Revamping My 40B (5 year old tank)

[phoenix91]

FTS:
 

May 2019. For new info go to page 7

 

 

December 2015

 

September 2014

June 2014



April 1st 2014

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FTS: Feb 1st 2014



Equipment:

PAR38 LED x2

Mag3 return

Sump:

20 gallon

Stock:

Picasso clownfish (Darcy)
2 x PJ Cardinals
CUC

 

[phoenix91]

A few months ago i got a great deal on a 40B due to a pricing error at my local petsmart, i snapped it up and it's been sitting on the floor of my dining room since. I couldn't find a stand i liked so decided to try my hand at building one (with my dads help, he's frightened i'll cut my hand off with the power saw).

 

The cabinet is almost finished, i've got trim and doors to add, the doors are measured and have hinges and do fit but we took them off to finish up the front panel of the frame. I also have to varnish it. I'm pushing to have it finished soon but we've been swamped at work and it's now sitting in the workshop taking up space.

 

Cabinet build in stages:

 

 

 

 

 

and where it is currently sitting, not getting finished Trim is going to cover the gaps and go along the bottom and up the edges.

 

 

After the cabinet is finished and moved into my house i can do the plumbing. I've never plumbed a sump before so have been reading and rereading. I'm going with the herbie design. I have almost all my plumbing stuff bought and in a box, i need pipes and a few connectors. I also need to get the tank drilled, i have a 1 inch drill bit but don't really feel comfortable attempting to drill glass myself.

 

I'll be moving fish and corals over from my 20g, getting new sand and new rocks and dipping all the corals to eradicate the flatworm menace. I'll also hopefully have a few frags to sell off during the move since i'll be chipping coral off rocks.

 

I just got done cutting the plastic for my custom overflow box, we get fantastic plastic and work and i sort of pinched a nice piece to use I'll make sure the pieces fit squarely in the tank before cut the teeth along the top edge and silicone it together.

[DannaM]

Nice stand!!!

Welcome to the 40b club

[phoenix91]

Thanks! It'll look much better once it's trimmed up and has doors.

 

I can't wait to get it going, i love the footprint of this tank!

[DannaM]

Thanks! It'll look much better once it's trimmed up and has doors.

 

I can't wait to get it going, i love the footprint of this tank!

 

It's about the perfect dimensions (IMO)

 

Looking forward to seeing this build progress.

 

Here's a thread for 40B's...make sure you add your tank sometime

 

http://www.nano-reef.com/topic/328862-the-40b-club/

[phoenix91]

Tank stand is almost done!

 

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We broke a piece of trim so it needs replacing. Then painting. I have doors made but my dad made a comment that it would be nice to leave it as it is, but I have 2 cats and a semi open tank is no place for kitties who enjoy water. I thought about maybe getting glass doors made and doing a display fuge.

 

 

 

[gena]

 

This looks fantastic!!!!!! Very nice work!!!!!

 

Glass doors would be very cool, nice idea for a display fuge that keeps the kitties out .

[phoenix91]

Thank you.

 

I'm going to go talk to the guys at the glass store near me to see what they can do; I'm also going to ask them to drill the tank, I just don't feel confident enough to do it. I have the right size drill bit and they have the experience workin with glass.

 

I have to keep my female cat out, she likes to wade in the bath water and has already taken a plunge into the 20g.

[phoenix91]

Stand was stained last week but I hated how it came out so I've been sanding it off again today. The stain has taken on the grainy parts of the wood so it's going to look pretty nice once its varnished. I've got a spare 5 g I'm going to practice cutting holes in so I can then drill the holes for the overflow. I couldn't find a 20 g tank for the life of me so my sump is going to be an 18g tough Rubbermaid tub with a smaller tank that I have spare inside to help with micro bubbles and such. I plan on doing a small fuge inside the smaller tank so the algae won't drift around.

 

My rock arrived from RC, got some really nice and interesting pieces, I'm going to plan my aqua scape this weekend.

 

Luckily I work for my family so my dad is going to help me plumb and set everything up in the workshop for the fw leak test, then we'll bring everything back to my house and glue the fittings together.

[phoenix91]

Got so much done today! Varnished the stand twice, cut the plastic with the teeth for the overflow. I'll be assembling the overflow box over the weekend and letting it set before installing it in the tank.

 

Stained and sanded

 

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After varnish

 

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i might have sanded a little too enthusiastically but i love how it looks.

[phoenix91]

Custom overflow box

 

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Clear plastic (northplex) but i like being able to see the equipment, in my 20 g i really liked seeing the workings in the back of the tank. Plus this plastic encrusts with coraline incredibly fast. Also it does make it easier to see and catch fish that might jump into the box, Lizzy is a jumper and ended up in the back of my 20 g so many times.

[gena]

More progress!!!! The stand looks great!!! Reminds me of my first tank stand. I had the same color wood stain .

 

What did you find out about putting glass doors on the front?

[Manaz101]

Looks awesome! Similar in style of the stand as the one I made as well. Can't wait to see it completed

[phoenix91]

More progress!!!! The stand looks great!!! Reminds me of my first tank stand. I had the same color wood stain .What did you find out about putting glass doors on the front?

