Lets See Your "Sidecar" Reef Aquariums" (small reef plumbed to your display tank)

[mattdg]

I am curious to see some pictures of members "sidecar reef aquariums". Basically any tank next to your main display will do, but I am especially looking for systems that are plumbed together. Also frag tanks are great, but am more curious to see two complete reef display tanks... one big and one small. Please post a picture and feel free to describe your setup in as much or little details as you wish.

I am in the process of plumbing a smaller reef into my 120 gallon mixed reef. I'll likely document the process, in my build thread. Click the link to my build thread under my name, if you are interested in following along. I already have the new tank and stand built, but would like to draw inspiration from other's setups, mainly when it comes to the scape and livestock in the smaller reef tank.

So let's see those tandem reef setups, big and small!

I will kick things off with my existing frag setup "sidecar reef system" which I refer to as the Rack and Rubble frag tank.

 

[Gumbies R Us]

That is one sweet setup!!

 

[Sump Crab]

Following

 

[vlangel]

When I was raising seahorse fry and they got too big to be in the nursery in the bowfront, I set up the 10 gallon next to the bowfront and the 2 tanks were plumbed together,a long with being plumbed into the chiller.

 

[Daniel@R2R]

Oo!! Cool thread!! Following!!

 

[mattdg]

We need more posts! I know many of you have a one of these setups.

Let's See Them!!

 

[JulesH]

I want a side car tank that will act as a fuge, as I have no room in my sump.

 

[Stevemillercali]

I am curious to see some pictures of members "sidecar reef aquariums". Basically any tank next to your main display will do, but I am especially looking for systems that are plumbed together. Also frag tanks are great, but am more curious to see two complete reef display tanks... one big and one small. Please post a picture and feel free to describe your setup in as much or little details as you wish.

I am in the process of plumbing a smaller reef into my 120 gallon mixed reef. I'll likely document the process, in my build thread. Click the link to my build thread under my name, if you are interested in following along. I already have the new tank and stand built, but would like to draw inspiration from other's setups, mainly when it comes to the scape and livestock in the smaller reef tank.

So let's see those tandem reef setups, big and small!

I will kick things off with my existing frag setup "sidecar reef system" which I refer to as the Rack and Rubble frag tank.

The small tank on the left is my 11 gallon that’s plumbed into the sump of my main tank, I use this tank as the refugium. I’ve always like being able to see all the creatures in the refugium.

 

[gpd124]

I want a side car tank that will act as a fuge, as I have no room in my sump.

I was considering this same thing - some kind of display refugium.

 

[SaltwaterScoop]

I just plumbed in 2x 40 gallon breeders into my main display:

Left 40 Gallon Breeder

Right 40 Gallon Breeder

I'm still undecided on what I want to do with them but I'm leaning towards a display fuge + gorgonia. I have my auto feeder plumbed into my return pump so I have clowns in there temporarily to eat the food

 

[rhedrick17]

Just started planning mine last week, going to do a 22g fiji cube, lps/mushroom tank next to my 265g sps dominated reef. I built the cabinet for all my equipment and realized i have all this space for another tank when i finish both tanks ill do a build thread probably

 

[JulesH]

I was considering this same thing - some kind of display refugium.

I was wondering what would be the best way of plumbing two side by tanks for this purpose?

 

[rhedrick17]

I was wondering what would be the best way of plumbing two side by tanks for this purpose?

Depends on your current setup, if the return pump can handle the extra output then you could plumb the return for the small tank similar to a reactor and use a ball or gate valve from the main return pump. Or you could go stand alone method and buy a separate return for that system. Since its a fuge I would run the return into a filter sock or roller to catch any stray pieces of macro algae that could make its way down the overflow.

 

[RobinC]

Just plumbed a macro-algae into my main system. Dual purposes...added water volume, extra macro-algae, breeding area, free tang food when clipping needed. I added the eclipse M overflow a bit high as well as the return, so both sides could be shut off (valves), and alternate filtration for breeding. One return pump that you can't see behind the skimmer. Nautilus 3200, that runs both tanks on setting 4.

 

[Stoneyed]

This is an old pic, but 180 SPS + 60 lagoon. Mangroves have been replaced with turtlegrass.

 

[mattdg]

I just plumbed in 2x 40 gallon breeders into my main display:

Left 40 Gallon Breeder

Right 40 Gallon Breeder

I'm still undecided on what I want to do with them but I'm leaning towards a display fuge + gorgonia. I have my auto feeder plumbed into my return pump so I have clowns in there temporarily to eat the food

Holy cow! Flanking your main display with TWO 40 gallon breeders is next level sidecar. I can't wait to see this all grown out and established.

Far as the question above about how to best plumb in your sidecar reef, my rack and rubble frags system runs off of one return pump and quad ball valve splitter / manifold, through a central sump. What I did not show in the above post, is the third tank in the system to the right of the 40 gallon cube. All 3 tanks are split off one return pump and ball valve. Very doable, easy maintenance option. The 4th outlet feeds a GFO / Carbon drip container, whatever medium is needed at the time.

As far as the new nano tank that I will be adding up stairs, to my 120 display... I plan on running a very small, separate return pump. This is main due to the fact, it wasn't planned for in the original plumbing layout.

Both options are totally feasible and equally viable. Really depends on your personal needs.

Keep the awesome sidecar reef pictures coming. Love it!

 

[mattdg]

One more thing. I really dig your sidecar fuge ideas. It's kind of the best of both worlds, having the benefit of the fuge, while getting to enjoy all of the algae and critters that live within. If I had a need for greater nutrient export, I'd likely go this route.

 

[JulesH]

It would interesting to see photographs of how people are connecting these tanks together?

 

[Stoneyed]

2x Mag 18's. Left one runs outside to the chiller, back inside, and up to the left side of the 180.
Right one is split between the left side of the 180 and the 60. All return pipes dump into the sump by the skimmer.
Distribution manifold came with the tank, and is currently only used to feed the Ca reactor (underneath the 60). Ca reactor effluent is returned ahead of the macroalgae/fuge section to scavenge CO2.

 

[mattdg]

2x Mag 18's. Left one runs outside to the chiller, back inside, and up to the left side of the 180.
Right one is split between the left side of the 180 and the 60. All return pipes dump into the sump by the skimmer.
Distribution manifold came with the tank, and is currently only used to feed the Ca reactor (underneath the 60). Ca reactor effluent is returned ahead of the macroalgae/fuge section to scavenge CO2.

It makes a lot of sense to run the chiller off a second pump. Effectively gives you the redundancy of having two return pumps, though a mag drive will rarely fail without clear warning leading up. Speaking of the mag drive, do you find they heat up, especially in the summer months. I have a mag drive on my Lifereef skimmer, don't remember which model. The fan / cooler run a whole lot more in the summer months and heater runs less in the winter months. I'm going to watch the Apex power consumption, now that I have the monitoring capability. I want to see if it is worth the cost of swapping out the skimmer pump for a cooler running sicce, in the summer months and vice / versa in the winter.