Frag tank with no live rock

[AcroNewbie]

Some live rock is good but I don't think its a must for a tank, a good Live Rock rubble pile will be a good place to cultivate detritivores and other critters, but the filtration capacity can be easily replaced with matrix (I use Siporax, which I think is a little better, but just my opinion), the key to having your bio media denitrify is to have it in anaerobic conditions, this can be accomplished by limiting water flow, I do it by putting my siporax in a phosban reactor and turn the water flow wayyyy low creating an anaerobic condition in the reactor causing the bacteria to strip nitrates into nitrogen gas thus completing the denitrifying process, just make sure to put a filter on the intake of the pump so detritus doesn't get into the filter.

 

[ruckuss]

Hey, thanks for all the opinions. I did end up putting in a few pieces of live rock. I actually had to take it down to move it around and replace the stand, so I have everything in a 10 gallon at the moment. It will be going back up this weekend...

 

[ruckuss]

I'm also going to redo the chambers in the back.. Planning on moving my skimmer to the first chamber, in the middle, I am going to devide it and make a media rack, the other side will be Matrix and maybe some marinepure balls, or spiromax stuff, then third will be the return pump.

Thoughts? I will post pics when I am done.

 

[organism]

Glad to see this and wondering how it turned out? I'm working on a 20 gal long for a frag tank. Was planning to go bare bottom for ease of cleaning. Planning to use a small protein skimmer and a hydor coral wave maker. Used some clam shells out of my dt to see the tank along with bio spira. Getting my coral in this coming week. Please tell me your opinions on what else I need. I'm guessing from reading above that I need to take out the rubble and use live rock. I have extra in my dt. Can I just put the lr in the frag tank and not in a refugium or I could set up a HOB overflow refugium pretty easily... Opinions please!

You could put the live rock in the tank, sump, refugium or anywhere attached to the system.

 

[Go.Fish]

I place a bag of Hydroton in the back chamber of an all in one. Zero nitrates and phosphates. But do carbon dose and no live rock. I tried putting live rock on the bottom but it just traps detritus

 

[midieval10]

I have a 20L frag tank with barely any live rock, just one piece that mushrooms are on. No fish. Seems to be doing okay for 2 months now

 

[oceanarium]

I run frag systems with no LR, have done so for many years now.

I don't use ceramic media but do have some old fashion trickle towers I added for nitrification with coral gravel as the media.

I also use carbon dosing to reduce phosphates, certainly don't have a nitrate problem the carbon dosing reduces it to a deficit I add significant amounts of KNo3 via a dosing pump to maintain a Nitrate level of just below 1ppm to balance with Po4 levels.

Old school nitrification with new school denitrification.

 

[firebirdude]

I think putting rubble under your egg crate is a bad idea from personal experience. The rubble will collect ditritus and I have always found it a huge burden to take frags and crate out to clean. Being sps makes it even worse as you generally want to leave them alone. You will have to have a wicked CUC to go through the rubble if you don't want to maintain it. Nutrients will be a serious issue. Just a thought.

I would agree completely with this. I know you've already got the tank setup, but for anybody else reading this.

I think you did the right thing. Just like 4 large pieces of live rock that can be in the system, but out of your way/easy to remove/easy to clean around.