Frag tank build

estutesman

New member
Here are some pictures of my new frag tank setup. I got the tank from Bart, built a stand, added an old wet dry filter and pump, and upgraded the standpipe with a DIY Durso. Next will be heat and light.

FRAGTANK1.jpg


FRAGTANK2.jpg


FRAGTANK3.jpg


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Nice Job, Now Ditch the BioBalls! Please for your own good as they are nitrate factories and if you plan on SPS they are a No No.
Bill
 
Lights will be 250 MH 10,000k or so.

It held about 40 gallons Bart.

I got the tank from Bart. I don't know where it came from, but it does resemble the tanks that AC kept bettas in.

Bio balls are out of habit. I am not committed to them, just afraid to let go. My main tank has them with no apparent problems, but I have been debating on whether I need them. If I took them out, would I just have an empty sump? On the main tank, I have a refugium, skimmer, and phosban reactor...I guess it would be OK without the balls, but will the frag tank be OK with just the skimmer?
 
Bio balls are out of habit. I am not committed to them, just afraid to let go. My main tank has them with no apparent problems, but I have been debating on whether I need them. If I took them out, would I just have an empty sump? On the main tank, I have a refugium, skimmer, and phosban reactor...I guess it would be OK without the balls, but will the frag tank be OK with just the skimmer?

Toss some rubble rock in the sump and do not pull all of the BB's out of your DT sump at once or you will possibly run into a crash. I would keep rubble rock in both of your sumps.
 
Are you going BB with the frag tank? Plan on any fish or inverts in it (e.g. will you be feeding more that coral food)?
 
Yes I am planning on BB. It's just too shallow to try and put sand and flow into. I would have a constant sandstorm. Right now, I have no plans of putting anything in it except coral.
 
My $.02. You will need something and agree with all that the bio-balls need to go. LR rubble in sump can become nitrate traps also and can be hard to clean. If it were me, with the limited real estate you have in the wet/dry sump, I would run Seachem Matrix (with the occasional seed of MB7) in a small reactor. Maxtrix has great surface area for bacteria. Once a quarter or so, during a W/C, rinse the Matrix material off in the old tank water.

It just so happens :) that I have ~2-2.5L of Matrix that I never used (Switched to Zeovit).

Also - Bill - found the upper disk and sponges to the MR1 (inside the Matrix container). I used to run the Matrix in it a while back. LMK if you want them.

Brett
 
Sure

Sure

My $.02. You will need something and agree with all that the bio-balls need to go. LR rubble in sump can become nitrate traps also and can be hard to clean. If it were me, with the limited real estate you have in the wet/dry sump, I would run Seachem Matrix (with the occasional seed of MB7) in a small reactor. Maxtrix has great surface area for bacteria. Once a quarter or so, during a W/C, rinse the Matrix material off in the old tank water.

It just so happens :) that I have ~2-2.5L of Matrix that I never used (Switched to Zeovit).

Also - Bill - found the upper disk and sponges to the MR1 (inside the Matrix container). I used to run the Matrix in it a while back. LMK if you want them.
Sure I'll take them the upper one may help with back pressure as only one side tumbles like it is. But no worries as Jon said that's really not necessary as long as you have flow.
Bill:wave:









Brett
 
I am having trouble understanding how the matrix would be so different from LR. I get that it would be submerged, but how does it not become a nitrate trap just as the LR would?
 
Much more uniform and easier to clean from time-to-time (since it is in a reactor and not loose in the sump...
 
I should not have a big bioload if I only have coral....right? Only what I add in coral food less whatever the skimmer takes out? I have a remora skimmer that I was going to consider using. I think it's rated for 75, so my tank of about 40 should be about right.
 
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