TJ_Burton Returns - last pics...

[TJ_Burton]

TJ_Burton’s 40Gallon Breeder Mixed Reef Build

 

Table of Contents (linked)

 

Planning stages & 20L Temp Tank: pg. 1-10

in this section, there are descriptions and diagrams outlining the build and possible options such as lighting, sump/refugium design, and drains/returns. This section also includes pictures of a 20L holding tank with livestock to be transferred to the new aquarium when it is ready. This section also has some "mindless jibber jabber" towards the end.

 

 

(The Build Begins: pg. 10-)

 

- Plumbing Begins!!!

 

- DIY Mag-Rack "How To" with pics!

 

- The First Drop Of Water!!!

 

- The Transfer Is Complete!!!

 

(The One Month Mark: pg. 17-)

 

- Sexing Banggai Caridnals

 

- Switch to HOT5

 

- Bulb Change - WICKED COLORS (Last Photos Of Aquarium)

 

- Goodbye 40br - Tank Sold due to move.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Current FTS:

April 29th

June 6th

July 8th

July 13th

Last Photo

 

Equipment List:

Sump:

Overflow:

Lighting:

Livestock List:

 

Corals:

 

Fish:

 

Inverts:

 

Macro:

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

System Cost Breakdown

Display Tank:

$80 + $80 (First tank cracked during drilling)

Sump:

$20

Skimmer:

$230

Lighting:

$150(150w MH)

$350(Two 250w MH)

$75(Dual 36” VHO)

Stand:

$375

Return Pump:

$80

Closed Loop Pump:

$60

Bulkheads/Fittings:

$300 (estimated end cost)

Approx Total Cost:

$1800

 

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

ORIGINAL POST STARTS HERE

 

 

Well,

 

I figured it is about time I let everyone in on my plans for my next tank. I know I am going to have a hell of a time trying to beat my last tank (featured in my signature) but I must always aim to improve!

 

So far this is what I have in mind:

-40 Breeder Display Tank

-40 Breeder Sump

-3x 250w Halides (SE)

-2x VHO or HOT5 Actinics

-4000HH Return Pump (Two 3/4 Returns)

-Mag7 Closed loop (Two 3/4 Returns with Loc-Line, May also add SCWD)

-Skimmer (Hopefully a Euroreef or Turbofloter 1000)

-Custom Stand/Canopy

 

I have decided to put the overflow in the corner due to the fact that the center of the tank is going to be the main area for SPS and Clams. The 250w Halides will be set up as 20,000K/10,000K/20,000K and run on the following cycle:

 

10am - Actinics on

12pm - Both 250w 20,000K on

2:30pm - 250w 10,000K on

5:30pm - 250w 10,000K off

8pm - Both 250w 20,000K off

10pm - Actinics off

 

Canopy will be running four 4" fans to help battle heat, but the room its going in (basement) is usually around 64.F anyways which will assist in that as well.

 

Sump/Fuge will be run basically as one big fuge, no bioballs or anything. That will have a 55W PC running on opposite schedule to the DT's lighting.

 

I prefer to dose my supplements manually as I feel more comfortable measuring things out after testing instead of relying on Calcium Reactors or Dosers, that and I’m cheap.

 

Here are some quick sketches of how things will potentially be set up.

[Matty1124]

3x 250w over a 40g display... holy cow thats a lot of light

 

the pics of your 20g looks killer and you look you have a good plan for this set up... tagging along

[TJ_Burton]

3x 250w over a 40g display... holy cow thats a lot of light

 

the pics of your 20g looks killer and you look you have a good plan for this set up... tagging along

 

Yeah my 20g had some crazy lighting too, but it seems to work for me

[SPS20]

People tend to vastly underestimate the amount of light hard corals can benefit from.

 

I look forward to seeing your tank unfold!

[Truck_Under_Water]

you could use your light setup for a tanning booth!

[stoney waters]

People tend to vastly underestimate the amount of light hard corals can benefit from.

Agreed.

 

I like your plans TJ.

 

I would recommend at least trying out a stockman on top of the stand pipe. It will really cut down on the noise, and won't take up any more space. Also, it would be a good idea to alternate the flow on the CL or upgrade the pump if you don't.

 

I'll be tagging on this one.

[TJ_Burton]

Agreed.

 

I like your plans TJ.

 

I would recommend at least trying out a stockman on top of the stand pipe. It will really cut down on the noise, and won't take up any more space. Also, it would be a good idea to alternate the flow on the CL or upgrade the pump if you don't.

 

I'll be tagging on this one.

 

Yeah I was thinking about that too, Maybe doing a 4000HH as the return and a normal 4000 for the CL. That should split it to about 450 GPH per outlet since the pump is somwhere around 1050 GPH at 0FT head.

 

Funny thing about the Stockman silencer, before I knew what that was (just learned from you mentioning it) I already had the same idea to make it durso without the U bend. Makes me feel smart! lol.

[PurpleUP]

NICE lighting schematics. How high from the DT's water surface will you be hanging your halides? What would you consider the optimal height for SPS fast growth?

