# 40 gal Breeder Build



## YCKansas (Mar 10, 2013)

I designed this build with functionality and aesthetics in mind as I wanted an automated tank with easy access to my working components. The plan is to make the water feature look like a tree with easy access to my pump through a 4" piece of ABS. 

I'm going to use a Marineland Mini-Jet 606 Powerhead pump if I can find one locally. 

Background will be GS with a lot of cork on stuck in and a few pieces of driftwood.

My fan set up idea is taken from Grimm. The fan I used is " Antec tri cool 92mm: 21-38 CFM, 14.6-27 dBA."

I will use a 36" HO T5 fixture. I think with 4 bulbs. (*any lighting recommendations would be appreciated*.)

I am using a Mist King Starter System. *I am unsure of how many nozzles I will need for my tank though. * One duel nozzel or 2 duel nozzels, or 2 single nozzels?

I also am unsure of how I will make my glass top. Without a center brace in the tank I do not know how to do it yet.

Here is what I have so far. The video games are just till I get my pvc spacers cut this week. The masking tape represents my cork "branches" and "stream" Thanks for looking


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## YCKansas (Mar 10, 2013)

Here are some pictures of my fan set up. It came with a speed control built in which was very convenient. I ordered a Schumacher PC-6 120AC to 6A 12V DC Power Converter to wire it to.


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## YCKansas (Mar 10, 2013)

Also here is my plant list. I already have most of these. I don't have any of the orchids yet or a few of the trailing plants so if anyone would not recommend anything for some reason please let me know. 


*Broms*
Cryptanthus bivitattus 
Neoregelia 'Red Bird'
Neoregelia ‘Olens’
Neoregelia “unknown”
Tillandsia Caput-Medusae
Ionantha Mexican
Ionantha Brachycaulos
Ionantha X Stricta

*Ferns and Trailing Plants*
Korean Rock Fern
Selaginella uncinata “Peacock Spike Moss"
Selaginella kraussiana
Pilea 'Jobe's Tears'
African Violet
Peperomia verschaffeltii
Dwarf Baby Tears (next to pond)

*Orchids*
Oncidium (Tolumnia)/triquetrum
Dendrobium/normanbyense (atroviolaceum pygmy)
Cirrhopetalum (Bulbophyllum/ Putidum 
Macodes petola


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## treyco89 (May 22, 2012)

Looks like this will be a good build..I to am going to start on my 40 gal breeder soon but still planning the layout..look forward to seeing your progress


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## cmailloux (Jan 11, 2012)

Make sure you don't just pray GS right over the glass, it'll shrink and soften over time and peel off, I lost a 100 gallon exo-terra viv that way, even if you cover it with silicone. If you're dead set on the GS background then glue the acrylic staging in place first with silicone adhesive, put your cork on the acrylic gridwork and then spray GS into the acrylic screening, gives it a backbone. I switched to the fake rock backgrounds, they are far less hassle and look way more real than they used to, check out universal rocks, I bought mine off amazon. Not going back, all that GS and silicone can't help your frogs.


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## treyco89 (May 22, 2012)

Hmm I might have to look into that..I've used great stuff a lot in previous builds for some fire bellied toads an red clawed crabs..but I'm still plannin the set up an weather or not ima add a water feature (I most likely will cuz I love the half/half look lol)


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## treyco89 (May 22, 2012)

Also do u have any pics or what your doing now with your background?


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## YCKansas (Mar 10, 2013)

I haven't started the background yet. I just finished grinding the quartz for my water feature today and am waiting for a shipment of cork from NEHerp to get started on my background. I would really like to do a full cork mosaic but know how to make my fan duct look natural that way. I will probably end up doing part GS foam covered in paste made of titebond 3, sphagnum, peat and coco coir and lots (5lbs) of cork pieces. I will post pictures once I have the background done.


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## YCKansas (Mar 10, 2013)

I am ordering my lights today. Will two HO T5 bulbs be enough for this tank or will I need 4? I was thinking about getting this fixture. Any thoughts?


