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Moving right along

3K views 28 replies 7 participants last post by  rocketdude1234 
#1 ·
I just finished with the frame construction on one of two 40g breeder stands. This was my first time making a stand from scratch but I am happy to report that it turned out okay.

Of course, since this was my first build, there were some imperfections :icon_wink but overall it holds what its supposed to (I did a water test with 5g buckets and confirmed with the tank itself.)

Anyways...I have a picture from last night as the wood glue was setting and then one from just a few minutes ago after I checked the 40g for leaks.







 
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#3 ·
What are your plans for finishing the outside of the stand? Are you going to stain the wood or paint it? I love watching build threads like this. I wish I could do it or knew someone close to me who could.
 
#4 ·
Well, I actually painted it a flat black and finished with a clear gloss. We were going to build doors and skins for the sides but we decided we could always add them later (especially since we still have another stand to build). I'll get some pics up when I can.

As far as sturdiness goes, it was iffy at first. I got 400lbs on it and moved it a little. Side to side was great, but front to back had some real wobble. I went back and added those three supports along the bottom; lifting the middle one up just a little to allow for cords. The outer boards are mounted on the inside of the legs to leave a small lip large enough for a power strip. Now sturdiness isn't an issue.

Stands really aren't that difficult to build. This was my first build and including the 4 layers of primer, paint, and gloss, it took about 10 hrs labor total.
 
#5 ·
Today I built and installed the lighting set up for the 40 breeder. Its a 3' t5 from HD. I suspended it using wire rope and eye hooks from two separate wall shelves.

Tank has been up and running for about 3 weeks now. I stocked it pretty quickly with a few fry and adult guppies. It experienced a bacterial bloom for a few days until I w/c and upped the lighting and dosing. Its been running fairly clear ever since.

Now that the light is up, I want to get some breeding stock (shrimp and plecos), as well as a few plants to grow.

 
#8 ·
Looks good!

I too have a 40B, actually had it for almost a year, and I am going to start on the stand in a few days! I plan on a basic stand as well and will "skin" the outside when I get the extra $!

Good Luck with the 40B, and I will be interested to see how yours develop!
Drew
 
#11 ·
Its been a few weeks since I gave an update so I thought I'd post.

The picture is the 40b that is finally stocked, for now, with lots of plants and some guppies I'm trying to select males from (and to cycle - shame). Some of the nicer plants include didiplis diandra, l. peruensis, r. macranda, r wallichii, alternanthera rosaefolia, and red leaf nesaea.

(Most of these are at ER too so get in there before they are gone.)

Anyways, I haven't fully figured out how I am going to stock it quite yet. I know I will be pulling the guppies sooner than later. I am leaning towards plecos, but I would need to get a hold of a nice pair, and then shrimp. I was thinking blue velvets or OEBT.

Excuse the messiness ; )

 
#13 ·
Lots of nice plants in there!!!

Is there a good plant store in SA or did you order them?

Nothing here in Waco area really! 1 pretty good LFS, but not into plants and only keep bulbs and fox tail usually! Having a full size 4door truck it is cheaper for me to order than to go to Austin, but I REALLY REALLY like seeing what I am getting though!

A Buddy of mine used to live in SA and there were quite a few good LFS there then, but that was around 2000, so I bet a lot has changed since then!

Any way keep up the good work on the 40B!!! I finally got all the parts I need to get mine going! They should be here on Wednesday, and I will be getting the Black Beauty Sand and 2x4s for the stand tomorrow! Got a deal on Miracle Grow Organic soil tonight at Lowe's! They stopped carrying it last year, but still have 2 pallets of it left in the overhead, so I got 2 32qt bags for $10! SO I should have enough to do my 55g, 40B, and a 29g I am getting from a friend some time soon!

Anyway best of luck to Ya, and have fun in SA!
Drew
 
#14 · (Edited)
Wow, I can't believe its been two months without an update! Good news though, I got one.

The 40b is ticking right along. I added a Hagen reflector and it increased light intensity quite a bit. I also added a diy co2 system for the time being (just waiting on an order) consisting of 4 3L bottles running on two powerheads. Plants pearled the first morning, but not much since. Nevertheless, plant growth has been awesome. This tank is just pumping out myrio red, green, and fluviatilis. I added in some new species and cleaned it up.

Currently there are no fish in the system (haven't figured it out yet and I love the plants more anyways). But, I do have quite a few species : )

Currently we have b. caroliniana, c. pulcherima, l. senegalensis sp. guinea, r. sp mini type I, r. wallichii, r. macranda, lagarosiphon madagascariensis, myrio (red, green, and filigree), d. diandra, alt. lilicina, alt. rosaefolia, mayaca fluviatilis, nesaea var red leaf, heteranthera zosterifolia, and 5 or so species of crypts.







The next picture is the new 20 long I just set up. I'm using an overdriven t5 ballast that can pull between 45 and 70 par on the substrate depending on location. There is no co2 on this system yet and the only filtration is a sponge filter. I will be using a HOB 20g when we switch filters on the bowfront. Co2 will likely be diy.

