My First DIY Frag Tank - 200gal

[emissary43]

First I would like to thank all of you for your useful participation in this forum. I could not have done it without you.
http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk284/emissary43/DSC00924.jpg

I just finished a 200 gallon frag system. The tank is 6'x2'x17 3/4" and holds about 130gallons. It is plumbed into my old 90gal display through a shared sump.
http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk284/emissary43/DSC00775.jpg

I drilled the overflow and the backup on the back wall. I have eliminated the overflow box and i am using a Lee's modified version of a gurgle buster to provide skim and overflow needs. I added mesh to protect the overflow from snalls and fish.
http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk284/emissary43/DSC00786.jpg


I have split my return and caped the lines with inductors. I also have a sieo opposite to the returns.
http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk284/emissary43/DSC00779.jpg


The refugium is an old 45 gallon Acrillic tank that I drilled and added a divider to allow for two refugium zones. An initial rubble zone where the water slowly flows from below the rubble up and over the divider. Then a DSS whith high flow and cheato.
http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk284/emissary43/DSC00776.jpg
http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk284/emissary43/DSC00777.jpg
http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk284/emissary43/DSC00928.jpg
http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk284/emissary43/DSC00929.jpg

[emissary43]

I converted an old store bought sump by tearing out all the inards and putting my own divider to maintain skimmer depth and drilling new holes.
http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk284/emissary43/DSC00927.jpg


As for the lighting I build a 1"x1" bridge and hung a self designed T5 fixture with moon lights by adjustable hanging pieces from my local horticulture store. Those are Reef Ready T5 setups because they come with the best T5 reflectors I have ever seen.
http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk284/emissary43/DSC00893.jpg
http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk284/emissary43/DSC00894.jpg
http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk284/emissary43/DSC00895.jpg
http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk284/emissary43/DSC00896.jpg


I built the stand using RocketEngineer's design but added stabilizers to each end to eliminate any wiggle.
http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk284/emissary43/DSC00925.jpg
http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk284/emissary43/DSC00926.jpg

[chrismunn]

thats alot of frags, did you just have al of those chillin' in your display tank before you built the frag tank? you did a nice job on the frag tank by the way.

[crvz]

really nice setup, you'll have to let us know when you're selling some of those frags!

[sassafrass]

Hey emissary43 nice setup I always get more satisfaction from building something myself instead of buying it. I am really looking forward to seeing some of those awesome frags in person .
PS thanks for the credit on the gurgle -buster mod!!
Regards , Lee

[spleify]

Very cool! I wish I had a "frag tank" twice the size of my Display.

Thanks for sharing

Spleify

[tim_nz]

when you say "I built the stand using RocketEngineer's design..." im assuming you are referring to someone's design on this site? could you direct me to this.
thanks

looks good

[tim_nz]

actually don't worry - found it http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1169964

[emissary43]

Thanks I moved many frags from a tank at a friends house that were waiting for it to be finished. All told you are looking at roughly 70 types of Aussie/Japanese/Indonesian Acans. They expanded pretty quickly when I turned them into frags. Here are some pics of live stock in the tank.

My two Maximas
http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk284/emissary43/DSC00901.jpg
http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk284/emissary43/DSC00902.jpg

Nice group of colonys with a purple walling hammer, a green walling hammer, and a Red Scoly in the back
http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk284/emissary43/DSC00903.jpg

more stuff
http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk284/emissary43/DSC00904.jpg

check out these Aussie unknowns! they are like walling Acans or something.
http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk284/emissary43/DSC00905.jpg

[emissary43]

This is a nice big Welsoni Brain
http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk284/emissary43/DSC00909.jpg

Japanese Orange Crush Acan
http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk284/emissary43/DSC00910.jpg

I love Mosalayas
http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk284/emissary43/DSC00911.jpg

Aussie Elegances
http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk284/emissary43/DSC00913.jpg

More Stuff you see the Tubs Blue Zoos on the right?
http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk284/emissary43/DSC00915.jpg

AND MY ALL TIME FAVORITE!!!
JAPANESE RAINBOW ACAN!!!
http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk284/emissary43/DSC00900.jpg

If you can't tell I have a thing for Acans. When I start unloading frags i will let you know but if you have some nice Acans send me a pic and mabye we can trade if i don't have it.

[Jarob]

wow...

[8BALL_99]

LoL if your frag tank is bigger then your display I don't think its really a frag tank anymore.

[cdness]

wow... do you ship to North Dakota....:)

[emissary43]

Shhhhh don't tell my wife. Anyways why not, that's like saying if your refugium is bigger than your display it isn't a refugium anymore. It is a description of purpose not a comparison of size.

But if you prefer we can call it an Acan Garden :)

[emissary43]

do you ship to North Dakota

I haven't really taken time to organize all the frags I grew out but I don't see why I can't ship to N. Dakota once I do. Tell you what though, since this is not the right place to sell my aquacultured Acan frags send me a PM and when I make a post in the "for sale" forum I will shoot you a link. And anyone else interested in asking similar live stock questions please PM me to keep it off the DIY forum. I hope that I didn't just violate any rules.

Its amazing how with the help of this forum and a few months of researching different peoples ideas how truly simply it was to throw this baby together. If there is any component you want a better pic of or if you don't know how something went together please post and I will get the answer up as soon as I can.

[scaryperson27]

What kind of fixture is in this picture?

http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk284/emissary43/DSC00775.jpg

[sassafrass]

Accidental Post

[emissary43]

Originally when I set the tank up last week I had a used HQI fixture that I had been kicking around for a couple years but the glass had been broken and when I tried to replace it it broke promptly also so I figured I wanted to get T5s over it eventually anyway so why not now. That inspired the construction of my current fixture on Saturday.

The issue with getting the correct glass was that the fixture had no brand information so it had to be custom cut and tempered.

Good catch.