Simple frag tank.

[MrHermit85]

Hello all!

I was just curious about how simple a frag tank can be? I only want to house soft corals and some lps. So mainly yumas, ricordeas, zoas and mushrooms. I am ordering a par38 bulb (will this be too much???) and I have an old 20 long turtle tank which can only be filled halfway so 10 gallons total. I also have a maxijet 1200 and a bunch of live rock from my main tanks sump and was thinking of having a little corner cordened off for a little ball of chaeto.

Do I need anything else other than a heater? Can you share how your first frag tanks were setup?

 

[Poseidon]

i always think a frag tank does best if its tied into your main system, especially if you want to go small, its very easy to do

 

[MrHermit85]

What's the easiest way to connect it to my system? If I drill two holes in the one side and plumb both to my sump could I use one bulkhead for a return and one for a drain? Or is an overflow box necessary?

 

[Poseidon]

i actually have two examples of this on my system,
i have a mj 1200 in my main frag tank, and it feeds my 10g nano tank, and the nano is drilled and that flows into
the sump of the frag tank, so a bit of a chain, and a bit of water balancing involved but it works.

an easier way to do it is just T off your return pump and have a small return in the frag tank and just have the drain go to the sump as well.

 

[MrHermit85]

i actually have two examples of this on my system,
i have a mj 1200 in my main frag tank, and it feeds my 10g nano tank, and the nano is drilled and that flows into
the sump of the frag tank, so a bit of a chain, and a bit of water balancing involved but it works.

an easier way to do it is just T off your return pump and have a small return in the frag tank and just have the drain go to the sump as well.

I guess this way you don't have to worry about heaters or an extra skimmer plus you get extra water volume. I may consider this.

 

[Poseidon]

[quote author=Poseidon link=topic=6589.msg64566#msg64566 date=1382055221]
i actually have two examples of this on my system,
i have a mj 1200 in my main frag tank, and it feeds my 10g nano tank, and the nano is drilled and that flows into
the sump of the frag tank, so a bit of a chain, and a bit of water balancing involved but it works.

an easier way to do it is just T off your return pump and have a small return in the frag tank and just have the drain go to the sump as well.

I guess this way you don't have to worry about heaters or an extra skimmer plus you get extra water volume. I may consider this.
[/quote]

Yup, running a small frag tank is like running a nano and I found that more work than it's worth

 

[MrHermit85]

What size drain do you use on the nano? Is it just a bulkhead? I have a mj1200 too so I could use the same...

 

[Poseidon]

What size drain do you use on the nano? Is it just a bulkhead? I have a mj1200 too so I could use the same...

The nano is a 10g
drain is 3/4" soft plumbing

 

[MrHermit85]

Cool thanks for the help looks like I have a POA! And it will be cheaper too which is always a plus!

 

[Poseidon]

No prob!
Best of luck and post some pics!

 

[harleymike]

My frag tank is 15 gallons with 25 gallon sump. Works great.

 

[MrHermit85]

My frag tank is 15 gallons with 25 gallon sump. Works great.

Your frag tanks sump is bigger than my main tanks sump lol

 

[harleymike]

[quote author=harleymike link=topic=6589.msg64575#msg64575 date=1382057822]
My frag tank is 15 gallons with 25 gallon sump. Works great.

Lol. Ya its what I had available.
Your frag tanks sump is bigger than my main tanks sump lol
[/quote]

 

[Jewel]

Having a Frag tank is what most of us wished they had, Our Corals grow and naturally we want to make a bit of cash on our investment, Having one tied into our main system is great But what if you don't have the space? I have a spare room and I'd love to set up a Frag tank, Then what? The tank is a No brainer. Unibob has the want I want then what a big Sump, A skimmer, what else Is it really Feasible?

 

[Poseidon]

Did you end up doing this ?

 

[Jewel]

Nope but I'd like to down the road. But is it really feasible, I mean I cant tie it into my tank so you need an entirely new system with Sump, Skimmer, lights, Etc Etc?

 

[harleymike]

Nope but I'd like to down the road. But is it really feasible, I mean I cant tie it into my tank so you need an entirely new system with Sump, Skimmer, lights, Etc Etc?

Ya, it is definitely better too tie it in. But i couldn't either.

 

[Poseidon]

Yea it's a second tank, you need everything you would for a dt tank, just doesn't need to be that cosmetically appealing

 

[TORX]

It all depends on what you want to keep in it. A 20 gallon will work with some LR, or even grab up some marine biomedia block. Use a HOB skimmer and your MJ, with light and should be good. But you grow what you set up for. You may want a few little fishies in there as well.

The BRS Coral propagation -- Episode 1: Propagating the rose bubble tip aneme tank is a good idea, check out the video and it will give you an idea. He starts talking about the tank at the 5 minute mark, but the whole thing has some interesting info.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9HeNy9aWm6I

 

[MrHermit85]

It all depends on what you want to keep in it. A 20 gallon will work with some LR, or even grab up some marine biomedia block. Use a HOB skimmer and your MJ, with light and should be good. But you grow what you set up for. You may want a few little fishies in there as well.

The BRS Coral propagation -- Episode 1: Propagating the rose bubble tip aneme tank is a good idea, check out the video and it will give you an idea. He starts talking about the tank at the 5 minute mark, but the whole thing has some interesting info.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9HeNy9aWm6I

Thanks I will give it a look