The SEA-cret garden - starting a 40g breeder

[MoJal]

Got a used 40 gallon breeder that came with lights and a cannister filter, and everything is starting to come together. I know cannisters aren't super well-loved in Marine tanks, but I'm going to give it a shot and replace it later on if it doesn't suit me.

 

Keep knocking over my rocks, so I'm working on gluing the smaller pieces together with gel super glue. The aquascape will likely change a bit as I go, but this is my work in progress. Here's my front and top views. Planning to turn that little C shape up front into a cave if I can get my rocks to cooperate.

[WV Reefer]

28 minutes ago, MollyJane22 said:

Got a used 40 gallon breeder that came with lights and a cannister filter, and everything is starting to come together. I know cannisters aren't super well-loved in Marine tanks, but I'm going to give it a shot and replace it later on if it doesn't suit me.

 

Keep knocking over my rocks, so I'm working on gluing the smaller pieces together with gel super glue. The aquascape will likely change a bit as I go, but this is my work in progress. Here's my front and top views. Planning to turn that little C shape up front into a cave if I can get my rocks to cooperate.

 

I like it so far. 😊

[ECLS Reefer]

Thats gonna look nice!!

[MoJal]

Note to self- always wear gloves when super gluing... 🤦

 

Anybody have suggestions on powerheads? Trying to pick one out.

[WV Reefer]

29 minutes ago, MollyJane22 said:

Note to self- always wear gloves when super gluing... 🤦

 

Anybody have suggestions on powerheads? Trying to pick one out.

 

Then you would just super glue the gloves to the rock. 😄

 

I know from experience! 😂

 

 

 

 

[MoJal]

35 minutes ago, WV Reefer said:

 

Then you would just super glue the gloves to the rock. 😄

 

I know from experience! 😂

 

 

 

 

Lol. I guess I'll just live with the sand paper hands, then. 

[WV Reefer]

1 minute ago, MollyJane22 said:

Lol. I guess I'll just live with the sand paper hands, then. 

Ah, that’s nothing. I somehow got it on my front tooth once. 🤣

[MoJal]

42 minutes ago, WV Reefer said:

Ah, that’s nothing. I somehow got it on my front tooth once. 🤣

Show off 🤣🤣

[MoJal]

I have made a terrible mistake. Decided to move things around and now I hate it. Now I see why everyone starts their scape on cardboard outside of the tank. 😭

[ECLS Reefer]

12 minutes ago, MollyJane22 said:

I have made a terrible mistake. Decided to move things around and now I hate it. Now I see why everyone starts their scape on cardboard outside of the tank. 😭

Yeah people that plan their scapes before hand usually end up with the better deal. I have days when I hate mine and yet I'm stuck with it, so play with it more before you finish cycling.

[MoJal]

35 minutes ago, Dirté Sanchez said:

Yeah people that plan their scapes before hand usually end up with the better deal. I have days when I hate mine and yet I'm stuck with it, so play with it more before you finish cycling.

Fortunately haven't added water yet, so I can just pull everything out and start over if I get tired of leaning over the edge of the tank. Here's new shots after some more fiddling with it. I decided to pull out a lot of the small sized rocks that I was trying to build things up with. Going to have to glue them into larger chunks to make them more usable and structurally sound. I may have gotten a little carried away when I was originally breaking down the three boulders that I received. Anywho- front and top views. Sand to be added when I start making water. Maybe this weekend.

[ECLS Reefer]

26 minutes ago, MollyJane22 said:

Fortunately haven't added water yet, so I can just pull everything out and start over if I get tired of leaning over the edge of the tank. Here's new shots after some more fiddling with it. I decided to pull out a lot of the small sized rocks that I was trying to build things up with. Going to have to glue them into larger chunks to make them more usable and structurally sound. I may have gotten a little carried away when I was originally breaking down the three boulders that I received. Anywho- front and top views. Sand to be added when I start making water. Maybe this weekend.

I still think it looks neat. Something about the lone little rock formation in the middle makes me think of The Goonies 🤔.

