and a tank was born!


I used a combination of large and small grain sand, crushed coral and crushed seashell as substrate.
I added live sand activator and IPSF WonderMud for the bacteria boost. Here is a link to IPSF, great products! Over the next two weeks I did nothing but add 20 odd pounds of reef saver rock! No lights and no fish yet.

Time to get the sump equipment together!
I had a Kessil 160 from an earlier build so I added it to the first chamber of sump with a mix of Ulva, Gracilaria and Chaeto macro algae. Also added some marine pure spheres and Seachem matrix as a sudo-substrate in the sump. Oh yeah, and a bunch of Amphipods! The macro algea and pods all came from IPSF. The Kessil is the a160we but the macro algae doesn't seem to mind, I have mounted about 6" from the water and running on a Kessil controller at about 40%.



I put the sump in the middle chamber, I went with the Bubble Magus Curve 5. I did make one modification by adding a needle valve to the airline tube so that I could adjust the air intake.



Next I added two of the 5" BRS mini reactors with the silicone tubing upgrade kits. I like the silicone tubing upgrade kit but I wish they came with some nylon hose clamps, the tubing is not a tight fit to the barbs and water can seep.. I am looking for some nylon clamps.. Right now I am using the Cobalt MJ1200 pump to push the reactors until I get the manifold installed.

Also added a small web cam overlooking the sump. I picked up the Zmodo eazy cam since I already use their outdoor cams on the house. The easy cam integrates with Amazon Fire TV and Alexa.



I also mounted my BRS C02 scrubber mounted but I am waiting on an adapter to connect the airline tube to the output of the scrubber to ship. I have the intake pulling fresh air in form outside. In the wintertime we use a combination of wood and gas heating and in the summers here in Dixie we keep the house tight and run the AC's so Co2 has always been an issue.



Got some wire management to work on and getting the manifold ready to install but everything so far is running smooth.

 

[Msteven1]

Following along. I bought a 40 BR a few weeks ago and look forward to seeing your progress. I have the same overflow box and my sump will be in the basement. Falc, do you have a gate valve on the overflow drain? I think if you did you could slow the drain until there is just a trickle going down the emergency. If I've studied correctly, this will raise your water level. Look up Herbie overflow.
Great build!

 

[falc]

Following along. I bought a 40 BR a few weeks ago and look forward to seeing your progress. I have the same overflow box and my sump will be in the basement. Falc, do you have a gate valve on the overflow drain? I think if you did you could slow the drain until there is just a trickle going down the emergency. If I've studied correctly, this will raise your water level. Look up Herbie overflow.
Great build!

Thanks for following along, updates are a victim of the holidays ;Hurting

Yes I have a gate valve on the overflow and I slowed the drain like you suggested and it seems to have solved the issue on the overflow side! Now I got to quiet the emergency side!! When I installed everything I cut the PVC on the emergency drain about two inches above the water line in the sump!! No worries, more to tinker with!!

A few more updates this weekend!

 

[Ryn0_11]

what size tank did you use for your sump?

 

[falc]

what size tank did you use for your sump?

An off the shelf 20L divided into 4 chambers with baffles that I picked up from a seller on Fle'bay! It is working out well so far!

 

[Ryn0_11]

It looks great, I didn't think about buying a baffle kit

 

[falc]

It looks great, I didn't think about buying a baffle kit

I think it's money well spent! I have been running it wet since September and there is no warping, I just made sure I sealed each divider really well and left small gap between the glass and divider.