Frag tanks

[Pickupman66]

OK. so I finally have a grow out tank!!! woo ho finally a place to dump all the stuff I break of and frag to sell sell sell.. (hopefully) My question is how does everyone else have theirs setup. is is plumbed into their main display? seperate? what lighting do you have?

I have setup a 12g nano cube with stock pump and 24 watt pc light. I want to eventually upgrade this, but cant now (barely got this by the boss). I will get a larger maxi 1400 I think if I can find a used one, and will keep it barebottom for now. it is a seperate tank at this point with new water. I dont have any of the bio filtration that came with it in the tank at this point as for the next few days there will only be some frags in it. I will toss some of my extra rocks in for the time being, but then just Frags. do I need to do anything special to this? I plan on then taking this water plus more premade to the swap for selling purposes. this tank will also be my selling tank while at the swap.

I have kept tanks for years and have a very successful 75 reef, but it has been 7 years since I setup a tank and have never done a frag tank. I do eventually want it to get plumbed into my main system, but dont think that will happen. it will likely end up as the munchkins tank goin full reef.

 

[gflat65]

Mine is plugged into the display. I've got two systems like that (frag and acans). I have MJ1200's in the overflows of the displays pushing water in and draining to the respective sumps.

 

[DMBillies]

If you're committed to it being a frag/growout tank, plumb it. It's less hassle as far as maintenance, more stability, and probably better water quality. It will also allow you to have a grow out tank with less/no rock in it which means easier cleaning and less worry about macro algaes and other pests like anemones. Assuming the frag tank would be out of the way, it's easy to not have a look at it everyday and keep tabs on these kinds of things.

I have my frag tank upstairs and out of the way, which is great because no one cares what it looks like, but that's exactly the problem. I don't check on the skimmer as often and although I do water changes, I don't test the tank much or monitor the water quality like I do with the bigger tanks.

Just remember that if you do plumb it, you need to make sure your sump can handle the extra water and that if you ever want to have a stand alone tank again, you should plumb it so that you can cap the hole.

 

[waynesworld]

I would plumb it into the main system also if you do not have time you can manually swap water out for a while to give yourself time to do it. But I would make it so you can isolate it if needed.

 

[Pickupman66]

Gary, Did I read that right that you use a mj1200 to pump water out of it then you pump back into it?

DM, yea, the sump can handle it. it is a 20 l that it only 1/2 full or less when I have the return off from the display. as this is only a 12, the mas water out would be maybe 2 gallons if I plumb it correctly.

 

[gflat65]

I've got (2) MJ1200's pumping out of the overflows to the frag tank (only 1 to the acan tank-it's half the size). I've got both the frag and acan tank drilled (out the bottom and out the back, resp.), so they gravity drain.

 

[Pickupman66]

Gotcha.. that is what I thought. I will have to get a diamond saw If I want to go that route. Got a few frags i the tnak now and they have not polyped out. one is a single piece of pipe organ. it is out, but not like the display. the others are some GSP and some elkhorn and a rock with tulips on it. the tulips look ok, but the rest have not polyped out. any other suggestions? is a single 24 watt pc enought for these corals?