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## Wings (Apr 1, 2012)

YCKansas said:


> I am ordering my lights today. Will two HO T5 bulbs be enough for this tank or will I need 4? I was thinking about getting this fixture. Any thoughts?
> 
> Amazon.com: Aquatic Life Light T5 HO 2-Lamp Link Marine Aquarium Light, 36-Inch: Pet Supplies


I am using 3 t5's on a 75 gallon and 2 is almost too much.. Burns the plants. I only use 3 because one bulb is a red/pink bulb for sunrise and sunsets.


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## JonRich (Oct 19, 2012)

I'm also building a 40g breeder. I'm considering going LED. But T5s are an option. Your local PetLand should have the Marineland T5s 36" for like $100 (you'd save shipping from Amazon. )

LYR had decent prices on HO fixtures(with Arcadia 6% UVB and 6700k grow bulb combo) and LED bars. 
http://www.lightyourreptiles.com/36hot5dobufi.html


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## cmailloux (Jan 11, 2012)

Please do us all a favor and go LED. I've done std flourescent and T5's for years and finally stepped it up. I bought a Finnex Ray2 Aquarium LED Daylight, 24-Inch off of amazon. I'm using it on a 30 gallon tall tank, its only 20watts but it literally puts out more and better quality light than my dual 40watt T5's which with mixed spectrum that combine to 80watts. The plant growth is also far superior, not to mention the savings in electricity bills. I'll post some pics when I quit being lazy and upload them.


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## YCKansas (Mar 10, 2013)

cmailloux said:


> Please do us all a favor and go LED. I've done std flourescent and T5's for years and finally stepped it up. I bought a Finnex Ray2 Aquarium LED Daylight, 24-Inch off of amazon. I'm using it on a 30 gallon tall tank, its only 20watts but it literally puts out more and better quality light than my dual 40watt T5's which with mixed spectrum that combine to 80watts. The plant growth is also far superior, not to mention the savings in electricity bills. I'll post some pics when I quit being lazy and upload them.


Do you think one Finnex Ray2 Aquarium LED 24 inch would work for a 36x18x16 tank? Or would I need two and kind of stagger them?


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## JonRich (Oct 19, 2012)

I find the 40g breeder to be pretty shallow. A 24" would work, but I think the ends of the tanks (if the lighting is centered) would be deprived of lighting. I'd go with a nice 36" bar (or 2). I just like to offer UVB. So the T5s would serve dual purpose .


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## YCKansas (Mar 10, 2013)

I found this light and it seems like a great price for LED's but it is 7000k which is too high right and says that it is the equivalent of three T5HO bulbs. I am worried I would drown with light my 12" deep (after substrate and false bottom) vivarium. Anyone have any thoughts. I would like to go LED but don't want to spend much over 150 on my fixtures. I don't want to burn up my expensive broms and orchids either. 

Amazon.com: Finnex Ray2 Aquarium LED Daylight, 36-Inch: Pet Supplies


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## YCKansas (Mar 10, 2013)

A small update while I anxiously await my cork arrival. I used grey quartz that I had left over from a landscape job. It is a great looking rock that is really hard and sparkly. I cut rectangular pieces to cover the egg crate. I made them short so I can put gravel in the bottom and they should sit just right. I am going to use either black or silver gravel in the pond and around the rocks a little way and would love to hear anyone's thoughts as to which color might look better.


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## YCKansas (Mar 10, 2013)

I was drawing up how my lid for this tank is going to work and realized I did not know the coverage of a Mistking head. I emailed them and they recommended the Ultimate Value System and using all three heads for a 40 gal. Below is my drawing of my lid set up using 1/4" glass.

-Arrows are Mistking nozzles. *Is this a good set up for them? What is the coverage in inches on a standard single head?*
-White circles are 2" screen vents
-Black circle is a 2" FF plug
-Middle grey rectangle is a living hinge
-Front small rectangle is a handle


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## DrawntoLife (Nov 12, 2009)

Good, although I would move the vents closer to the display window


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## YCKansas (Mar 10, 2013)

DrawntoLife said:


> Good, although I would move the vents closer to the display window


Thanks, good call. I didn't even think of that. I will move the two to the front and one to the back. I do have a fan in there that should help with condensation as well.


