30g Display w/20L sump/frag tank (long post with photos)

[banditfl]

In October I evicted the fish from my 30g Freshwater community tank (donââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢t they all went to good homes). I then started on my new project. Since my 12g Tide pool reef (frag tank) was not working as I had envisioned. I started developing a replacement. I did not want to add another Aquarium to the house I decided to use the 30g and a 20L picked up at the LFS for a coral swap. I would build a 30g display with 20L combination-sump/frag tank. I got some really good deal on a couple of used PFO Ballasts (1) 2x96w and (1) 2x55w, Used Prizm skimmer (I know but it was cheap and seems to be working ok so far). I shopped Ebay and On-line retailers for good deals lamps.

Built a small Horizontal Overflow box and drilled the back for a 3/4ââ"šÂ¬Ã‚ bulkhead. Put a couple of baffles in the 20L giving me about 6ââ"šÂ¬Ã‚ for a refugium and protein skimmer and 24ââ"šÂ¬Ã‚ for coral. Using a Maxi-Jet 1200 for a return pump. I wanted to keep the return flow between 150-200gph.

I removed the rock from my Tide pool reef and cooked it in dark tub for about 6 weeks to clear up the hair algae problem I was having. After six week the hair algae was gone but still the bubble algae remained. Time for the move. I removed the few corals that were still in there and put them in tub with a heater and power head. And moved the sand and the cooked rock to the 30g. I had already setup the refugium, one small rock with some macro growing on it and a ball of cheato from my 10g. I let the dust settle and the ammonia to come down, then placed the corals on the 20L sump/frag tank. Added some dry sand and dry base rock and aquascaped.

Specs:
Display:
30g Oceanic with 12ââ"šÂ¬Ã‚ Horizontal Overflow
2x96w Compact Fluorescents
Maxi-Jet 1200 return pump
2- Maxi-Jet 600 power heads
1- Hydor Flo
30-35 lbs sand (20-25 transfer from previous aquarium)
25+ lbs combination Live Rock and dry Rock

Sump/Frag Tank:
20L AGA with baffles
2x55w Compact Fluorescents
Prizm Skimmer
Eggcrate shelves for frags.
2 Small Hydor Pico powerheads for flow

Livestock
Crew:
A few of the snails that survived the move. (Astrea, Cerith, Nerite, Narssarrius)
A few Blue and Red leg hermit crabs that survived the move.
Added:
3 Peppermint (2 display, 1 frag tank)
Serpent Star
20 very small Blue leg hermits
More snails on the way.

Coral:
Red Mushrooms
Pulsing Xenia
Hairy Mushrooms
Seamat zoanthid polyps
Brown and w/Orange skirt Zoos
Blue Ricordia
Some small Gorgonian Frags

----------------------Now for the Photos---------------------
The whole set-up

Lights

Full Tank Shot

Left side

Right Side

Frag side of sump

Refugium side

 

[banditfl]

Fresh Meat

Fresh Meat

I was busy today with the scissors and superglue. A few new frags added today about 30-40 xenia tags. Mounted 6 Mushrooms and created about 10 more frags.

Trying this method for xenia as well as some others

 

[Agu]

Pretty cool :thumbsup:

I'm using a maxi 1200 as a return pump also and the flow is about right. Be sure to clean the pump and return plumbing regularly though. Even a little build up of muck cuts back the flow substantially.

 

[banditfl]

Thanks for the advice, I will remember that.

 

[Mr. Eko]

Looks great!

 

[cj_basser]

Can you elaborate on how you are mounting the fresh cut xenia? I have never seen that method before.

 

[banditfl]

What I had mounted were mushrooms from my crush coral tray. removed the attached mushrooms and glued to shells.

This is the first time I cut xenia and tried propagating other then the natural method. I am trying 3 different techniques. First suspened ring method as pictured in the thread. Second method is a more direct mounting method. Both ideas came from Garf.org . Last method I thought I would try the same thing that works with Mushrooms. Drop the cuttings in tray of Crushed coral and shells and after they attach, glue them to a larger shell, rubble or agrocrete plug.

hope that was helpful

And just a side note all the cuttings are alive and pumping.

 

[banditfl]

small update

small update

Some update photos.

Left side

Right side

Most of my Xenia frags almost ready for market

My 30g Film Loop

 

[banditfl]

Just a couple of pictures of some of my new additions.

Green Stripe Mushrooms

Encrusting Gorgonian

Not a new coral, but a close shot of my 6" Hairy Mushroom. This is the largest in the colony of four.

 

[fishes2889]

you are selling coral?

 

[banditfl]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6718203#post6718203 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by fishes2889
you are selling coral?

Soon, but not in this forum.

sent PM

 

[cj_basser]

Alright...so I am guessing that there is flow pushing the xenia into the mesh ring, and th xenia will then grow into the mesh?

 

[banditfl]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6718411#post6718411 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by cj_basser
Alright...so I am guessing that there is flow pushing the xenia into the mesh ring, and th xenia will then grow into the mesh?

You are correct. The Xenia actually grew through on both sides of the ring. All depened how the cutting set on the mesh before sandiwiching it between the two layers.

 

[vanmo92]

thats a cool tank

 

[banditfl]

Just thought I would post a few quick updated shots:
FTS

Green Clown Goby

Right Side

Left Side

Got Xenia

And the frags below