1. Do you have an old account but can't access it?


    See Accessing your GIRS Account or Contact Us - We are here to help!

E Lowther`s Frag Tank Project!

Discussion in 'General Discussion' started by e lowther, Dec 16, 2011.

  1. e lowther

    e lowther Inactive User

    181
    Ratings:
    +0 / 0 / -0
    After a very long semester at Iowa State, nothing is better then getting my hand wet and messing around with the reef tank! And what better way to celebrate Christmas then to spoil ones self with an new addition to the reef tank. After weeks of discussing it and planning, I have finally convinced my parents to allow me to start my new frag tank project! Over the last 6 months I have been relatively successful selling coral frags out of my display tank but my dad and I are tired of seeing our display tank cluttered with frags so having the frag tank will give us more room to sell more corals and keep our display tank nice and pretty!  I have planned to use my old 20 gallon long (30" x 12" x 12") as the frag display tank, and I just bought a stand for the tank from Aquatic Environments as well as a Giessman 24" Ready Fit T-5 HO fixture which is the lighting I have chosen to use (Thanks Joe!).
    Here are some pics of the tank and stand that I got today. Lights wont be coming in til next Friday.
    [​IMG]
    The frag tank will be set up next to my main tank, so aesthetic appeal is going to be important.
    [​IMG]
    Tomorrow I plan on building my eggcrate shelfing unit but I haven't quite decided on the size or exactly what shape I am going to make. I am still looking for ideas and input on this. Also, before I add a thin layer of sand and water to the tank, I need to drill a hole for the overflow, so most importantly I am hoping that someone out there has experience drilling holes in tanks for overflows and would be willing to give me advice on doing it myself. Right now I am still mainly in the planning stages but I would like to get this up and running in the next 2 weeks seeing as how I am going back to school early January. So for all those people who have done this before, please share some of your knowledge and wisdom and help steer me in the right direction.
    Sincerely,     Evan L.
     
  2. blackx-runner Administrator Website Team Leadership Team

    Cedar Rapids, IA
    Ratings:
    +738 / 5 / -0
    Any particular reason you are adding sand to the frag tank? I think cleaning and maintaining would be easier without the sand. Plus you can really pump up the flow through the thing and not have to worry about getting and blown all over your corals.
    Is this getting plumbed into the main system, or running on a completely separate system? As far as drilling its easy. Search you tube, there are some good videos that show how to do it. Just take it nice and slow and keep water on the bit. Let the weight of the drill do the work.
     
  3. e lowther

    e lowther Inactive User

    181
    Ratings:
    +0 / 0 / -0
    I have talked with the guys at my LFS and I decided that I wanted to add sand for several reasons. Firstly the tank is right next to my display tank so I want to have a slightly more natural look and I can always take the sand out if I need too. Secondly, I like the idea of having the extra biological filtration in the frag tank and thirdly, the live sand will help with the buffering of the pH which will also be helpful. To answer your question, we are having this tanked plumbed to the main system, so if you have any advice on how to do that I would like some advice.
     
  4. blackx-runner Administrator Website Team Leadership Team

    Cedar Rapids, IA
    Ratings:
    +738 / 5 / -0
    That was part of the reason I asked about plumbing to the main tank. Wondering what you were doing about filtration. As far as how to do it, I think the easiest way would be to plumb the overflows to a common sump and then have a return going to each tank.
     
  5. majohns

    majohns Inactive User

    56
    Ratings:
    +0 / 0 / -0
    I am excited to see how it turns out for you! I hope you had a successful semester. I will be working a lot on my tank this week, it's nice to have the extra free time. Maybe make a trip to DSM for a new pet /DesktopModules/ActiveForums/themes/_default//emoticons/smile.gif
     
  6. e lowther

    e lowther Inactive User

    181
    Ratings:
    +0 / 0 / -0
    Blackx-runner:
    Yeah the frag tank is going to be sumped to my main tank for the primary filtration. It will also have biological filtration from the sand, and liverock. One question I have is what will be the easiest way to combine the water from my main tank and the frag tank together? I have already made salt water and put it in my frag tank (pics later tonight) but is it better for me to slowly mix the two waters together or do it all at once kind of like a water change?

    Majohns:
    Thanks Merri! Yeah it was a really good semester at school just waiting for the grades to come out tomorrow but also kind of nervous on one class. It's a good feeling when school is over and you can just relax and play around with the reef tank. I still need to come by and see yours because I haven't seen the new additions of yours since MACNA. I might even have to bring by a little frag for you to help with your collection!
     
  7. mthomp

    mthomp Inactive User

    Ratings:
    +0 / 0 / -0
    Even I would not put live rock and or sand in your frag tank since you are plumbing it to your display you should have plenty of what you need of that right there.
     
  8. e lowther

    e lowther Inactive User

    181
    Ratings:
    +0 / 0 / -0
    Is there any reason why I don't want to put live sand or live rock in the frag tank? I talked with the guys at the aquatic enviorments and we both agreed that having the sand in there was not a horrible idea. Is there something I don't know that I should?
     
  9. mthomp

    mthomp Inactive User

    Ratings:
    +0 / 0 / -0
    it is just more maintenance to start with, you are also risking a cycle imo. most frag tanks I see have nothing but racks and frags in the tank. this also helps to maximize space Like I said earlier your plumbing to your DT so you are not really gaining anything by adding more to your frag tank.
     