I stocked it yesterday with plants and substrate. Current flora list includes alt. lilicina, l. senegalensis sp. guinea, r. wallichii, l. aromatica, lagarosiphon madagascariensis, nesaea var red leaf, and r. sp. mini type I.



Finally, and just for fun, its my recently topless 10g home to Regal, the betta. The cats drink out of it but Regal just sits right under them without issue.

 
#15 ·
Well I finally tore down the 36g bowfront and upgraded to a 40b. Still in stocking process, but fish remain the same for now. Plants include L. senegalensis 'guinea', lagarosiphon madagascariensis, r. mini type I, r. wallichii limnophila aromatica, bacopa caroliniana, nesaea var. red leaf, c. lucens, c. pontederiifolia, anubias congensis.

I will likely be doing a carpet and upgrading from the 2xt5 to 4xt5 shortly.

 
#20 ·
So I got the second t5 fixture over the tank today. This brings lighting up to 2x dual 39w t5 ho. Haven't checked par yet, but will as soon as I get a chance. I increased co2 as well to compensate for the increased light.

I also added the carpet of HC today. We'll see how it goes.

Here's a current pic:


 
#21 ·
Well, I thought I'd make a bigger update post and share some pictures since the last one was kinda short.

Starting with the 40b production tank. I pulled tons of plants to make some room for some of the nicer plants. The myrio red had simply taken over. This stuff grows faster than rotundifolia or l. repens. Root systems on some of the ones I pulled were almost as big as baseballs.





We pulled the long fin German Blue female we had in Jely's 29g and put her into the 40b. The next morning she had dropped eggs but unfortunately there was no male to fertilize. Since then we picked up a small electric blue male and placed him in with her. So far nothing, but they get along well so we'll see.





I also picked up a pair of caridina babaulti (1 male 1 female) that remained as stragglers in a tank full of larger fish, somehow they didn't get eaten. The female was already berried and the saddle was returning so its only a matter of time before she pops. The male unfortunately died a few days after being placed in the 20l, so the search is on!








Finally, we have the new 40b, the display tank. The HC has come up quite a bit, but there are many chunks that have already rooted. Last saturday the co2 tank ran out and I couldn't refill it till monday, but nothing bad happened. I also swapped out one of the bluer bulbs for a 67k and switched positions on a blue and 10k bulb. I also added some Nesaea crassicaulis red (not nesaea red leaved) and myriophyllum tuberculatum (the red/orange, not the amber/brown).







Anyways....everyone enjoy the pictures. I'll post some info soon about what plants I have available for sale. Good news is flame moss should be available soon and at a reasonable price : )
 
#22 ·
WOW You have done a ton of work since I last saw it! Your plants are FREAKIN AWESOME!!! Are you getting them locally or ordering?

What substrate do you have in the 40B that the Rams are in? Also are any of your tanks dirted or just sand substrate?

LOVE the Rams too!!!;)

Keep up the AWESOME WORK!
Drew
 
#23 ·
I'm getting some of them through pure luck, others I've been special ordering (I have a list of like 100 species)

The substrate in the 40b is simply Caribsea Tahitian Black Moon sand. I placed 3 osmocote + csmb root tabs in the substrate. None of my tanks are dirted. The 6.5' basin in the back yard is MGOPT capped with pea pebbles tho. I have used caliche clay as a liner capped with substrate in some previous outdoor basins with good luck.

We have quite a collection of rams at the moment. We have a LF female GBR, an electric blue male, standard GBR male, and a female gold balloon. I am considering adding another female into the display tank so that I (hopefully) have two genetic lines of GBR crossed with electrics.
 
#27 ·
Been about a month since my last update so I thought I'd share some pictures over the course of the month and a half since the 40 breeder display has been up.

Some changes have been made since I last updated so I'll start with the lighting. Firstly, the second fixture has worked great. I now have 4x39w over the tank. The first ballast (which is giving better light output) comes on at 12:30pm and goes off at 10:30pm. The second fixture comes on at 2:45pm and off at 9:30pm

I was having GDA due to the increased light and trying to dial everything in, but reducing the light cycle and upping co2 seem to have put an end to it.

I got a chance to check par values on the fixtures I have over the tank, and what I found was interesting. For par output, the Corallife bulbs (colormax, 67k) produced ~25% less par than either the Aquatic Life 10k, or Wavepoint's Tropic Wave. Par under the second fixture is about 85 at substrate while the other is around 115.

I also upgraded the regulator on the system to the Milwaukee MA957 with a glass diffuser. Co2 comes on at 11:00am and off at 9:30pm. No drop checker on the system. I raised co2 levels till fish showed signs of stress and dialed it back slightly.

Fertilizing is still EI, but I have incorporated Osmocote root tabs (a lot of CSM+b and regular osmocote pellets).

Fish are the same, but flora has changed a little. I have added eriocaulon Parkeri and Cinereum, lindernia Rotundifolia "variegated," and rotala macranda. Plants are doing really well, especially the HC, limnophila, and bacopa.

Anyways, those are the details so now enjoy the action!
(and excuse the riccia rocks, they grow faster in this tank)


Set Up December 1, 2012



HC planted December 5, 2012



December 12, 2012



December 22, 2012



January 7, 2013



January 11, 2013

 
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