Dan's 40 Gallon Breeder Build

[DatReefGuy]

Hey all.

This tank is currently up and running but I wanted to show you the progress pictures along the way. I've been in the hobby for 13 years currently and enjoyed most of it. Face it, we aren't always happy with the results we get and sometimes we make mistakes, but we learn from them.

I wasn't in a huge rush to build this tank so it took me about 2 years on and off to finish. I'm a very handy person so it was a super fun project and I wish I could do another! This was a COVID build and I was an essential employee in the home improvement industry so you can imagine home much time I DID NOT have! Hope you enjoy the pictures.

Built a homemade 20 gallon sump with baffles that I cut myself. Drilled the tank and installed the overflow.

Drilled the tank and installed the overflow and bulkheads

 

[DatReefGuy]

Built the stand out of 2x4's and used reclaimed pallet wood as a outer shell. Used a light waterbase polyurethane coating to protect and bring out the color of the aged wood a bit.

Plumbed with blue PVC and Schedule 80 fittings and added a couple of manifold valves for expansion. 1" drains and 3/4" return lines.

 

[DatReefGuy]

Did some aquascaping....

Filled her up and the blackout period began.

 

[DatReefGuy]

Fast forward 3 months, added some livestock. Couple of clowns, damsels and coral. A buddy helped me out and gifted me some monti cap, green nepthea, hammer and kryptonite candy cane. The rest was purchased from other suppliers in the area.

A few more months later...

 

[DatReefGuy]

Did some upgrades for a control board! The control board took me about 1.5 hours to build and polyurethane. I forgot how hard it is to work with reclaimed pallet wood. NOTHING is straight! Came out pretty good though. Also put it on hinges for easy access.

 

[Zeefishies]

Dude, great job on the pellet stand looks awesome!

 

[DatReefGuy]

Dude, great job on the pellet stand looks awesome!

Thank you. I took more time on the stand ripping the wood down to be straight. Not so much on the control board.

 

[DatReefGuy]

Finally got to adding and removing the controllers. Man, what a pain in the butt it is moving wires that are existing behind or in your stand! I used Gorilla double sided tape to stick the power blocks to the wood. I may need to rethink it because it’s not sticking very well. I think it came out pretty good though. I just need to add more now. Thoughts and ideas?

Also need to add more to the bare Hydros X4 starter pack. The WiFi strip wasn’t working correctly with my home WiFi. I purchased a wireless access point to try and rid the problem. That should be coming in Monday or Tuesday.

 

[Kai1]

I currently have an evo 13.5 and want to go to a 40B. After a year of running, is there anything you would change?

 

[DatReefGuy]

I currently have an evo 13.5 and want to go to a 40B. After a year of running, is there anything you would change?

Not really besides run a bigger tank. I would love to have more fish and corals and more water volume.

 

[afboundguy]

Not really besides run a bigger tank. I would love to have more fish and corals and more water volume.

Isn't this the same statement all reefers make all the time!

 

[DatReefGuy]

Isn't this the same statement all reefers make all the time!

Haha yeah. No doubt! I have to bring the neglected tank back to life now. Been so BUSY!

 

[afboundguy]

Haha yeah. No doubt! I have to bring the neglected tank back to life now. Been so BUSY!

That is also something every reefer says all the time too!!!