40 breeder prop system

[Mr. Ugly]

Been collecting parts for setting up a prop system. I actually started putting stuff together over the holidays.

System so far is a 40 breeder I picked up from the last Petco sale. I drilled the back for external Durso drains. I used one of the glass lid panels to make a Calfo-esque overflow. I run an over the top return manifold with Loc-line blowing down in the 4 corners to get an upwelling type current. The whole thing sits on top of a plywood and 2x lumber stand that's still in progress. The stand has room on the end for a small quarantine tank. Sump is a used 4' acrylic tank. Temporarily running a CPR IIr skimmer. Lighting is a used Hamilton pendant with 250w MH and PC actinics.

I took down an 80g softie tank recently, and the corals that I didn't give away got tossed into the 40 until I have more time.

Here are the pics.

Overflow is glued in at an angle. Less parts, used what I had on hand, and saves a little space.

No leaks

 

[Thales]

Did you drill it yourself?

 

[Mr. Ugly]

Filled it with water on Monday evening. Dumped corals in on Tuesday(actually 3:00am, Wed. I was cutting open the top of the sump with a Skilsaw at midnight... lucky neighbors, haha.) Still have to frag stuff off the rocks and move the rocks into the sump. I like how the water sheets across the overflow in a super thin layer.

Splits of mini carpets from a SeaBay raffle.

Smuck's Nepthea. Looks yellow green in this pic, but it's waay greener in person.

Charle's nepthea, grown from a 1/2" frag

Dudley's green whatsis. It hasn't opened yet in this pic.

Tyree toadstool on the right. Arnold toadstool on the left.

GSP. Yellow green in this pic, but dark green in person.

 

[Mr. Ugly]

[quote author=Thales link=topic=1599.msg14254#msg14254 date=1167958796]
Did you drill it yourself?
[/quote]

Yah, 2.25" diamond core drill, cordless drill, putty dam. A few minutes per hole.

 

[Thales]

NICE!

 

[Elite]

Cool... Where is the lavender candycane?? ;D

 

[Mr. Ugly]

Hehe... that's in my display tank. This is just leftovers from taking down the softie tank.

Here's an old pic... taken from a video camera. Fluorescent lighting. White balance is off.

It's the size of a softball now. And it's been fragged a few times since I've had it. It was the first frag I ever traded for. I was supposed to get 2 heads, but they broke funny when Darcy fragged them, and she gave me 2 extra plus some caps and other stuff

 

[sfsuphysics]

Not to critique your setup Norman, but it looks more like a nice softy reef tank than a "prop tank"

 

[Mr. Ugly]

Hehe... I know. I kinda would like to keep it as a barebottom softie tank too. But I'm just holding those corals in there temporarily until I thin them out some more.

I totally just dumped everything into the tank from a couple of Brutes, and I kinda like how it looks. Makes me want to do a 48x24x24 SPS/LPS the same way

I like this setup... $50 for the new tank, and everything else was stuff that was in the junk box or stuff I traded for frags

 

[zepplock]

Time to adjust white balance ;-)

 

[Mr. Ugly]

Hehe... took that last pic in 2005, before I knew anything about w/b

First pics of the empty tank are actinic lights only. Didn't bother to set anything. Almost didn't even take pics.

 

[Raddogz]

It looks good Norman!

 

[Apon]

What? my toadstool didn't make the display tank? : )

 

[Elite]

Norman,
Do you collect candycane? I have a mini colony that I can trade with you for that lavendar candycane .. Don't ask me what color it is because I don't know. Sorry I'm colorblind LOL ..

Apon,
when you have another frag toadstool LMK.. I want it . that is pretty nice.

 

[Mr. Ugly]

Hi Phong,

Yep, I keep a few candycanes. I have neon green, lavender, teal, purple/brown with teal center. I'll frag the lavender for you.

So you have unknown color candy cane? How about a pic?

 

[Mr. Ugly]

Arnold,

Your toadstool is sharing a place of honor next to the Tyree toadstool

I have sps/lps/zoas only in the display tank. Mushrooms, leathers, etc were in a different system.

 

[Elite]

Here you tell me what color that is ..

 

[Mr. Ugly]

Haha... that's the purple/brown with teal center.

Did that come from me? Looks very familiar. I fragged half of mine and put it into a swap or traded it last year

I've seen the rim on that type go completely dark purple. It can fade to almost all teal too. Not sure, but I think VHO makes it more purple.

 

[Elite]

Nah I picked this up at DP long time ago.. That is just part of the colony I have .. I guess you don't want it then ..

 

[Mr. Ugly]

Hmm... don't want it for myself, but maybe I'll take it to put into DBTC and the frag swap.

DBTC is up to 3 pages now