New 40 B project

[oceandeep85]

Hey, friends.

Hope everyone's doing very well.

Some of you are aware that I'm in the process of slowly putting together a 40 B setup.

This past weekend I bought a tank and stand off of craigslist from a girl in Roswell who is moving to Australia and needed to dump a lot of her stuff. (If anyone's interested in my story about going to pick it up, the smell of pot smoke, and almost being bitten by a black widow, I'm happy to share..). Anyhow, she had a 40B and stand listed, and let me pick them both up for $50 total. The tank was used to house a bearded dragon lizard.

When I finally got the tank and stand home, I started to have a few concerns and I'm hoping the good folks in the club can tell me if they've had similar experiences, or give me any advice about where I should head from here... I'd love to keep the tank and stand, but obviously only if I can use it. If I have to ditch them or sell them, I can do that too..

Clearly the 40B I bought was used to hold a reptile, and not as a marine tank. I have gotten mixed reviews as to whether or not a terrarium can be converted into an aquarium. A lot of folks say they've done it with no issue, some folks say it can't be trusted. To me, this looks like a regular 40B with a terrarium top (the thick plastic top that allows you to slide, and lock, a screened top to keep critters in). The glass is about 1/4" thick, and heavy silicone in all corners, and joining all sides... so I'm really not sure what to think. I've filled it so far with about 15 gallons of water, and it seems to hold just fine. No leaks. I have NOT filled it to the top yet. I do not know the make of the tank, and there are no manufacturer's stickers on it.

I'm also concerned about the stand. While it is clearly a tank stand, I'm still not sure it will hold the almost 500lbs of a solid reef system (water, sand, rocks, coral, equipment..). It fits the tank perfectly, but I can't seem to find any stands like it online so I can read some reviews.

I've attached some pics for you to look at. The pics are of the tank and stand, and a tank similar to the one I just picked up.

The picture of the terrarium with the heater lights on top is for reference as to what my tank looks like, and is NOT a picture of the actual tank or setup I have. Any feedback and advice is appreciated.

:fish:
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[jbdreefs]

As long as the stand isn't wobbly, I'd use it. It looks like a typical aquarium stand.

The 40 breeder probably came from Petco or the like. My only concern would be some sort of contamination. I have never kept a reptile, so I am not really any help here.

Good luck!

 

[oceandeep85]

oh, wow. Ok, thanks JBD. In all honesty, the thing is incredibly sturdy.. No wobble, or give, or play at all in it. It seems like it's built pretty solidly, so that makes me feel good. I was just worried since there didn't seem to be any larger reinforcing pieces of wood or metal. This is the first actual tank stand I've had, so I don't know how they are typically constructed.

The plan is, either this evening, or Saturday, take the tank and stand out to the porch and fill it up and leave it for an hour or two and see what happens.

 

[jbdreefs]

Just looked at the remaining pictures of the stand.

That partical board will crumble if it ever gets wet. If you use the stand, I would find a why to seal the inside of the stand. I forget what it is called, but you can find spray rubber in a can. It should do the trick.

 

[oceandeep85]

are a lot of stands built like this? I was thinking of picking up some liquid rubber to use to seal it up, the kind that some folks use when they build plywood tanks.

 

[lsu_fishfan]

OceanDeep85;1026274 wrote: are a lot of stands built like this? I was thinking of picking up some liquid rubber to use to seal it up, the kind that some folks use when they build plywood tanks.

Alot of cheaper stands are built out of mdf wood that will slowly weaken after it gets wet. Maybe you could add a 2x4 or similar to the corners to add more reinforcement.

 

[oceandeep85]

ok. I thought about doing that too, LSU. But for the time being, as long as I seal it up and keep it dry, do you think I'll be good? It's that 450-500 lb number that causes me to hesitate..

 

[lsu_fishfan]

 

[oceandeep85]

LSU_fishFan;1026279 wrote: http://www.atlantareefclub.org/forums/showthread.php?t=96695&highlight=Stand">http://www.atlantareefclub.org/forums/showthread.php?t=96695&highlight=Stand</a>[/QUOTE]


ahh.. so she's stronger than she looks. understood. I'm a worrier though, and I'm renting... a catastrophic failure could mean 40 gallons of water on my floor, and maybe some in the neighbor's place below. I'll probably pick up some liquid rubber today and seal it up when I get home.