[TJ_Burton]

NICE lighting schematics. How high from the DT's water surface will you be hanging your halides? What would you consider the optimal height for SPS fast growth?

 

To be honest, I went 8" on my 20g, and I plan to go about 10" on this tank. Reason being that as you pull a halide away from the surface, the LUX gets reduced but in turn covers a larger surface. I want the halides fairly close to act as spot lights for the Acros, and just enough bleed around the spot area to give proper lighting for the Zoas, Palys, Rics and LPS/Softies I may put in. This way the Acros get pelted with light, where as the rest of the corals don't.

 

This was the reason IMO I did so well with the acros in the 20g without frying everything else! I added the extra 2" because I am using 3 halides instead of 2, and the tank is 12" wider.

 

Oh (almost forgot and had to edit it in lol) regarding the growth. The 10,000K in the middle is for just that. From my understanding, the higher the Kelvin, the less usable light for the corals - although the higher Kelvin may be better to prevoke more stimulation/coloration from the zooanthellae. So I find I get the best growth when I add that extra 4 hours of 10,000K light in the very middle of the light cycle (high noon simulation). Hight of the lights really depends on what corals are going in, what they can handle, and how tall your tank is. if I had a 24" tall tank my halides would be less then 6" off the surface in order to support the corals on the bottom (which would still be getting much less light then the corals in my 16" tall tank with the lights suspended 10" off the waters surface, that is assuming both bulbs are 250w).

[PurpleUP]

To be honest, I went 8" on my 20g, and I plan to go about 10" on this tank. Reason being that as you pull a halide away from the surface, the LUX gets reduced but in turn covers a larger surface. I want the halides fairly close to act as spot lights for the Acros, and just enough bleed around the spot area to give proper lighting for the Zoas, Palys, Rics and LPS/Softies I may put in. This way the Acros get pelted with light, where as the rest of the corals don't.

 

This was the reason IMO I did so well with the acros in the 20g without frying everything else! I added the extra 2" because I am using 3 halides instead of 2, and the tank is 12" wider.

 

Oh (almost forgot and had to edit it in lol) regarding the growth. The 10,000K in the middle is for just that. From my understanding, the higher the Kelvin, the less usable light for the corals - although the higher Kelvin may be better to prevoke more stimulation/coloration from the zooanthellae. So I find I get the best growth when I add that extra 4 hours of 10,000K light in the very middle of the light cycle (high noon simulation). Hight of the lights really depends on what corals are going in, what they can handle, and how tall your tank is. if I had a 24" tall tank my halides would be less then 6" off the surface in order to support the corals on the bottom (which would still be getting much less light then the corals in my 16" tall tank with the lights suspended 10" off the waters surface, that is assuming both bulbs are 250w).

 

Very useful info. I've been lowering my 250W 20K HQI down onto my 18" high cube about an inch every day, since I moved in my corals. Started at 16" and as I type this, I'm measuring it at 11.5." Thinking I might drop it to about 7" max, but I can notice the corresponding increase in tank temp every time I lower it. Since I only have 1 pendant, I've been wondering if I should alternate 10K bulbs every 2 wks. Do you think that would make a difference or just cause more stress?

[TJ_Burton]

Very useful info. I've been lowering my 250W 20K HQI down onto my 18" high cube about an inch every day, since I moved in my corals. Started at 16" and as I type this, I'm measuring it at 11.5." Thinking I might drop it to about 7" max, but I can notice the corresponding increase in tank temp every time I lower it. Since I only have 1 pendant, I've been wondering if I should alternate 10K bulbs every 2 wks. Do you think that would make a difference or just cause more stress?

 

That may cause stress, but to be honest I can't say for sure. What it could do is screw up the color of the corals. The trick to my method is that the corals are still receiving the spectrum from the 20,000K bulbs even with the 10,000K on. I don't know how they will react to have that 20,000K spectrum completely taken away during the growth period.

[stoney waters]

TJ

 

The lighting seems to be very heavy in the blue spectrum. Most reefers feel no need for actinic supplementation when running 20K's. I am thinking your main purpose for the blue t-5's is for dusk and dawn, but have you ever considered lowering your kelvin to 14 or 15 with the actinic sups? The 12K Reeflux is beautiful with VHO actinics. You would certainly get more PAR out of the system and you could even step down to two halides instead of three. Saving $$$.

[TJ_Burton]

TJ

 

The lighting seems to be very heavy in the blue spectrum. Most reefers feel no need for actinic supplementation when running 20K's. I am thinking your main purpose for the blue t-5's is for dusk and dawn, but have you ever considered lowering your kelvin to 14 or 15 with the actinic sups? The 12K Reeflux is beautiful with VHO actinics. You would certainly get more PAR out of the system and you could even step down to two halides instead of three. Saving $$$.