 

none of my rocks are glued- I tried and tried with super glue but I had to put mine in with water as a tank transfer and the super glue never held. At least I can redo the scape someday if I get completely fed up with it.

[MoJal]

4 minutes ago, Dirté Sanchez said:

I still think it looks neat. Something about the lone little rock formation in the middle makes me think of The Goonies 🤔.

 

none of my rocks are glued- I tried and tried with super glue but I had to put mine in with water as a tank transfer and the super glue never held. At least I can redo the scape someday if I get completely fed up with it.

I'm finding it tricky to get things stuck together too. I want an urchin sometime down the line though, so I feel like I should have my rubble well secured or risk it toppling. Gotta go buy more glue though, so I guess I'm done playing with it for tonight. Or maybe I'll grab some epoxy and try working with that. 

[ECLS Reefer]

2 minutes ago, MollyJane22 said:

I'm finding it tricky to get things stuck together too. I want an urchin sometime down the line though, so I feel like I should have my rubble well secured or risk it toppling. Gotta go buy more glue though, so I guess I'm done playing with it for tonight. Or maybe I'll grab some epoxy and try working with that. 

Someone else told me that reef welder epoxy is real effective. I think you boil the little pellets until they turn a certain color and then smoosh them up and then apply, then they said it turns clear so it doesn’t show in the display.

[Ratvan]

7 hours ago, Dirté Sanchez said:

Someone else told me that reef welder epoxy is real effective. I think you boil the little pellets until they turn a certain color and then smoosh them up and then apply, then they said it turns clear so it doesn’t show in the display.

That stuff is awesome, if you mess up with it throw it back into boiling water and remould it. No mess and sticks beautifully

I never bother with gloves. I tend to glue my fingers to the inside of the glove and the glove to the rock, bottom, wall, face whatever. 

Easier to pick superglue off my fingers after

[MoJal]

9 hours ago, Ratvan said:

That stuff is awesome, if you mess up with it throw it back into boiling water and remould it. No mess and sticks beautifully

I never bother with gloves. I tend to glue my fingers to the inside of the glove and the glove to the rock, bottom, wall, face whatever. 

Easier to pick superglue off my fingers after

Is there a good place to order the reef welder? 

[MoJal]

I've still got a lot of reading to do before I make my final decisions, but here are my stocking plans, so far, for the curious:

 

Fish:

Going to start things off with a pair of clownfish, most likely a classic Nemo for my daughter and something a little fancier for me.

Possible a goby/shrimp pair.

Once I get more experienced and more ambitious, I'd like to throw a Ruby red dragonet in, or else a Mandarin goby.

 

Inverts:

A handful of snails, undecided on types.

Perhaps an emerald crab or two.

A sea urchin. 

Possibly a starfish much later on, if I feel like it would survive?

 

Corals:

How on Earth do you choose?? Seems like there's a million different types and I want them all. 🤣 Still pretty fuzzy on the details of keeping these things alive. A lot more reading to be done in this department. 

 

Honestly, I started down this road for the fish, but the more I read, the more I realize that they're really probably the least exciting part of this whole venture to me. 🤣

[ECLS Reefer]

20 minutes ago, MollyJane22 said:

Is there a good place to order the reef welder? 

Marine Depot is where I've found it. Bulk Reef Supply has some other brands.

 

6 minutes ago, MollyJane22 said:

I've still got a lot of reading to do before I make my final decisions, but here are my stocking plans, so far, for the curious:

 

Fish:

Going to start things off with a pair of clownfish, most likely a classic Nemo for my daughter and something a little fancier for me.

Possible a goby/shrimp pair.

Once I get more experienced and more ambitious, I'd like to throw a Ruby red dragonet in, or else a Mandarin goby.

 

Inverts:

A handful of snails, undecided on types.

Perhaps an emerald crab or two.

A sea urchin. 

Possibly a starfish much later on, if I feel like it would survive?

