40g breeder tank build

[Off The Deep End]

Well after an issue with my 90g i decided to start over with a 40g breeder. The tank is a brand new Aqueon 40b that i found on craigs for $40! I decided to try my first DIY stand and it is comming along nicely with 2x4 frame (ok maybe a little overkill). I decided to build the stand at 37" for a total tank height of 53". The sump is a 29g that i got on craigs for free then i stripped it and resealed it, i will be building the baffels soon! Here is where im at so far.



View attachment 2087
I had the tank drilled on the bottom for a 1 inch bulkhead and the returns will be comming up behind the tank.

I still have to enclose the stand and build doors for the front and right side before the stand is finished. More pictures to come!

 

[wirick181]

nice

 

[Cake_Boss]

Hurry up, finish it! Does your sump not have baffles yet?

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[Off The Deep End]

Hurry up, finish it! Does your sump not have baffles yet?

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Im trying to have it done this weekend but taking my time so i dont screw it up. No baffles yet i stripped the tank and resealed it and it is cured so i am installing them here in about a half hour.

 

[Cake_Boss]

Oh, carry on then. Looking good BTW. Are you putting foam under the tank?

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[Off The Deep End]

Oh, carry on then. Looking good BTW. Are you putting foam under the tank?

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Foam? Why? enlighten me!

 

[Cake_Boss]

I don't even know! Lol. To evenly distribute the weight, I've look at the gain under the cube in AlpineKoi and you'll see why. Some say that since your tank has a bottom lip you don't need it, or that it's only for flat bottom tanks (same thing right?). Honestly this is one of those things I always forget to do when setting a new tank up.

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[Off The Deep End]

Can anyone elaborate on if i should or should not be putting foam under a 40g breeder?

 

[dv3]

Can anyone elaborate on if i should or should not be putting foam under a 40g breeder?

some say yes some say no ...some say it depends on manufacturer ...i wouldn't worry about it just make sure it is level

looks good

 

[chrislorentz]

I would say no since it is not a flat bottom tank.

 

[Wicked Color]

+1^, lol, its only 40g, you would need it for flat bottom tanks, or really large tanks.

 

[Off The Deep End]

Ok thanks

 

[Off The Deep End]

[attachment=59718:name]

Well time for some pictures. I have been working on my return plumbing and figured i would try something new. Its not finished but i decided to show the progress.

 

[Cake_Boss]

Looks sweet. You're doing a sort of closed loop right? You could further eliminate the need for powerhead if you made some tubing that went down on the corners to compensate for dead spots. The corners where the 90° fittings are

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[Off The Deep End]

Well the 1/2" pvc that you see there will be getting close to 100 holes drilled in it, some downward in the corners others facing straight across the top to maximize water movement without the need for powerheads. Hope that makes sense.

 

[Cake_Boss]

Makes perfect sense. Idea, cap off the ends for increased pressure and drill some holes for surface agitation. I have zero experience with this type of setup though.

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[Off The Deep End]

I will be capping off the ends and i will drill one hole in the end cap as well. 2/3 of the holes will be drilled at 1/4 below waterline and angled at the water line for surface agitation, the other 1/3 will be angled toward the middle of the tank. I think

 

[Zooid]

The only reason I'd use foam under that type of tank is to insulate the bottom of the tank but I don't think it's necessary for a glass tank.

 

[Cake_Boss]

I will be capping off the ends and i will drill one hole in the end cap as well. 2/3 of the holes will be drilled at 1/4 below waterline and angled at the water line for surface agitation, the other 1/3 will be angled toward the middle of the tank. I think

10 steps ahead of me

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[othercents]

Some recommend completing the closed loop across the front of the tank, so that the pressure equalizes across all sections of the pipe. You will have to maintain a certain amount of pressure for this to work properly.

The real reason to use foam under the tank is if the stand was not flat across the bottom. This is to fix the irregularities of the stand, but if the stand is perfectly straight then there isn't a reason to do that other than the possibility of the wood warping from water contact. On the tank you have you only need to make sure all four corners sit properly without a wobble.

Are you leaving the overflow with just the pipe, or are you going to build an overflow section? Just the pipe will have significant amount of noise maybe even periodic flushing. I tinkered with mine using a ball valve to keep that from happening, but the durso is much quieter. Also by using just the pipe you decrease the amount of surface skimming happening. Personally I like coast to coast overflows to increase the surface skimming area. You could add a box near the top of the pipe to provide the increase surface skimming without giving up as much space as building an overflow box in the back. It could be built, so you can remove the box for cleaning.