 

I am actually quite fond of the halide setup I have shown. There is a few reasons for this. First off, I have never really liked the color of bulbs between 10K and 20K, and find them to just look washed out (personal opinion I suppose). Also, the amount of blue spectrum put out by the combination of 20K halides and actinics seems to really promote color in corals. Lastly, various types of low wavelength light is what allow us to see phosfluorescence, and having a variety of different spectrum low wavelength lights helps to make all these phosfluorescent colors stand out. The actinics will make a difference in displaying color even with the halides on, albeit may be slight, but noticeable none the less!

This light combination is one reason I feel my reef will stand out amongst all the others.

[TJ_Burton]

***Update***

- The stand is currently being constructed, I will post pictures of the progress as they come (or all at once depending on my schedule).

- I purchased two used electronic 250w MH ballasts, and one is being problematic so I have arranged with the seller to get my money back (now I have to look elsewhere).

- I am (and have already purchased) using a Quiet One 4000 for the closed loop for extra kick.

 

Livestock updates:

20G is now holding some nice new zoas. I picked up a 20polyp frag of Blue w/ Yellow Center zoas for 5$ and got an entire DYING colony of these wicked awesome Green Skirt/Green body zoas for free in attempt to save them. I spent the night (about an hour or so) fragging off all the healthy zoas from a 3lb rock that was covered in these polyps. Many were past the point of saving, I maybe got 20 heads that were healthy enough to make a recovery. I dipped the colony in 1gal water with about 15 drops of lugols before fragging, as well as after fragging. The polyps today seem to be doing quite well and should recover and make a very nice mother colony. I will post pictures when I can.

[TJ_Burton]

Alright, well I got some photos finally.

I also forgot to mention the 2 croceas I picked up with the zoas. And I couldn't get a decent shot of the blues so I figured I would just post them later.

 

First the Zoas that I rescued.

Then a couple of the clams.

Lastly some zoa frags that I put together from drifters I got for free from the lfs. They look pretty awful right now but hopefully they turn around shortly.

 

My camera is absolute balls, and I can't take any decent shots with actinics on so they were off. Lighting is from a 175w 12,000K MH. UGLY AS SIN, but it is making due for now.

[PurpleUP]

Alright, well I got some photos finally.

I also forgot to mention the 2 croceas I picked up with the zoas. And I couldn't get a decent shot of the blues so I figured I would just post them later.

 

First the Zoas that I rescued.

Then a couple of the clams.

Lastly some zoa frags that I put together from drifters I got for free from the lfs. They look pretty awful right now but hopefully they turn around shortly.

 

My camera is absolute balls, and I can't take any decent shots with actinics on so they were off. Lighting is from a 175w 12,000K MH. UGLY AS SIN, but it is making due for now.

 

Those clams will EXPLODE with the killer lighting scheme you have planned. What's the ETA on the new setup?

[TJ_Burton]

Those clams will EXPLODE with the killer lighting scheme you have planned. What's the ETA on the new setup?

 

End of Dec/Early Jan.

[TJ_Burton]

What is/are the common name(s) for the green zoas that I managed to salvage?

[GrandeGixxer]

Looks like a good plan. That is going to be a lot of light!

[TJ_Burton]

Looks like a good plan. That is going to be a lot of light!

 

There will be some revisions to the plan I'm sure, but it's the idea I have got sofar.

And yes it's a lot of light I will hear that over and over! lol...

[TJ_Burton]

I am also considering running the returns like this, reason being that only the front panel of the tank will be visable. I am not sure about how much Loc-Line I will use, I can always add or subtract to adjust it anyways. Any opinions as to if this should work more effectively then the previous setup?

[bdare]

Hey TJ,

 

I just put together a 40B. I have a CL and a sump as well. I'm SUPER happy with how it turned out. You might check it out for ideas for your returns...

 

Ben

[TJ_Burton]

Hey TJ,

 

I just put together a 40B. I have a CL and a sump as well. I'm SUPER happy with how it turned out. You might check it out for ideas for your returns...

 

Ben

 

Yeah, I have actually scoped you out before! Your return system is very nice, but I don't want to use too much hard plumbing as it tends to restrict flow. I also find soft plumbing cuts back alot on noise from vibrations etc.

 

I have previously owned a SCWD and wasn't overly thrilled with it, and the Oceans Motions units are a tad expensive (and work best with hard plumbing from what I have heard). If I were to get a device, I would probably get the black WavySea+ and run the main return pump through that at the back/center of the tank and have it sweep 180 from one side to the other.

 

Those units are a tad expensive, but I may be able to swing it.

[bdare]

To be honest, the plumbing on my tank is dead silent. The loudest part is from the Pan-World pump. I'm quite surprised because I heard great things about them. Also, I know hard plumbing can reduce flow, but believe me when I say... the water in my tank is a rockin'

 

In any case, you have some great ideas for your tank and I'll be following along. I'm especially interested to find out how your lighting will work out for you. I've heard mixed results about how my tank will turn out with 1 250. I can't imagne running 3!!!

 

Best of luck!

 

Ben

[TJ_Burton]

So does anyone know the "given name" of those green zoas I posted near the bottom of page 1?