Plumb in a frag tank or keep it separate?

[bakbay]

All - need your help & opinion on how to approach this. Currently I have a Red Sea Reefer 250 and a 25g lagoon frag tank. I have enough basic equipment to run 2 separate tanks (will be 3 tanks total if I go this route). Obviously there are pros & cons. What do you guys recommend in terms of easy maintenance and stability?

Options:
1. Plumb in a frag tank and add another sump. I don't like the small sump that came with the RS250. I recently bought a used 40g sump that I would rather use instead. This option sounds very appealing to me for several reasons: bigger combined water volume, less equipment, similar water parameters (just diff flow), etc. However, I’m not sure how to re-plumb a Red Sea Reefer though. I don’t want to cut the existing pipes! Please let me know if you've seen/done this?

2. Separate frag tank. This is easy -- I have enough equipment (minus the Apex & Trident) to run another separate tank. Good news is that it can have different water parameters, flow, etc. It's self-contained, can use it as a hospital tank if needed. Bad news: it's another tank that I have to take care of...

What do you guys think?

 

[blaxsun]

There are pros and cons - the biggest challenge being trying to balance water flow between all the tanks. There's nothing wrong with the Reefer 250 sump - I have a 750XXL and my sump is only 40 gallons.

It would be fairly easy to plumb your frag tank into the existing Reefer 250 sump. All you really need is a pair of overflow pipes from your frag tank to the Reefer 250 sump and a small return pump for the frag tank.

 

[Hats_]

I also plumbed my in sump frag tank into the system, makes it a lot easier to keep the parameters stable and due to the larger volume you will hardly get swings when you sell a lot in a short time (when dosing using dosing pumps)

 

[bakbay]

There are pros and cons - the biggest challenge being trying to balance water flow between all the tanks. There's nothing wrong with the Reefer 250 sump - I have a 750XXL and my sump is only 40 gallons.

It would be fairly easy to plumb your frag tank into the existing Reefer 250 sump. All you really need is a pair of overflow pipes from your frag tank to the Reefer 250 sump and a small return pump for the frag tank.

The RSR250’s sump is only 11g and limited in space but you are absolutely correct, nothing wrong with it and sooo much easier to just get a small return pump and I’m done. Just need to make sure it can handle the overflow for both tanks when power goes out.

I want to go the other way since I have a massive sump that will a) increase more water volume and b) give me more room for other gear.

Thanks for the input — will def consider it.

 

[bakbay]

There are pros and cons - the biggest challenge being trying to balance water flow between all the tanks. There's nothing wrong with the Reefer 250 sump - I have a 750XXL and my sump is only 40 gallons.

It would be fairly easy to plumb your frag tank into the existing Reefer 250 sump. All you really need is a pair of overflow pipes from your frag tank to the Reefer 250 sump and a small return pump for the frag tank.

Thanks for the input, I think that I’ll go this route - less surgery. Will need to buy a stand for the frag tank first though. Thanks again!

btw: I had a good read through your build, impressive!

 

[blaxsun]

Thanks for the input, I think that I’ll go this route - less surgery. Will need to buy a stand for the frag tank first though. Thanks again!

btw: I had a good read through your build, impressive!

No problem - good luck with your frag tank (and thanks!)

 

[Derrick0580]

I plumbed mine into my existing sump on my 120 gallon. I just used a 2nd return pump instead of trying to get the flow just right between 2 tanks off a single return!

 

[Pistondog]

I have a 20g connected to the sump of the main 75g.
Makes moving livestock between the 2 trivial since water is the same.

 

[bakbay]

I plumbed mine into my existing sump on my 120 gallon. I just used a 2nd return pump instead of trying to get the flow just right between 2 tanks off a single return!

Sounds good. I have plenty of return pumps so definitely a way to go vs trying to balance flow with 2 tanks.

I have a 20g connected to the sump of the main 75g.
Makes moving livestock between the 2 trivial since water is the same.

This is my first frag tank and my first plumb so it will be interesting. All my tanks have been separated.

Will share pictures soon. I’ve been capturing in my Build thread.

thanks everyone

 

[WhatCouldGoWrong71]

@Derrick0580 can you show me how you have the frag itself set up? I am doing the same, 18x36x13 38g frag into my RS Max500’s sump. I am not sure how to setup the drains on the frag (one normal and one E). I want to figure the math out so that no more than 5g, preferably 3.5, would drain out of the frag when power goes out. I know that each inch is 2.8g, so not sure which drain style to use then figure out exact height.

 

[CBonito]

The main reason I would want a frag tank is for the purpose of having backup coral if something in another tank goes to hell, so I would be inclined to run it separately from my existing system.

 

[Derrick0580]

@Derrick0580 can you show me how you have the frag itself set up? I am doing the same, 18x36x13 38g frag into my RS Max500’s sump. I am not sure how to setup the drains on the frag (one normal and one E). I want to figure the math out so that no more than 5g, preferably 3.5, would drain out of the frag when power goes out. I know that each inch is 2.8g, so not sure which drain style to use then figure out exact height.

I am using an eshopps pf 800 hang on overflow. It only has the one drain line and i just used a T fitting sideways on one of my sump inlets with a 45 elbow. I use a separate return pump, I M mighty jet midsize so that the frag tank can stay running if I am doing maintenance in the main display.

 

[WhatCouldGoWrong71]

I am using an eshopps pf 800 hang on overflow. It only has the one drain line and i just used a T fitting sideways on one of my sump inlets with a 45 elbow. I use a separate return pump, I M mighty jet midsize so that the frag tank can stay running if I am doing maintenance in the main display.

Thanks @Derrick0580