 

[oceandeep85]

So, I have just finished filling the tank. Stand seems to be in great shape, but the front and back panes of glass on the tank are obviously bowing a bit outward. Is this normal to any degree, or should I empty it and get a 40B that I know is an aquarium tank?

 

[shimshimshinil]

That looks like a zilla reptile tank. On the box it says do not fill with water. I would just not risk it and go to petco. They are having a dollar a gallon on tanks. Just sell the reptile tank

 

[oceandeep85]

Ok. Cool

 

[jbadd99]

I just picked up a 40B from petco last week. The didn't have any stands and I wasn't gonna pay $150 for one, so I built my own using 2x4's and angle braces. I think you could probably park a Sherman on top of it. I think total cost, tank and stand, was about $80-$100. Don't get me wrong, It's a bare bones 2x4 stand with no skin, so it ain't the prettiest thing ever.

If you're interested in how I built it, hit me up.

 

[declanisadog]

shimshimshinil;1026363 wrote: That looks like a zilla reptile tank. On the box it says do not fill with water. I would just not risk it and go to petco. They are having a dollar a gallon on tanks. Just sell the reptile tank

Exactly what I was thinking. I used to have one of those, and I would definitely NOT trust it.

 

[cnichols967]

Don't use it bought one the exact same way got it home held water for about a week come home a week later 40 gallons of water are on the floor

 

[oceandeep85]

So, the good news is that I've got someone coming to pick it up tomorrow morning for $55. If I could fit it in the stand, I'd use it as a sump, but unfortunately the available space inside the stand is just a tad bit smaller than the tank itself, so the tank is on it's way out. I'm going to use the $55 to buy an AQUARIUM 40B from PetCo this weekend.

I picked up a smaller 30 gallon plastic tote to use as a sump and will be plumbing it in the coming weeks. I've also picked up some flexible rubber sealant from Rustoleum so I can spray down and seal the inside of the stand and protect it against water.

While the tank was a little disappointing, I only paid $60 for the tank and stand to begin with, so at the end of the day, I got a decent stand for $5. Not too bad. Even full of water last evening, the stand held out really well. The door worked perfectly, there were no detectable warps or bends and it could not be forced to move or give. It's *knock on wood* a really sturdy cabinet. Once I get it sealed up on the inside, it should be good to go.

Appreciate all the help and advice. I'll keep posting updates on the build as I move forward.

 

[cnichols967]

Good deal I have some extra equipment if you're interested call or text 770 616 23 34

 

[oceandeep85]

Sold the terrarium for $55 on Saturday morning, which was awesome. On the advice of some members, I also picked up a can of Rustoleum flex rubber sealer and coated the inside of the stand where any exposed particle/mdf board was. Seems like it covered and coated pretty well for my needs, so it should hold up to any spills or leaks.. at least to buy me enough time to address any issues without the stand collapsing.. but the smell.. good God the smell.. it's like a never-ending tire fire. I had to keep the stand out on my balcony for 3 days just to let it die down a bit, and it's still a little noticeable. Hoping it'll slowly dissipate as time goes on. If anyone has any advice on how to deal with that chemical smell, I'm all ears. If it doesn't go away within the week, I'm going to paint over it with some latex paint.

Anyhow.. next steps.. get my hands on a 40 B (Aquarium this time..), rock, substrate and RO/DI water. Hoping like hell I can either buy/rent/borrow an RO/DI unit to fill my tank so I don't have to go to PURE Reef 8 times just to fill it at .69 a gallon.

Got my return pump in the mail and my sump has come together nicely.

one thing at a time...

 

[oceandeep85]

Finally.. FINALLY picked up a legit 40B at the PetCo $1 per gallon sale! next steps.. plumbing in the overflow, setting in rock and substrate, putting together the light bar.. then water. Hoping to be good to go by June!

Looking at how THIS tank is constructed.. there's no WAY that terrarium would have worked.

 

[oceandeep85]

Has anyone else gone the 40B route and made any mistakes that they'd like to share? Any guidance and advice specifically for folks using a 40B as their DT? will be adding dry rock and substrate soon.