New Frag Tank Build. Need Ideas.

[ajremington68]

So I got this off a Facebook group for only 50 bucks off a gentleman, because he was moving and had to get rid of it or leave it at the curb. CRAZY CRAZY deal I am still in a fever dream. Now I have put it all together tested the tank to hold water and tested the bulkheads and everything is good! So now I can start planning it, I want to do a full frag tank build with eggcrate and PVC as the legs of the rack. This tank is ready to get wet today but I have some questions.

Also, tank is a 34g corner overflow with a 24g trigger sys sapphire sump with a current USA massive return pump.

Obviously, you are always prone to algae and uglies but I have heard its really hard to have a bare bottom tank and its rocky for the first year. With this tank I plan on bare bottom display and adding a bag of ceramic media pellets to the sump (these have been in one of my other tanks for over a year). How many pellets should I put in there to give it enough area for the bacteria with no sand and no rock? Also I plan to shut down my 20g long and merge it into this would it be smart for me to add the 20g of water from the 20g long tank and the rock from the tank immediately or make new water and get rock from my 180 and let it sit for a while?

Thoughts and Ideas how I can get this tank to be cycled quickly to merge the 20g into it or immediately? Also thoughts on how to have the stability of a bunch or rock but without a bunch of the rock.

These are the ceramic pieces I have in one of my other tanks.
https://a.co/d/eoKYWyo

 

[JTP424]

Dang! I with I would have seen it

 

[ajremington68]

Dang! I with I would have seen it

everyone keeps saying this!!! I posted "if its highest bid wins ill start it off at $50.00" as a joke and he called me on it and told me to come out. In the photo of it you couldn't see the work done to it. Once I got there I realized the gold mine I stumbled into. Previously to this guy, it was owned and built out by an electrician and contractor. He made this thing so nice and built to last and survive a car crash...

 

[ajremington68]

bump

 

[JTP424]

Your idea is good on the ceramic pellets, unfortunately I am not good with calculating how many would be sufficient, how big of a bag of pellets do you have?
I would throw as many as you can in a mesh bag in the sump, then it's basically "pre-cycled" since you're essentially transferring the bacteria over, it's set to go... maybe give it a week to cycle?

So long as there is enough ceramic media, that's your "rock" you should have stability.

I'd probably start with fresh salt too, no need to bring over dirty tank water.

 

[ajremington68]

Your idea is good on the ceramic pellets, unfortunately I am not good with calculating how many would be sufficient, how big of a bag of pellets do you have?
I would throw as many as you can in a mesh bag in the sump, then it's basically "pre-cycled" since you're essentially transferring the bacteria over, it's set to go... maybe give it a week to cycle?

So long as there is enough ceramic media, that's your "rock" you should have stability.

I bought 5lbs of ceramic pieces so its like 2lbs give or take. I just have fish that are my girlfriends so they cant die.. need to be certain in a plan before I execute.

 

[JTP424]

I bought 5lbs of ceramic pieces so its like 2lbs give or take. I just have fish that are my girlfriends so they cant die.. need to be certain in a plan before I execute.

What kind of fishys? Yea your two pounds is probably ok? Transfer it and test for week and see if things swing?

 

[ajremington68]

What kind of fishys? Yea your two pounds is probably ok? Transfer it and test for week and see if things swing?

mean maraoon clown, bangi cardnal, blue devil damsel, saddleback puffer

 

[JTP424]

Eh. So long as the 20 has been up and running, and you're putting everything into the 34, you shouldn't need a wait period.
Pull the fish for a bit into some buckets, take the rock and water, transfer it all, make sure everything runs, re-add fish

*Edit - sorry for the crazy path to get to this answer haha.

 

[ajremington68]

Eh. So long as the 20 has been up and running, and you're putting everything into the 34, you shouldn't need a wait period.
Pull the fish for a bit into some buckets, take the rock and water, transfer it all, make sure everything runs, re-add fish

*Edit - sorry for the crazy path to get to this answer haha.

No problem I will do this! just need the water to get done.

 

[ShakeyGizzard]

Dang! I with I would have seen it

I wish you on that

 

[ShakeyGizzard]

That is an awesome find !

 

[WhatCouldGoWrong71]

Great find. Those outlets just scare me is all.

 

[ajremington68]

Great find. Those outlets just scare me is all.

Yea, I have been getting this. Really cool idea but making me second think using them.

 

[officialreefbros]

Wow that thing is awesome! By anychance do you have specs on the cabinet or how it was built?

 

[ajremington68]

Wow that thing is awesome! By anychance do you have specs on the cabinet or how it was built?

erm I can take a video of it. but no I was told from the guy I got it from. the owner before him was first owner and he was electrician and contractor and custom-built it all on his own.