Frag swap coral carrier

[Ryan@ShelteredReef]

Threw together a tiered frag/coral carrier that fits in a 5 gallon bucket for the upcoming #CTARS fragtoberfest and figured I'd share a few pics as well as a little tutorial.
First I cut some egg crate down to 16x9" pieces

Next I used a Dremmel to cut out the + at each corner

The hole size is the exact diameter to fit a length of 3/4 PVC so I used some scrap to test fit. I trimmed the corner on the bottom shelf so it could sit lower in the bucket.

This rack leaves plenty of room on either side for a heater and circulation pump

 

[zachxlutz]

You're a DIY kind of guy, huh!

 

[Ryan@ShelteredReef]

You're a DIY kind of guy, huh!

Twice as fun and half the cost haha...usually

 

[zachxlutz]

Twice as fun and half the cost haha...usually

Agreed! I was scrolling through some old photos from when I was building everything and getting things going on my system and it got me reminiscing hard. Maybe I need a new DIY reef project!

 

[Ryan@ShelteredReef]

Agreed! I was scrolling through some old photos from when I was building everything and getting things going on my system and it got me reminiscing hard. Maybe I need a new DIY reef project!

Theres always something new to try. Maybe look into plumbing a wastewater drain on your tank to make water changes easier

 

[jazzmik]

Ryan@ShelteredReef I actually like the idea to create a platform for my Vertex Skimmer. I have a several layers of egg crate zip-tied together but the 4 corners with pvc much nicer. Thx!

 

[Ryan@ShelteredReef]

Ryan@ShelteredReef I actually like the idea to create a platform for my Vertex Skimmer. I have a several layers of egg crate zip-tied together but the 4 corners with pvc much nicer. Thx!

For that you might be better off drilling a couple of holes 1/4-1/2inch from the top of some 1.5" PVC and then thread zip ties through the holes and the egg crate so it can rest on top of the pipe. That way you don't have to worry about the legs twisting or the shelf sliding down the PVC. That's how we did our frag trays at the shop.

 

[jazzmik]

For that you might be better off drilling a couple of holes 1/4-1/2inch from the top of some 1.5" PVC and then thread zip ties through the holes and the egg crate so it can rest on top of the pipe. That way you don't have to worry about the legs twisting or the shelf sliding down the PVC. That's how we did our frag trays at the shop.

My thought was to crazy glue the pvc in the corner cutouts but this is an option also.

 

[Ryan@ShelteredReef]

My thought was to crazy glue the pvc in the corner cutouts but this is an option also.

That may work too. I'm just not sure if super glue actually bonds to polystyrene or not

 

[George Lopez]

I was thinking of something like this but using fittings a the spacers

 

[Ryan@ShelteredReef]

I was thinking of something like this but using fittings a the spacers

That was my original plan as well. The friction is enough that the shelves actually stay in place and I like that I can just slide them up or down depending on the height of the corals

 

[Jo P White]

This is a great idea What kind of circulation pump do you use that works on the go?

 

[Ryan@ShelteredReef]

This is a great idea What kind of circulation pump do you use that works on the go?

This is more intended for holding some pieces to restock whats in the frag tanks as frags are sold. It'll work well for a show that you can drive to. The circulation and heat is for when you get to the event. That way when you add the new frags to the display, they're already in water thats around the same temperature. The circulation keeps the corals clear of any mucus and helps keep O2 levels higher.

 

[Jo P White]

This is more intended for holding some pieces to restock whats in the frag tanks as frags are sold. It'll work well for a show that you can drive to. The circulation and heat is for when you get to the event. That way when you add the new frags to the display, they're already in water thats around the same temperature. The circulation keeps the corals clear of any mucus and helps keep O2 levels higher.

Thanks, was thinking ahead to next year when I’ll be driving up to Orlando from Fort Lauderdale where they’ll hopefully have the show again. Neat idea for your needs! I’ve seen some little travel carriers that look like CD cases but thought what you’d come up with was a nice DIY.

 

[Ryan@ShelteredReef]

Thanks, was thinking ahead to next year when I’ll be driving up to Orlando from Fort Lauderdale where they’ll hopefully have the show again. Neat idea for your needs! I’ve seen some little travel carriers that look like CD cases but thought what you’d come up with was a nice DIY.

We also like to bring our own water so can kill two birds with one stone by bringing the corals in a couple of the 5 gallon buckets. We're hoping to make it to RAP Orlando next year as well. Maybe we'll see you there

 

[Jo P White]

We also like to bring our own water so can kill two birds with one stone by bringing the corals in a couple of the 5 gallon buckets. We're hoping to make it to RAP Orlando next year as well. Maybe we'll see you there

That be great. It’d be our first show. I’ve had a 28g Nano for about 8 years and started up a 90g in July so I’ve been looking forward to getting some awesome corals in the tank.

 

[George Lopez]

You can just use a bait pump for the travel time and your bumps and turns will give you circulation... and i was thinking with a center support style you make holes in the bottom and put the bubbler inside the pipe and it will pull the water from the bottom and O out the top with the flow of the bubbles and limit bubbles getting on the corals...

 

[Ryan@ShelteredReef]

You can just use a bait pump for the travel time and your bumps and turns will give you circulation... and i was thinking with a center support style you make holes in the bottom and put the bubbler inside the pipe and it will pull the water from the bottom and O out the top with the flow of the bubbles and limit bubbles getting on the corals...

Thats a great idea! Basically a mini airlift pump. You could run it with just a battery powered air pump. The only concern would be temperature as the air being pumped into the bucket would either cool or warm the water depending on the ambient air temp.

 

[George Lopez]

Urea i

Thats a great idea! Basically a mini airlift pump. You could run it with just a battery powered air pump. The only concern would be temperature as the air being pumped into the bucket would either cool or warm the water depending on the ambient air temp.

didn't think about that...

 

[BoomCorals]

Have you found the racks stay in place ok? Or did you have to use some glue to get them to stay in once place and prevent one rack from falling onto another?