Frag Tank Experts Needed!!!!!!

brokendeck

brokendeck

Active Member
I am looking to set up a small frag tank to see if I want to move up to a larger tank. I have a small 10 gallon tank laying around the house and a 2 X 55 watt Jebo light.
What else would I need for this frag tank?
What kind of filtration would I need for this tank?
Any info to help me get this set up would be great. Just wanting to try a frag tank out and see if I will have success with it or not before I decide to put alot of money into a bigger frag tank.
 
catfishcity

catfishcity

Member
DO IT!!! i just set up a 20g frag tank and it is really coming along nice. i have a 10g sump on mine. you could prob. do like a 5g fuge right next to the 10g. i wouldnt do a HOB filter for a frag tank. that light should be perfect. hope i helped a little.
 
jackri

jackri

Active Member
Really no need for a fuge with a frag tank if it's strictly corals only, you should have the need to add food or anything producing waste. I'm not sure if you would really even need a filter if you use RO/DI water and do a water change every week and just have some powerheads for movement.
Small tanks do scare me however.. any small amount of change is magnified intensely in that size of tank.
 
brokendeck

brokendeck

Active Member
Originally Posted by jackri
http:///forum/post/3073473
Really no need for a fuge with a frag tank if it's strictly corals only, you should have the need to add food or anything producing waste. I'm not sure if you would really even need a filter if you use RO/DI water and do a water change every week and just have some powerheads for movement.
Small tanks do scare me however.. any small amount of change is magnified intensely in that size of tank.
The only thing in the tank is gonna be frags, no fish or inverts.
I need to add food or anything producing waste? You kinda lost me there, but it is really early in the morning here. lol! I also use RO/DI water as well. I'm planning on doing a 1 gallon water change every week to 2 weeks. Which would you suggest?
 
jackri

jackri

Active Member
Honestly if you have some already seeded, cured live rock ready to go in there and RO/DI water --- you're pretty much good to go. Cured live rock will already have bacteria you need, and if you don't have to feed the tank you really won't go through a cycle.
My frag tank build I put sps corals in 7 days after I filled it with water and added a tang 2 days later. I put in some cured live rock out of my main tank and just basically dumped it in.... took frags right out into my frag tank and has been running great.
It also has about 100g of water volume, a sump, and a protein skimmer but I also add food to the tank.
If you do a gallon water change every week I don't think you need any filtration -- just make sure your evaporation is topped off with RO/DI water to keep that 10 gallons constant. If you lose 1 gallon to evaporation that could send your salinity out of wack pretty fast.
Hope that made sense.. it's late and im tired :)
 
brokendeck

brokendeck

Active Member
Yes it makes alot of sense. So I would still half to do the basics of adding CAL, MAG, and ID?
Another question, since I wont see a cycle, could I just add old water from my tank when I do a water change and start the tank out with that water or would you suggest using new water. I have plenty of both, but I just want it to be set up the correct way!
 
fau8

fau8

Member
You will still need to filter the tank, and you will need water movement. Stagnet water will deplete oxygen and you will end up with a smelly algea pit.
 
jackri

jackri

Active Member
You can use either.. but you need some source to hold denitrifying bacteria -- ie live rock or something. If you can take a bit of live rock out of your main tank and use that water -- that would be ideal IMO.
 
brokendeck

brokendeck

Active Member
Alrighty will do. Im gonna set it up tomorrow. Just had a chance to get online and see what your reply was. I have plenty of LR I can move in there. Ill let you know how it goes. Will my test read anything with the old water? Will this tank cycle?
 
jackri

jackri

Active Member
The water and rock going in are already cycled right? You shouldn't have to worry about another cycle if thats the case.
 
brokendeck

brokendeck

Active Member
Yes the LR and water is coming from my main tank which has been cycled for months now. How long would you wait till you put corals in this tank?
 
jackri

jackri

Active Member
I wouldn't wait... but I would go slow adding corals. Add one or two frags right away... few days later add some more. You don't need to wait to add more corals but if something is wrong you are minimizing your losses.
 
brokendeck

brokendeck

Active Member
Alrighty, ill add 2 corals when I get the tank set up this afternoon. Ill let you know how it goes. The frag crate stuff, Can I just glue it together or do I put it together a different way?
 
brokendeck

brokendeck

Active Member
Got the frag tank set up. It looks ok but I'd rather have a larger one. Hopefully it will work, then Ill spend the money to upgrade.
 
brokendeck

brokendeck

Active Member
I got my eggcrate today. Now how would I set this eggcrate up for growing and fragging. How high should the eggcrate be from the bottom? Chalice and a few zoos are being put into the tank.
 
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