Long term frag/growout tank setup suggestions?

MrSquid · Mar 6, 2015

I'll be doing a ~300g system later in the year, and in the meantime I'm tossing around the idea of setting up a frag/growout tank to get some of my corals started. I've had a reef tank but it's new to my wife. My thought with the frag tank is that A) I can grow out some stuff so there's some decent size to things when I set up the big one, and B) it'll ease my wife into it a bit. Being in southern California with MAX coming up, I figure it could be good timing. (or I sit on my hands since there's always frag setups for sale there)

Thinking something like Advanced Acrylic's AIO 30x20x12 (I love the 12" height). This would be going on a counter in the garage (future fish room), so a sump isn't an option. This would continue on as a permanent frag tank/new fish observation tank once the full system is set up.

Is it feasible to set up something like this with thoughts that stuff could in there for about 6 months? Seems to me it's just another tank so I don't see why it'd be an issue and I've got no problem with doing a water change every couple of weeks. There'd be a mix of SPS, LPS and zoas plus a small CUC plus a couple of fish in time.

Talking things out with a reefing buddy of mine, we came up with a Hydra 26 (?), some sort of bio media in one of the AIO chambers then run with an MJ pump and a pump in the tank (MP10? Gyre 130?). Add an ATO off of a bucket and a doser that I will eventually move to the big system. I'm not against getting my Apex a few months early to put on it if it'd help keep it stable, and then I'd move that to the big system too.

Do you think it'd need a skimmer? Should I think about a fuge?

I guess technically the tank itself wouldn't HAVE to be an actual frag tank - could it be a cube in the 24x24 range for added volume.(20x24 if there's some sort of HOB gear)

Definitely open to all ideas. On the surface it seems like there's lots of options, but I'm sure reality will whittle them down fast.

kireek · Mar 11, 2015

Unfortunately,the link is not working for me.It sounds like you have a lot of good ideas going.If the system is going in the garage and your not planning on being there often,then automating every thing may be the way to go.Personally I would want a skimmer on my frag tank,this can be tricky to implement on a short tank.

Triggreef · Mar 11, 2015

I have mine plumbed into my main system, So the only extras I need to run it are my lights and flow. All dosing etc is just done as always in my main tank. Works great, I hit the easy button.

bwrag · Mar 11, 2015

Nano Tank Protein Skimmer

i use this on my nano tanks it works suprisingly well and is cheap

MrSquid · Mar 11, 2015

I've come to the conclusion that I'll have to have these tanks custom built, or at least have the glass or acrylic cut and then assemble myself. My plans have evolved a bit lately, but below are some drawings (some prettier than others) of what I'm considering. Also attaching a photo of where it will be going (on the right where the extension cord is). To the left of this setup will be two 18x30" water storage tanks. The bottom tank will be 24x24x12 (~30g) and the sump will be 22x15x12 (~17g). Once I have the water tanks nailed down for certain, I may expand these wider, but not sure yet.

So here's what I'm thinking...

The sump will be located above the tank, and since there's a cabinet above that I'm thinking I could put it on some heavy duty drawer slides so I can have it high up, yet accessible, then hang the light from the shelf the sump sits on. I'm a handy guy with a garage full of tools - no fears on my end in making a shelf strong enough. I'll have two drain lines coming out of the sump - one above the other for safety and I'll have the main tank area rigged for the ATO.

I just scored a sweet deal on a bunch of Radion XR30 Gen2's and one of them will go over this tank. Also just picked up an Apex that'll control both this and my big system once it's up. Because I want minimal space taken up in the tank by gear, I'm thinking of doing the Cadlights PLS-50E skimmer (3.25"x3.25" footprint) and an Eheim Compact+ 2000 pump (3"x5" footprint).

The sump will mainly be a fuge with some rock. In the sump drawing. get rid of the baffle on the left and picture an over/under weir on the right - the rock will be after the weir so the water will be forced to flow through it.

Once the big tank is up this will remain separate as a standalone observation/QT tank.

Thoughts?

Daniel@R2R · May 8, 2015

Cool stuff! How's the tank coming?

MrSquid · May 8, 2015

I had the tank & sump built and they're awesome. All the gear is sitting waiting impatiently. For the structure that holds the sump I ended up going with aluminum t-slot (80/20Â® Inc. - The Industrial Erector SetÂ®) and I'm just waiting for the brackets & fasteners to come in the email today.

I was hoping to be able to build the aluminum structure this weekend, but we've got a lot going on so it may have to sit until next weekend.

MrSquid · May 11, 2015

Progress! T-slot is awesome stuff to work with!

Hoping to have it wet by the end of next weekend. I will start an actual build thread when I get a chance.

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1431319511.896281.jpg

Sangheili · May 12, 2015

Lookin' good. T-Slot is awesome but spendy.

MrSquid · May 12, 2015

Yeah it definitely isn't cheap, but it was my only option for this spot & configuration. In the end I didn't trust this to be made out of wood, and it probably wouldn't have cost much less to have someone weld something like this for me. Plus it was fun to build.

Keepswiming · May 12, 2015

Looking good! Any progress?

MrSquid · May 12, 2015

Nothing major. Not until the weekend rolls around, and this pic was taken at the end of the day on Sunday.

kireek · May 13, 2015

Sangheili said:
Lookin' good. T-Slot is awesome but spendy.

MrSquid said:
Yeah it definitely isn't cheap, but it was my only option for this spot & configuration. In the end I didn't trust this to be made out of wood, and it probably wouldn't have cost much less to have someone weld something like this for me. Plus it was fun to build.

It does look good,industrial strength.How expensive is spendy, did you need power tools for the assembly?

MrSquid · May 13, 2015

All told the aluminum was about $450, but it was also my only option of where to put it, and I didn't see a cheaper way that was still safe. Extrusions & bearings are from Amazon, brackets, gussets & fasteners are from Tnutz.com.

I cut it with a miter saw, dark cutting oil & a new carbide blade. It cut through it like it was pine. Assembly required an Allen wrench & a square - that's it. Oh, and a whole lot of pre-planning!

TheClark · May 13, 2015

Thanks for the T-Slot info, lots of good details. Nice looking build!

Sway70 · Jun 9, 2015

Update?!

MrSquid · Jun 9, 2015

sagzcube said:
Update?!

I keep forgetting to start a build thread - I have the day of tomorrow, so maybe that'll be on my list.

I got the Apex set up and Radion installed, the pumps & plumbing set and the water change station done. Other than that I've hit nothing but bumps in the road. Visually it pretty much looks the same as in the pics above.

I won my RODI in a raffle, but it turns out the manufacturer accidentally sent the show I won it at a used & returned unit, so the membrane & resin were shot. The show + the manufacturer both went above & beyond and set me up with a brand new unit (even bigger than the original - 200gpd vs the original 100gpd, as well some other freebies for my troubles).

Then after I set up my Apex, I found that I needed to update the firmware on my Radion (gen 2) so my WXM can connect to it, but I couldn't get EcoTech's connection manager to run on either of our laptops. I got a Reeflink but that's been nothing but headaches too. That's another one for the to-do list tomorrow. Otherwise it'll be a call to EcoTech support.

Needless to say, the last few weeks have been pretty unproductive. But my wife has been happy since I haven't been able to spend much time on the tank.