 

Corals:

How on Earth do you choose?? Seems like there's a million different types and I want them all. 🤣 Still pretty fuzzy on the details of keeping these things alive. A lot more reading to be done in this department. 

 

Honestly, I started down this road for the fish, but the more I read, the more I realize that they're really probably the least exciting part of this whole venture to me. 🤣

 

Keep reading!! Starfish aren't very compatible with corals. I have 5 chocolate chips that live in my sump happily. They were meant as food for a harlequin that got eaten by something else. Survival of the fittest. I've tried mandarins twice now--They are a lot of work and VERY expensive to keep, because even if you have good pod life in the sump, they'll clear them out very quickly and then starve. So be sure you do your research thoroughly before choosing one of those. 

 

Keep asking questions on here-people are very good about offering advice. I have only been doing this since January so I don't have a lot, except to say what NOT to do. 

[MoJal]

7 hours ago, Dirté Sanchez said:

Marine Depot is where I've found it. Bulk Reef Supply has some other brands.

 

 

Keep reading!! Starfish aren't very compatible with corals. I have 5 chocolate chips that live in my sump happily. They were meant as food for a harlequin that got eaten by something else. Survival of the fittest. I've tried mandarins twice now--They are a lot of work and VERY expensive to keep, because even if you have good pod life in the sump, they'll clear them out very quickly and then starve. So be sure you do your research thoroughly before choosing one of those. 

 

Keep asking questions on here-people are very good about offering advice. I have only been doing this since January so I don't have a lot, except to say what NOT to do. 

Poor mandarins. That's a bummer. Will probably have to rethink that choice. They're just so beautiful though. 

[ECLS Reefer]

3 minutes ago, MollyJane22 said:

Poor mandarins. That's a bummer. Will probably have to rethink that choice. They're just so beautiful though. 

They are, but they take so much care. I pretty much decided I'd rule out owning them anymore. I dont' want to shell out the money for constantly restocking the pods and then risk having the pods not get to them or the fish eat them so fast they get sick waiting in between. They're a tough fish to keep.

[MoJal]

Thought I was clever and tried to hook up my ro/di unit to my shower spout with a diverter and have come to the conclusion that I am not a plumber. Water everywhere. Pretty sure I put the plumbing tape going the wrong way. But can't say for sure that that's the only place I went wrong. 🤣

[ECLS Reefer]

11 minutes ago, MollyJane22 said:

Thought I was clever and tried to hook up my ro/di unit to my shower spout with a diverter and have come to the conclusion that I am not a plumber. Water everywhere. Pretty sure I put the plumbing tape going the wrong way. But can't say for sure that that's the only place I went wrong. 🤣

That’s pretty inventive though!

[MoJal]

2 hours ago, Dirté Sanchez said:

That’s pretty inventive though!

About to take it all apart and try again. Fingers crossed. Am really hoping it works. I don't feel like giving up one of my sinks for however long it takes to get this tank filled.  Plus it would mean another trip to the hardware store. The adapter it came with doesn't fit my sink.

[ECLS Reefer]

1 minute ago, MollyJane22 said:

About to take it all apart and try again. Fingers crossed. Am really hoping it works. I don't feel like giving up one of my sinks for however long it takes to get this tank filled.  Plus it would mean another trip to the hardware store. The adapter it came with doesn't fit my sink.

I've got mine in the garage hooked up to the outside water hose with a splitter. That way I can fill a huge garbage can worth of water to make saltwater and fill all my RODI jugs.

[MoJal]

40 minutes ago, Dirté Sanchez said:

I've got mine in the garage hooked up to the outside water hose with a splitter. That way I can fill a huge garbage can worth of water to make saltwater and fill all my RODI jugs.

Wish that was an option. I'm in an apartment though and don't have a hose hookup.

 

I've decided the diverter is just garbage. It gushes water out of pretty much everywhere it could. I should have spent a little more on it probably. Will have to resort to just unscrewing the showerhead and hooking up the filter. That should be workable. And there were no leaks when I tried it that way tonight. May be mixing up my first batch of saltwater in the morning!