  10. e lowther

    e lowther Inactive User

    181
    Ratings:
    +0 / 0 / -0
    To be completely honest Mike, the main reason why I added sand was for aesthetic appeal since the frag tank is right next to my display tank and to provide a more comfortable living environment for the fish that are going to inhabit it. I discussed it with several guys at AE and they said it would be fine. As far as the risk about a cycle, I shouldn't have to deal with that seeing as how all my sand was taken from my display tank and is already cycled. On an different note, I am looking for a good return pump to bring water from the main sump to the frag tank. Any ideas Mike?

    P.S. Mike, you can come over any time and pick up your coral from me and help me brainstorm more ideas about the frag tank!
     
  11. e lowther

    e lowther Inactive User

    181
    Ratings:
    +0 / 0 / -0
    Some updates on my frag tank project. I took my 20 gallon tank to Aquatic Enviorments and got the tank drilled for the overflow.





    [​IMG]





    Also, that day I bought some egg crate from Menards and put together my frag rack. I wanted to make sure I had a good amount of room for sps frags and things with plugs but I also planned on having lots of floor space as well so I could put chalices, Zoas, and soft corals as well as giving my clownfish some room to swim.





    [​IMG]





    The tank is being filled as we speak, so I will have some more picks of the tank with water in it tomorrow. Still looking for some advice on return pumps and how to sump the frag tank and the main tank together.
     
  12. blackx-runner Administrator Website Team Leadership Team

    Cedar Rapids, IA
    Ratings:
    +738 / 5 / -0
    Are you wanting one return pump for both tanks, or 2 separate pumps? Internal or external pumps? What kind of distance and height to the frag tank? How many over flows did you add to the frag tank and how big? Is the return your only source of flow, or do you have other power heads? Oh yeah, whats your budget?
     
  13. e lowther

    e lowther Inactive User

    181
    Ratings:
    +0 / 0 / -0
    I am doing two seperate return pumps for more control of the flow rates in both my main tank, and my frag tank. If you look at the picture from the beginning of the thread, my frag tank is 4 ft high, and about 3 ft off to the side of it. I am not quite sure how I am going to judge what size of return I will need since I the returns pump only really give you info on the vertical rise. There is only one overflow in the frag tank and it is a 1' bulkhead ID. And to answer the last question, my return pump is not going to be the only scource of flow, I also have another small power head to put in the frag tank to eliminate all dead spots.
     
  14. blackx-runner Administrator Website Team Leadership Team

    Cedar Rapids, IA
    Ratings:
    +738 / 5 / -0
    I think something like a mag 7 might fit your needs. Should give you plenty of flow without being to small. I'd rather go with a bigger pump and throttle it back or split and recirc the water than buy one that's too small.
     
  15. e lowther

    e lowther Inactive User

    181
    Ratings:
    +0 / 0 / -0
    Yeah I couldn't agree more on that, what ever pump I get I will probably get one that is rated for more gph then I need and just throttle it back. I was looking at a Rio 2100 at my local fish store to purchase for my frag return pump. Also, how would you go about combining the water volumes together? Do it all at once, or do it is small amounts at a time?
     
  16. blackx-runner Administrator Website Team Leadership Team

    Cedar Rapids, IA
    Ratings:
    +738 / 5 / -0
    Make sure the PH and salinity match in both tanks,then adding the frag tank to the system won't be any different than a water change.
     
  17. Bryan-1

    Bryan-1 Well-Known ReefKeeper

    413
    Ratings:
    +2 / 0 / -0
    using a 1" line for draining and only a 3/4" return line should help in not letting you return to much water at one time.
    unsure of how your sump is set up, but I would run the water from your frag tank and main tank in separately in to your sump.
    I think if you were combining the water volumes together that would slow down the volume coming out of your tanks (I don't think that would be good this is my view).
    How large is your sump?
    I think you will be surprised on how much water will be lines to and from hoping your sump will hold enough water and not flood if the power goes out.
     
  18. e lowther

    e lowther Inactive User

    181
    Ratings:
    +0 / 0 / -0
    I agree with the first part you said very much, it's something my dad brought up but I overlooked so I will definitely do that. Now, when you said "I would run the water from your frag tank and main tank separately in to your sump." are you saying that they both should have sepearte drains into the sump or they should both have seperate return lines? I am not quite sure what you mean there. My sump is a 20 gallon tall, but currently it only holds about 12-13 gallons when in use, so do you think that it should be able to hold the extra water in the event of a power outage?
     
  19. Bryan-1

    Bryan-1 Well-Known ReefKeeper

    413
    Ratings:
    +2 / 0 / -0
    Yes I think they should have separate drains lines going to the sump.
    I think you should have separate return lines with them going to 2 separate tanks.
    If you have a T and a valve on each one of the lines to control the water volume to each tank if there were to be a block at 1 of the valves causing more water to go to the other tank the out come could be water going over the top.
    I can't say if the sump will be able to hold the extra water, that you will have to wait and see I would think.
    those are my ideas I would think you will get more feed back on this.
     
  20. iadubber

    iadubber Well-Known ReefKeeper

    376
    Ratings:
    +0 / 0 / -0
    What department did you find eggcrate in at Menards? I looked all through the lighting department and couldn't find it. And the guys seemed to have no idea what I was looking for. Thanks!
     

Share This Page

  1. This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register.
    By continuing to use this site, you are consenting to our use of cookies.