split reef/predator tank??

[Aquarist007]

looking for information on splitting a 300-400 gal tank into half reef and half predator tank. The guy that wants it setup apparantely saw one in the US but i've never seen the setup. He claims it is not two separate tanks joined together.
Its got me puzzled

 

[Lps157]

Maybe separating the two with a rock wall?

 

[jjk_reef00]

Maybe a predator tank with coral? I've seen tanks with large angels, etc and just sps corals.

 

[stunreefer]

Maybe separating the two with a rock wall?

I've seen something like this as well where there was actually a faux wall seperating the two areas. It would work assuming you take the huge amounts of waste larger predatious fish create into account.

 

[smcfall176]

I saw one also in Louisville Ky. They had a piece of acrylic that divide the two the acrylic had hole in it so that water could flow and one sump system could take care of everything. Looked great. But does seem like a lot of work to keep the reef looking good with all the waste..

 

[Sardaukar]

Not sure what the point is - all you are really doing is denying half your swimming room to the large predators so you can have, what, some small wrasses and gobies in half the tank?

 

[Kemah]

I have thought about doing this by building a large rockwall so the little fish could swim into the larger open area but would probably stay close to the reef and the rock wall would keep the larger fish out of the reef. The problem is I think if I were to do it I would want to have a very large sump for extra water volume and also have a very large skimmer. Actually at that point I would probably run a lot of ozone and a sand filter.

 

[Aquarist007]

I have thought about doing this by building a large rockwall so the little fish could swim into the larger open area but would probably stay close to the reef and the rock wall would keep the larger fish out of the reef. The problem is I think if I were to do it I would want to have a very large sump for extra water volume and also have a very large skimmer. Actually at that point I would probably run a lot of ozone and a sand filter.

that's a good idea. I could sculpt the middle of the reef with reef on both sides of the section with wire screening in the middle of it. Then have the reef extend right to the top of the tank.

 

[Sardaukar]

Why not make an aggressive reef? I don't know why you would take a 400g tank and turn it into a 200g tank for your big fish

My favorite tank I've ever seen in person was a 500g+ soft coral tank with open rock work and big angels, triggers, tangs, puffers and a gorgeous blueline grouper.

 

[Aquarist007]

Why not make an aggressive reef? I don't know why you would take a 400g tank and turn it into a 200g tank for your big fish

My favorite tank I've ever seen in person was a 500g+ soft coral tank with open rock work and big angels, triggers, tangs, puffers and a gorgeous blueline grouper.

this guy saw a tank in the states that was split down the middle--how this was done I have no idea.

I suggested two tanks butted up against each other but he said that was not like the tank he saw----and he is well off enough to get what he wants

Difficult with so little info but I would off thought with this membership someone would have saw something similar

 

[buy_baff]

I have split a 75 once by just adding a glass wall in the middle. I was breeding african chcilids at the time and did this so i could keep the parents on one side and babysitter on the other. For the set-up your talking about i would use two sumps so the predators wouldn't be polluting the reef.