10G Frag Tank Build

[jwood73]

Well, I decided I’m going to redo my display tank and get away from softies and do LPS dominant. But before I can do that I obviously “needed” a place to store the various softies I pull out. Hence the “need” to build a new tank. This may not be an ideal build or setup, but I pieced it together with equipment I already had on hand.

Equipment:
- Aqueon 10G (picked up for 50% off from Petco a few months back)
- Fluval marine nano LED (I had from an old 7.5G cube build)
- Tetra 50W heater (I have a few of these I use for water changes, I’ll eventually get a nicer heater)
- Fluval sea CP2 power head (I had from my old Evo setup)
- Fluval/Aquaclear 50 HOB filter (I picked this up on sale a year ago or so. Figured I’d use it at some point)
- ATO is one of those pieces you use with an upside down water bottle. I had this from before I setup a true ATO on my Evo.
- Frag racks are egg crate, pvc, and hot glue.

Planned upgrades:
- Nicer heater with an ink bird controller.

For the stand I had a random cabinet/drawer that the previous owner of left in the basement. I used some spare pond liner to make a rubber top for the stand.

Please excuse the mess, organizing this room is next on my list now that the tank is in place.

I used some egg crate I had laying around. I had to buy some 1/2” pvc but that was only $4-5.

I mounted a power strip on the back. I may end up getting a wifi power strip in the future.

I mounted the power head on the bottom. My hope is it’ll keep detritus suspended so the filter can suck it up.

I added a few pieces of rock I had laying around for bacteria to colonize. I am waiting on a replacement oring for the HOB filter, as the current one is leaking. Once I have the filter running I will transfer over some rock, and bio media from my two other tanks.

Once I have it up and running I’ll predominantly be putting Xenia, zoas, sympodium, mushrooms, and pipe organ as I thin out my tanks. I also have a large Duncan colony I may try fragging.

Livestock:
I am debating adding a pink streaked wrasse. It seems that they’ll stay small and he can pick on the plugs and rock all day. If he ever gets too big I can move him to another tank. I may also add a smaller blenny for algae grazing.

CUC: I have trochus snails and dwarf blue legged hermits I may move from my other tanks once I need them.

I’ll add some more photos and updates once I get the filter running and move over some frags.

I’m open to advice/feedback.

 

[NonstopSoda]

Holy cow I frickin LOVE how this looks!!!! If you don't mind I might copy this for my own frag tank!! amazing job!!

 

[Formulator]

Solid build! I am thinking of doing the same thing with an aqueon 10g I have collecting dust, so thank you for the inspiration. I never thought to mount the power head on the bottom - genius!

For mine I think I will tie into my existing system’s plumbing, so I don’t have to have separate filtration and can skip cycling. Did you consider that route or do you have space constraints?

 

[jwood73]

I

Solid build! I am thinking of doing the same thing with an aqueon 10g I have collecting dust, so thank you for the inspiration. I never thought to mount the power head on the bottom - genius!

For mine I think I will tie into my existing system’s plumbing, so I don’t have to have separate filtration and can skip cycling. Did you consider that route or do you have space constraints?

My display tank is actually on the other side of that wall so this tank backs up to it, but my display is an all in one. If I had a sump, I would’ve cut into the wall and piped them together. Eventually when I upgrade my display tank to a sump system I’ll put the sump in this room, so I’ll be able to plumb them together easily.

 

[jwood73]

Holy cow I frickin LOVE how this looks!!!! If you don't mind I might copy this for my own frag tank!! amazing job!!

Go for it! My racks are at 4”, 6”, and 8” from the bottom. And for a 12” deep tank that’s 4”, 6” and 8” from the surface. Figured that gives me some good variety for lighting and flow for different corals.

 

[Fish Fan]

Super solid build!

I recently had a ten gallon coral tank with an AquaClear 50 and a heater, and not much more, and it didn't work well for me or my corals :-( I'm now building a 40B with a 20L sump as a coral QT/Growout tank.

Tagging along here to see how your project goes. Best of luck with your system!

 

[jwood73]

A successful lunch break. The replacement oring came in and the aquaclear 50 is up and running with no leaks! I transferred over 4 bio blocks from my display tank and 4 small rocks from my display tank. The rocks all have some minor algae and tube worms on them, I’m trying to avoid this being a completely sterile tank. The bio blocks are in the filter and the rocks are distributed around the tank. The aquaclear is also running carbon and filter floss.

I went ahead and dosed 3ppm nitrate, 0.02ppm phosphate, AB+, phyto, and zooplankton to the tank since I filled it with new saltwater (Red Sea coral pro salt @ ~35ppt).

I had three frags I went ahead and moved over to the tank about an hour after dosing. Xenia, GSP, and a Zoa. The Zoa was not doing too hot as my crabs kept knocking it down to the bottom of the tank which is shaded (pretty much daily). Hoping it can recoup in here.

I’ll check and test the tank this evening and plan on adding a fish over the weekend if all is well. Just want something to keep my bacteria from starving. I need to figure out a lid, but for now I’ll lay some mesh over the top temporarily.

 

[Fish Fan]

Your bacteria won't die out even if you left your tank fishless for some time. They can persist a long time without being "fed", so to speak. But a lot of people really like a fish or two in their frag tanks as the fish poop can feed corals, and some fish can help with algae, so go for it if the tank is ready.

What kind of corals are you hoping to keep in here?

 

[jwood73]

Your bacteria won't die out even if you left your tank fishless for some time. They can persist a long time without being "fed", so to speak. But a lot of people really like a fish or two in their frag tanks as the fish poop can feed corals, and some fish can help with algae, so go for it if the tank is ready.

What kind of corals are you hoping to keep in here?

I will be keeping softies in here for the foreseeable future. Xenia, zoas, mushrooms (rhodactis and F. ricordea), and GSP as I try thin them out of my tanks (completely eradicate in the case of the xenia).

Once I’ve thinned out the softies and traded/given away what I can, I’ll use it for LPS for grow out and fragging. I have a large Duncan colony, frogspawn and Australian hammer in my DT right now. I’d like to start adding torches once I make room.

 

[jwood73]

Testing for ammonia and nitrite was probably a moot point given the age of the tank, but both show zero. Went ahead and dosed a some Dr. Tim’s just to be safe. Phosphate and Nitrate are 0.09 and 4.1ppm respectively. I’m guessing the AB+ boosted my phosphate some.

The local petco had an elongate dottyback in a tank with an anemone that was about to go nuclear. I decided to rescue him and put him in the frag tank. Rocking a temp mesh lid for now.

Tomorrow I will be pulling out Xenia and sympodium from my DT. Those of you with frag tanks, how do you get rid of frags? Do you just call and check with your LFS or local groups on FB?

 

[Fish Fan]

Looking good!

Yeah, trade in your frags at your local LFS or sell/give/trade with your local reefing club. I see people near me on Craigslist and Facebook advertising frags for sale. There's a section here on R2R for livestock sales and trades (as well as give-a-ways, if you're so inclined). What to do with all your extra frags is a good problem to have!

 

[jwood73]

The dottyback is out and about today and eating. He seems to enjoy swimming around the left rack. I filled up a lot of the racks with Xenia and have some bits of sympodium in here. I’ll watch everyone for a week or so and make sure they’re doing well before trying to off load any.