New frag tank!

[underwaterfirefighter]

My wife and I just got a new Solana 34 set up we are planning to use as a frag tank. We currently have a 90 gal and a 29 gal bio cube set up and running. What is the best way to get the Solana up and going and ready for frags as quickly as possible? Can we use some of the rock from our other tanks or should we get more/new live rock. We also plan to use some of the frag station products to display the frags. We are trying to keep a more natural look so decided to go that route instead of egg crate. The tank will be in our den area so we wanted to make it nice looking. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Also should we keep the bio-balls in the filter section? I have heard mixed reviews on this and don't know which way to go with it.
Pics to come later this evening!
Thanks
Dave and Lisa

 

[underwaterfirefighter]

Pics of Frag Tank/Solana

Here are some pics of the tank. I hope to get it up this evening. I will be adding some live rock to go with the preformed wall. Our LFS has some pieces of really flat Live Rock that we plan to drill holes in for the frag plugs. Since this is going in our den area we wanted to go with more of the LR look instead of egg crate. What do think?

Dave and Lisa

 

[Hypertek99]

Dave looks good. If you want to get it going as quick as possible you will have to use a lot of sand and rock from your existing tank. But you will still have to wait like a week or 2 for the cycle to settle. If your going to be keeping your nice frags in there i would definitely wait it out.

 

[underwaterfirefighter]

Thanks Tony,
I plan to go to UA this evening and get a couple of pieces of LR. Planning on using water out of the 90 gal for about 50 percent of the water in the Solana. Rest of the water would be new. Also some rock out of the 90.
What do you think? Also we got our Pumpkin Patch and Bazooka Joe in this morning! They look awsome for having just endured a cross country flight!:wink:

Dave and Lisa

 

[Hypertek99]

Sounds good but i would still wait like a week beore i just throw frags in the tank. Oh i'll be at UA later to frag up the Desert Sunset.

 

[underwaterfirefighter]

That is very cool! What time do you think you will be there?
We planned on waiting about a week or so to start putting frags in. Also planning on upgrading the light to the MH/T5 combo pendant from Current.

Dave and Lisa

 

[MikeB]

We hooked our frag tank inline with our display tank. Instant frag tank

 

[underwaterfirefighter]

That would be awsome, but... The frag tank is upstairs on one end of the house, the main displayis downstairs on the other end of the house:sad:
Could make for some interesting plumbing. I think I need to take the aquariums to an architect and say "can you build us a house around this?"

Dave and Lisa

 

[mpoletti]

Also we got our Pumpkin Patch and Bazooka Joe in this morning! They look awsome for having just endured a cross country flight!:wink:

Dave and Lisa

Thats great news. I'm glad you liked them

BTW, use your old water and some established lr and you will be fine. I have done it a few times in the past.

 

[Hypertek99]

That is very cool! What time do you think you will be there?
Dave and Lisa

I'll be there around 3pm

 

[underwaterfirefighter]

Up and going!

Wow! I just got the Solana set up, water in, rock work done, pumps... pumping, and skimmer skimming. I'll get some pics up as soon as I take Lars (the comfort retriever) out. He's been patiently waiting for me to get finished so he can go out and then to bed:wink:

Dave

 

[Hypertek99]

Can't wait to see pics.

 

[underwaterfirefighter]

Pics of new Solana

Here is a pic of the Solana just after puting the water in and getting it fired up. I took some thin pieces of LR and made frag shelves out of them and glued them to the pre formed back wall we have. What do think?

 

[underwaterfirefighter]

More pics.

Still trying to figure out the Photobucket/Upload to R2R combination.

 

[Ian]

I like that back wall...

did you buy it or make it?

 

[underwaterfirefighter]

Kind of both. We bought the main piece. Then I added some thin pieces of LR that I drilled holes in for frags. The main wall was purchased at a LFS in Richmond VA. They said that it was made by a local guy there. The LFS staff said they have been using them for a while both in the store displays and in their own tanks with no problems.

Dave

 

[underwaterfirefighter]

Thanks BigIan.

Dave

 

[Hypertek99]

Looking good!