40 Breeder Build (Long and Pic Heavy)

Hello there folks! This thread will be detailing the process of my 40 gallon breeder build. Oddly enough, I will be setting up this 40 because I bought a 30g tank with stand from CL. I bought the tank and stand off CL for $50 under the impression that it was completely water tight. When I did the fill test at home I realized there is a small leak in the front left corner. I know the tank could be resealed but the top frame in oak color would be hard to find in 36x12. So...I'm currently selling the 30 on CL as a reptile tank and decided to set up the 40 with the help of Petco's $1/gallon sale. Here is the 30 that I'm getting rid of... :tombstone:



Now for the next step: buying the 40. I got really lucky with this one. The regular price of a 40 breeder at Petco is $115, and the glass versa-top to match it is $38. I returned a few small decorations that I hadn't used, turned in my $10 of rewards cash, and the manager gave me a $5 coupon, so I walked out of the store with a 40 breeder and glass top for $27 out of pocket. Thank you $1/gallon! Here is the tank itself and the glass top sitting patiently waiting for a stand (please ignore the pattern of the couch, it's cover is in the wash):



I'll be updating this thread as the build comes along. I'm currently finishing up the designs for the stand I'll be building and will post pics of my design tomorrow. It's gonna be a pretty basic 2x4 stand with some paneling and trim. Plan is to stain it oak to match the furniture in the living room. Stick around for updates!

Yeah I love the dimensions of it. I'm actually gonna be transferring everything from my current 55 into the 40. It's a tropical community tank decorated with fake coral. It's a very colorful setup. Gonna be going in the living room because the girlfriend and roommate approve and like the colors lol. My 55 had a bit of a crisis so the remaining fish will be going into the 40 and I'll be completely redoing the 55. Thinking maybe cichlids There will be a pic of the current 55 setup in the next couple posts.

Alright so I finished up the designs for my stand while sitting through a redundant lecture in class this morning. Sorry for the bad pics but graph paper and pencil don't photograph well. I'd definitely like some input from you guys on my design so far. I wanna be sure the stand will be sturdy enough and any advice or personal experience you can share will be appreciated when I start building. I should have the materials this weekend to start building.

This is the design for the top and bottom frame. They will be identical except the 1x4 sections will be absent from the top frame as they are only for supporting the bottom shelf. The main joints will be mitered at 45 degrees and with 10 vertical legs and the 2 extra center braces I'm hoping it will be plenty strong. I'll be using wood glue as well as wood screws (with pre-drilled holes). As you guys can see, the dimensions of the frame will be 37x19 which should leave about a half an inch all the way around the 36x18 breeder. (All designs are 1:5 scale. Each square represents 1'' and each 1'' square of paper is 5x5)


This is just a simple design for the bottom shelf that will it into the bottom frame once the legs are installed. The idea is to have it be perfectly flush with all of the vertical supports and it will rest on the 1x4 sections and the center braces. The piece will most likely be cut from a piece of 1/4'' or 1/2'' plywood and stained to match the rest of the stand. The shelf should be strong enough for any storage I need including a sump if I ever decide to do so.


The next part is just a simple layout of how the stand will look from the front. It shows the two frames connected by the 30'' vertical posts. I may still change the height depending on how I feel about the viewing angle. The vertical boards will be screwed into the inside edge of both frames. This will leave a ledge around the top and bottom for paneling and/or decorative trim and it will look closer to the stand I'm selling.


Next up is the layout of the side of the stand. It's also relatively simple but I just drew it up to get an idea of how it will look. The extra vertical supports on the sides should stop any tilting (I hope) and I just want to overbuild the stand to be sure it's safe. There will most likely be a sheet of paneling covering the whole side or maybe just the area between the top and bottom frame. Not sure about that part yet.


This final pic is something I just drew up quickly to make sure I could get all the paneling I need from one 4x8' sheet. I easily had room to make a front, back, and 2 side panels that would cover the entire surface of the stand. I probably won't even cover the rear of the stand but it's nice to know I could or will have plenty of extra leftover if I don't.


That just about wraps up the stand design except for the decorative parts. Like I said, any feedback or pointers would be greatly appreciated. This will be my first real stand build and I wanna make sure I get it right. Thanks

Somebody didn't read the whole post But I'd be glad to help as I had the same trouble. I found mine at my local Petco. They're stocking them because of the $1/gallon sale. It's an Aqueon 40 Breeder Versa-Top. It's 36x18 with no center brace. My Petco charges $38, which is steep, but I got luck with my returns and store credit.

Yeah it isn't a terrible price, but compared to the ones that Dr. F&S sell it seemed high. Hope they ordered you the right one :thumbsup: