22g Frag Tank Build

[jharding08]

When I moved my 120g DT, I acquired two 22 gallon (36"x12"x12") acrylic tanks from my LFS to use as livestock holding tanks, while I modified and setup my 120g.

My DT is up and running as a SPS dominant tank, so I am wondering what to do with my 22g's now. The 22g's have both sides and back painted, a 1" bulkhead on the back wall and a 3/4" hole for return on the top

Why not start a Frag/Propagation tank? I have many left over pumps, live rock, LEDs, plumbing, fixtures, etc. All I would need is a nice stand and I could get started. I can use my DT Apex for control as well

Ordered a stand from Petco that would fit my frag tank as well as my old sump underneath. I also ordered an Apex EB8 for power control and a PM1 module for Temp control. The EB8 is wired to my Apex Controller on my DT.



I put all my live rock in the sump and some larger pieces on the side of the display. I dont know if I am going to use a skimmer yet.

I decided on using a Mag 5 I have laying around, although it produces a loud hum, and a SCWD for water circulation/randomization.

This meant I would need another return hole, so I drilled one diagonally from the current return hole, for direct alternating current

I connected both returns to the SCWD and Mag 5 with 3/4" Flex PVC. My first time working with it. Do I still need to use hose clamps on barbed fittings? I used PVC cement on PVC fittings.



Running the Mag 5 for about 1 minute I realized that a 1" bulkhead, with 1" flex line wont handle what the Mag 5 has to offer. Even using a 1" standpipe with adjusting the air valve couldnt handle it. I put a MaxiJet 1200 on and it barely handled that.

So I decided to make my drain and standpipe out of 1.5" PVC and Flex PVC. I kept the 1" bulkhead and used a 1.25" reducing elbow on the inlet.





I am able to keep the water withing about 1/4" of fluctuation in the tank. I put a ball valve on the return so I can dial it down to match the drain.



Since the bulkhead is drilled so high in the tank, I dont know if I could install an overflow box for surface skimming.

I bought a CSS retrofit overflow box, where I just drilled a hole where the bulkhead is and then fed the bulkhead through the overflow and the tank, with gaskets behind the bulkhead lip and between the overflow and the tank.

The bottom of the overflow grooves are at 7/8" from the top. With my standpipe and elbow, I can just get the water at 1/2" from the top of the tank. Unless I can get the tank water level lower using the elbow or bulkhead placement...or I cut some of the top of the overflow box off, I dont think I can use it.

I am going to experiment with taking off the elbow and seeing if I can get skimming with just a screen over the bulkhead.

I could always go to a 1.5" bulkhead as well.

Current issues:
-Surface Skimming
-Emergency Overflow
-Mag 5 noise (loud hum even with sponge pad underneath)

Next Steps:
-ATO - either JBJ ATO system or Apex Breakout Box with Float Sensors.
-Dosing - Dosing pumps connected to EB8 for 2 Part
-pH Probe
-Lights - I have a DIY LED light fixture with 24 LEDs (Royal Blue/Cool White). It has dimmable drivers, and I have room on my Apex VDM. I will take off the optics and run it about 5" from the water, dimmed way down .
-Canopy or not?
-Egg Crate for frag plugs -I want to do a step shape so different corals can get different PAR


Thank you for reading. I appreciate all questions, comments, suggestions, etc.

 

[jharding08]

Anyone have a suggestion for a quieter return pump for this setup? (22g display, 20g sump)

 

[jharding08]

*update*

*update*

I have made some good progress with the Frag Tank.

Unfortunately, I bought a Kole Yellow Eye Tang for my display tank and since he was on the small side, my Flame Angel and Clownfish really picked on him. Within a couple of days of being in the tank, he had nipped fins and scratches from the live rock.

Fortunately, I had this frag tank almost fish-ready. I had been taking my water change water from my DT and changing out the FT water with the DT WC water to seed the live rock. I tested the water and even though it had high salinity, it was free of NH4, N02 and NO3. I was able to acclimate him and he has been on the mend in the FT ever since.

I plan on letting him eat and grow individually before introducing him back into the DT, when he is bigger than the clown and angel.

Now for what I have done to the tank.

Changed out the noisy Mag 5 with a Sicce Syncra Silent 2.0 (568 GPH)


Added a Reef Octopus In Sump Skimmer:

Getting it dialed in the past couple days

I was able to find a way to use the retrofit overflow box as well as upgrade my drain to 1.5" so I can run my Sicce full throttle and make the most out of the SCWD. I am using the original 1" bulkhead as an emergency bulkhead and drilled a new 1.5" bulkhead lower than the 1" original as the drain. It is 1.5" all the way down to the sump.



For lighting, I am using my old DIY LED kit, which has 24 Cool White and 24 Royal Blue LEDs. I have a dimmable driver connected to the open dimmable channels on my Apex VDM module of the DT. I used 1/2" galvanized pipe to hang the lights. Since I am not using any optics on the LEDs, I can hang them about 4" off of the water level.



Here are some pics of the whole setup:




I still need to set up the egg crate towers for the frags, as well as add an ATO and dosing system.

 

[jharding08]

ATO and Frag Racks

ATO and Frag Racks

One of the last things needed for a frag tank is the frag racks. I wanted to do a pyramid shape to be able to give all corals the proper lighting and flow. I cut egg crate to fit and then super glued it onto PVC stands.



As I was putting the rack into the tank I noticed some off coloring of the PVC. Does super glue remove the paint from PVC (if PVC is painted at all). I can see it where the glue dripped down the PVC.





Is this still reef safe?

Nonetheless, I wanted to get a ATO system going with this tank, as I would have to fill up the sump with RODI quite a bit after I forgot about evaporation for a couple of days

1.) Bought 2 Digital Aquatics float switches, just like I have attached to my Apex Breakout Box in the main display tank.

2.)Bought a new 10 gallon ATO reservoir. It is a container originally used for fresh water in RVs and campers. It has 3 3/8" female threaded holes and 1 1.25" hole for hose barb. They say it is low density polyethelyne, so it is food safe. I plan on eventually buying 3/8" John Guest fiittings to make it nice, but right now, the plugs are removed and RODI tubing is stuck into the holes, all the way down to the bottom. I have each ATO running to an aqualifter on either the 4 or 8 outlet of the Apex EB8. I still need to run wires from the 2 float switches (ATO and high sump level shutoff) for the frag tank to the APex breakout box, but I tested the aqualifter and it pulled the water all the way from the reservoir, which is by the display tank (about 6 feet).

The tank just needs dosing and maybe more flow. I plan on fragging some of my seriatopora, since I bought it large and it isnt doing well in the main tank. It is accumulating algae on it. I also want to get some LPS to check flow and see how they like the setup.

 

[jharding08]

I put some frags of my pink birdsnest and another SPS frag in the frag tank to see what happens. Looks like the birdsnest is fading. Might need more time to mature?