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## YCKansas (Mar 10, 2013)

One picture of the mess I have been making in my basement and all the various things I am using. This is one of the few times I am happy it isn't finished. I have been working on the background. Here are a few pictures. Once the Titebond III and peat dry I will get a few pictures of the finished product. I also finished my fan wiring today.


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## YCKansas (Mar 10, 2013)

With the peat and Titebond III.

Hopefully I used enough Titebond when I made my mixture. I used some water in the mixture as well so I hope it all holds and doesn't just fall off with contact or water. Also I recommend always putting your fan in your duct work before you apply GS and peat. The GS will push the duct in slightly and it makes it a real pain if it was already tight in the first place.


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## cmailloux (Jan 11, 2012)

I'd still go LED and maybe raise it up off the top of the tank a bit, or invest in a dimmer switch. I think you'll be perfectly fine with a short tank, I have epiphytic broms that are 2" away from the LED and they love it. I started my LED tank 3 months after the T5 bulb tank right next to it for comparison and the plant growth largely favors LED. My tincs seem to love it as well, it is a 30 tall though...


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## YCKansas (Mar 10, 2013)

I did order some LED's they came in today. They are super bright and seem like they will be really awesome. They sit on about two inch lifters so I may have to rig them up higher, as the tank is only about 12" deep now. I am hoping they really color up my Neos.


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## YCKansas (Mar 10, 2013)

Got the bulk head plumbing done so I was able to do a water test today. IT WORKED. I still have a lot to do but it is finally looking like what I had envisioned.


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## YCKansas (Mar 10, 2013)

A few more pictures. One thing I have learned is that it looks way better in person than in the pictures. Maybe that's partly cause I'm using my Galaxy S2 in a dim basement


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## YCKansas (Mar 10, 2013)

Here is what the final stump water feature looks like. I am not sure I like the Korean Rock Fern in there. I might look for something that drapes down a little more and doesn't get so high as I only have 6 inches. Any suggestions would help my search a lot. Enjoy. The rest of my plants, soil, leaf litter, and an awesome shipment of neos is coming this weekend


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## YCKansas (Mar 10, 2013)

I got my Neos and my MistKing in the mail today. What kind of bucket does everyone use for the MistKing? Should I just use a regular 3 or 5 gallon bucket or is there something better I can get. Thanks


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## DrawntoLife (Nov 12, 2009)

Use one of the 5g water jugs aquarists use for water changes, you can buy them at a mom and pop fish shop


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## YCKansas (Mar 10, 2013)

Thanks. Ya I just got a 3.5 gal black bucket. It works great


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## YCKansas (Mar 10, 2013)

I still need to finish the glass lid and get the mist king holes drilled but it is all planted now. I will get more pictures up soon.


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## YCKansas (Mar 10, 2013)

More pictures


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## YCKansas (Mar 10, 2013)

Pictures of it planted


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## YCKansas (Mar 10, 2013)

Last pictures for now


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## volcano23000 (Feb 22, 2012)

That pretty cool. Good job.


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## YCKansas (Mar 10, 2013)

Thanks I'm excited to get the lid finished and get some springs in there and then get two Azureus which will be my first frogs. I pulled out the big log I had laying in there and replaced it with a smaller piece of cork round so there would be more room for leaf litter. I think it looks a little cleaner this way and should make the frogs happier. I also filled in the stump with gravel so it is completely frog proofed. I can seem to figure out how to upload pictures of any size on here so here is a link to the flicker account I put the finished pictures on. 

Flickr: YCKansas' Photostream 

Also I'm looking for a plant that could go in my pond that that would live, because the Cryptocoryne I got at Petco died in about 4 days. Any suggestions?


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## epiphytes etc. (Nov 22, 2010)

I like it. Especially without the big brom in front.


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## YCKansas (Mar 10, 2013)

epiphytes etc. said:


> I like it. Especially without the big brom in front.



Thanks, I agree. I really just tried to fit that one in because it lost all its red in my other viv under cfls. The LED's were already coloring it back up but it looks a lot cleaner this way.


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## Cfrog (Oct 28, 2011)

Looks amazing, love your placement of cork!


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