Frag Tank for Reef?

[KingOfAll_Tyrants]

Hello,

I'm thinking of starting a reef tank (Ref: my introduction post just now).
So, from my biases from my FW-keeping days, a frag type tank (relatively shallow, with most of the dimensions in the lengh and width) set up has always seemed ideal because the area is good, and it seems to me much of its volume so much is wasted on the height of the tank.

I may be starting a reef, and the design my wife is set upon aesthetically is a Deep Blue frag tank, 24X24X12 36G. I'm not really too happy about the capacity and would somewhat prefer a bit more capacity, even though we will be using a sump. But beyond that, it fits my prejudices to a T.

Why don't people use tanks like this more for their reef tanks?

 

[That New Guy]

Innovative Marine has entire line of shallow reef tanks. They have 60 gallon, 80 gallon, and 120 gallon. They're beautiful tanks.

They also have a lagoon series. Very similar, available in 25 and 50 gallons. Check them out, I have the IM 40 which a little deeper than I typically prefer but it's such an awesome tank.

 

[mjstech]

Look at the 50g zoo-med frag tank, 48x24x10high. https://www.google.com/search?q=zoo...-android-alco&sourceid=chrome-mobile&ie=UTF-8 seems cool

 

[Ron Reefman]

I have a 65g shallow reef tank 4'x2'x14" and I enjoy it alot. It's so easy to play in.

However, I also have a 125g mixed reef tank 5'x2'x20". You can do a lot more rockscape work, there are more places to mount corals and there is a lot more room for fish to swim. And most of all, there is a lot more front glass to look it through. Looking down into the shallow reef from above the water is cool. But unless you turn down the pumps, the water surface is usually stirred up and it makes viewing the stuff in the tank a bit less enjoyable.

So it's more fun to play in, but less fun to just look at and relax. That's my 2 cents worth of opinion from somebody who has both and enjoys them both.

 

[KingOfAll_Tyrants]

Thanks for all the suggestions. I did some searching on lights (the LFS uses Kessil in its display and frag tank, and will of course gladly push them), and the big 84 page Kessil thread is loaded with various types of shallow reef tanks. I guess I didn't look hard enough. Either way, I'm not too keen on the "traditional" tank loaded with 1lb/gal Live rock, and am thinking of the maintenance/reef keeping/livestocking implications of the alternatives.

Ron,

What you say makes sense. Indeed, the tank that got my wife hooked on the design was literally an open top frag tank, easy to manipuate but now that you mention it, but viewing is obviously easiest from the top. I will have to think carefully about the aquascaping for this.

Assuming one Kessil 160 (one is prob all we can afford right now, but we can add another later, and besides the tank is in the 24" range they say the light covers), it seems having 2-3 live rock peaks, with sand streches inbetween with 1-2 other features, might work well. The Kessil will be right above the biggest mount. Maybe the design (and placement of the tank - visible from at least three sides) might be amenable to "zones", with somewhat different aquascaping in each section.

ETA: tidepools fascinate me, I can spend hours staring at them. Indeed, I usually do - one of my favorite set is at Sandy Beach, Oahu since I find myself there for business on Oahu every two years or so). Maybe that can provide some inspiration, though a reef is not a tidepool.......

 

[Ron Reefman]

One of the nice things about the shallow reef tank is that you can't pile up 18" to 24" of rock, which makes rearranging it in a deeper tank very difficult and time consuming. Moving rock around in the shallow tank is much easier, at least for me.

Because I consider my 65g shallow reef somewhat of a working tank rather than a display tank, I find myself always moving stuff around. I consider it a working tank because I almost always put new corals in it first, before I move them to my 125g DT. I also get to bring home 'stuff' from the beach and from snorkel trips to the Keys, and most new animals go in the shallow reef first. Therefore, I use a light that lights the tank pretty well (32" EverGrow IT2080) and hang it higher off the water than most people do their led fixtures. At 18" it gives me plenty of room to work in the tank and to lean over the tank and look down into it.

I do get to watch some tidal pools here in South Florida. And a lot of shallow reef flats and grass beds. Snorkeling over these is the most relaxing thing I've ever done. My wife and I go to the Keys 4 or 5 long weekends a year just so we can snorkel 2 or 3 days each trip. We get to see and collect things like serpent stars, emerald crabs, snails, sea cucumbers, anemones, macroalgae, flame scallops, shrimp (pistol, peppermint and Coral banded), gorgonian corals, zoas, palys, and occasional real oddballs like chitons, tunicates and sponges. Seeing them in their native environment is especially cool.

 

[A sea K]

I have a Deep Blue 30 gal now and it is a wonderful tank just too small so I'm currently in the process of setting up a larger deep blue 80 gal which is 48x24x16. Deep blue also offers a 60gal with the same 48x24 footprint but only 12" tall.

I'm running a Maxspect Razor over my 30gal and will use it on the new 80 gal along with 2 x Kessil 160

 

[Rio1969]

I scored a nice frag tank on CL for a great price, tank is 72 x 24 x 16.5. The tank was dirty when I picked it up but it holds water and is in great condition, the only issue is with overflow which leaks on one of the seams near the top and water seeps under the overflow.