 

Thanks. It ws orange last week, the stain was a bit much but once I sanded it down it looked much better. I sort of wish I'd gone with a birch stain but can't change that now. I decided against glass, it was going to take too long to get sorted. That and I'm using a big Rubbermaid tub for my sump since I couldn't find a tank anywhere near me, the shop person told me to check on Craigslist and I still couldn't find a 20g.

 

 

Looks awesome! Similar in style of the stand as the one I made as well. Can't wait to see it completed

 

Thanks! I think I got the basic specs some where online, possibly on NR. I can't wait either, it was started in October, I'm sick of it taking so long.

[phoenix91]

Successfully drilled 2 holes for the overflow. We have a pillar drill at work so that made it a lot easier to keep the drill straight and the speed constant.

 

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Next up plumbing and a fw water test at work then transffering the whole thing home.

 

Also traded some brittle stars to a local guy for a few frags, they'll spend the next month or so in the 20 g then be moved into here. Got a piece of ORA purple stylo (in front) and a piece of green aspera (behind)

 

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[Fishstiks]

beautiful stand! Nice job

[devilsadvocate]

looks great!

[phoenix91]

Thanks.

 

Almost done with the plumbing, it's not all together yet but it's all measured. I also need to get a PVC glue, another straight connector, and a slip barb. I also need a connector barb that I've got on order from BRS.

 

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I'm planning on fixing the overflow box in tomorrow and then doing a leak test early next week with all the plumbing working. After that the barbs should have arrived and the doors will be finished so it can be moved home.

[phoenix91]

Attached the overflow in place today, will silicone down the sides tomorrow to make it look pretty. I had to place orders for some plumbing parts I didn't know I'd need so they should arrive mid week, just in time for the silicone to have cured. Then on to the fw test. I also managed to pick up an amazing plastic tub (27 gallons) for the sump, it's not too tall and very sturdy, it won't bulge out and fits perfectly in the cabinet.

The new frags I got are doing well. The purple stylo is very happy



I also thought I'd take a shot of the devils hand to show how huge it is, it's much bigger than my hand now. I can't wait until its in the 40, it's going to have so much room to grow.

[phoenix91]

Overflow is silicon-ed in, it needs to cure until about the end of the week so everything is on hold until then.

 

I've been deciding how to stock this tank as far as fish go. Obviously the clown pair and my blue damsel will be moved across from the 20 but i thought it might be nice to have a small school too instead of just going for a few individual fish of different species. I was thinking either 3 or 5 of the spotted cardinalfish, they're an interesting colour and will hopefully be in the water column, as opposed to my clowns who hover in one place and Bingley who hides. I had thought about a watchman goby but again they seem to sit and don't swim around much, i'd like a bit of movement.

 

I've also managed to sell most of the frags i had. I've got 2 left which someone from the local club says they want but they haven't been back in touch.

[DannaM]

 

 

 

I also thought I'd take a shot of the devils hand to show how huge it is, it's much bigger than my hand now. I can't wait until its in the 40, it's going to have so much room to grow.

 

 

 

This is awesome !!!!!! It's really going to thrive in the 40

[phoenix91]

Thanks. I hate to pick favourites but this is definitely one of mine; and to think when i got it i was sure it was dead and almost tossed it out. I can't wait for it to have more room to grow

[gena]

That devils hand is gorgeous! And huge .

 

Nice that you were able to trade the brittle stars for some frags too!!!! Do you still have a lot of stars?

 

The tank looks fantastic. It's really coming together nicely!!! Great job!!!

[phoenix91]

That devils hand is gorgeous! And huge .

 

Nice that you were able to trade the brittle stars for some frags too!!!! Do you still have a lot of stars?

 

The tank looks fantastic. It's really coming together nicely!!! Great job!!!

Thanks! It usually looks bigger but the rock it supports itself with was removed to get rid of some majanos and i decided not to put it back in, i'm drying it then i'll put it in the 40 to cycle with the new dry rock.

 

i must have given away stars to about 7 people now and still have a lot left. They're still in the rocks and i don't think i'll get them out until i move the rocks over. Not even sure how i'm going to get them out to be honest, i'll be dipping the corals and rocks so i suspect the ones i can't rescue will be nuked in the dip.

 

All this waiting around for things to cure is driving me nuts. But water test at the end of this week and over the weekend then i guess next week it'll all be moved to my house where it will get wet properly with actual salt water and everything. I'm very excited about this! It's been in the works since October.

[phoenix91]

Got a box of goodies today from BRS. Some kalk so i can make a paste to start killing of majanos in my 20 before the move, an adapter to connect the tubing to my new return pump and a red sea mg test kit. Sadly when i opened the test kit the titrate had opened slightly and leaked everywhere, the booklet needs drying out and everything needs cleaning. I contacted BRS to let them know about the issue and Jason got back to me within i'd say an hour or two saying he was going to send me out a refill kit as a replacement. I heard a few bad things about BRS over the holidays but have been shopping with them since i got into reef tanks, i always have a great experience and when something does happen they went above and beyond to fix the issue. I actually looked on the sponsor forum to see if i could leave good feedback and they don't appear to have a thread. So i'll just do it here. BRS are great!

 

Tank related news: I glued some lino i had spare from when i redid my bathroom into my cabinet to make clean up of drips easy. FW test tomorrow now i can connect my pump.

 

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