Advice on Frag tank setup

[Mael]

I just got a little frag tank from my brother he wasnt using. 24"x24"x8" high

I do not want to plumb this to my DT/sump so if something bad happens in one it wont affect the other. So basically just looking for suggestions and ideas on what I need for setup....do I need a little live rock for biological filtration(and to hold up the frag racks) or maybe put the biological filtration in a mech filter or canister filter? If you dont use bio filtration at all what do you use in its place?

I can jump start things by using water from the sump/tank in addition to fresh salt water(red sea cp).

So, ideas?

 

[Anthrax15]

Well you can buy established water from locals or LFS to prevent a cycle.

If you do a sump for the frag tank, you can stuff it full of live rock and macro algae then use PVC and eggcrate for the frag tank to keep everything organized. Or you can just put some live rock in the frag tank. But personally, I'd go with a sump and a nice skimmer. It'll keep nuisance algae to a minimum and keep your water clear for better light penetration.

Goodluck and make sure to do a build thread! We love pictures like fat kids love cake!

 

[Dre59]

Try to make this build using the KISS method!!! (Keep it simple stupid)

Since tank heights is small go bare bottom and have a nice amount of flow inside. Will you be using racks to hold these frags or the bottom of the tank? Also try to keep one return pump rated higher so you can "œT" off to add reactors for carbon, bio pellets or GFO.

A sump will be recommended for sure!! Since this will not be a DT tank you will have to add established LR in the sump IMO. But you can go with a fuge also!!

Also try not go all out and buy if you aren't sure if this will be up for a long time.. Seen to many come down and members spend too much $$ just to sell it cheaper to someone else!!!

 

[Mael]

Definitely not looking to spend a ton on this setup. I may have to revisit plumbing this into the same sump my DT is hooked up to, dont have space for a second sump so it is either hook it to the existing one or dont do one at all.

The other option I was looking at was using a canister filter like a sump and to put rock and maybe macro in there. Not sure if that will work though. Will definitely need to get a nano skimmer for it, already have a tiny powerhead. Just really need to figure out the filtration setup.

Thanks for all the advice and input guys, I appreciate it. Ill start taking pics tonight hopefully once I get it all cleaned up with vinegar.

 

[dream54ing]

If your not connecting it to your main system, treat it as if your building a new system. IMO, no shortcuts for establishing a stable system. using existing water/lr/ls only help move the process a little quicker, but doesn't eliminate the cycle stage.

IME, you do not need to get any fancy equipment since bioload is going to be lower than your typical system with fish. Different people use a frag tank for different reasons, ask yourself what your going to be using it for then decide what equipment to get.

Like dre said, keep it simple.

 

[Stolireef]

Well, after the yard sale, I can tell you that, other than the tank, you can get everything you need used and for pennies on the dollar.

 

[Dre59]

Not a BIG fan of canister filters as I had issues in my noob years"¦lol!! Not worth it! Just hope your skimmer is rated for a higher bio-load then your current set-up to handle the extra volume. If plumbed to your current set-up all you will have to worry about is flow in the frag tank.. Adding power heads like a WP25 will fix that issue!

Setting up another tank is never cheap!! Get ready to spend a few $100's..lol!

 

[johanasu]

Think about Sam's tank. A cheap penguin carbon filter and a giant ball of cheato. Never any algae and that is with 3 fish, a crab, and corals

 

[Mael]

yah, Im going to run a mech filter for sure, and maybe just have cheato under/around the frag racks. With enough flow I should be good, I might look at adding a nano skimmer anyway if I can find a good deal.

In the end this tank will be mainly used for growing out small frags that will eventually go in the DT. Eventually I would also use it to do fragging and selling a few frags here and there, but the selling aspect is a possible future plan.

 

[johanasu]

You could run the HOB refugium I gave you. I have a bag of cheato for you at my house

 

[Mael]

true, Time to start puting things together. Exciting all over again =)