Starting a small frag tank, how does this sound?

[AntFa]

I'm setting up a 15 gallon (24 x12 x12) tank this week and I plan to use it as a frag tank for higher end zoanthids, I feel as if my setup is pretty good but would love to hear your opinions

Lighting: 4 24 inch trulumen pro LED strips
- 3 of which are 8000k, one is a 50/50
1 24 inch reefbrite 50/50 tech LED

Filtration: aquaclear 110 outfitted as a hang on refugium with a 7 watt LED to grow chaetou, filled with 3 pounds of live rock, refugium mud, and live sand

And for mechanical and chemical I have an aquaclear 70 loaded with polyfiber, the stock sponge, purigen, and ferric oxide as a phos lock

And I'll also have 20 pounds of live sand in the tank as well. If you guys have any suggestions please feel free to let me know.

 

[iTzJu]

everything sounds good, i wouldn't put the sand in the tank though. if this is just for grow out purposes, i would just put frag racks on there.

 

[greybolt03]

If your making this a frag tank I would stay away from the sand bed..
Everything else sounds good

 

[mnat]

Your colors are going to be a bit washed out with two 50/50 combos and two 8500K bulbs, but that does not mean they will grow well.

 

[asonitez]

I'm setting up a 15 gallon (24 x12 x12) tank this week and I plan to use it as a frag tank for higher end zoanthids, I feel as if my setup is pretty good but would love to hear your opinions

Lighting: 4 24 inch trulumen pro LED strips
- 3 of which are 8000k, one is a 50/50
1 24 inch reefbrite 50/50 tech LED

Filtration: aquaclear 110 outfitted as a hang on refugium with a 7 watt LED to grow chaetou, filled with 3 pounds of live rock, refugium mud, and live sand

And for mechanical and chemical I have an aquaclear 70 loaded with polyfiber, the stock sponge, purigen, and ferric oxide as a phos lock

I would ditch the LED's and go with 4 T5 Bulbs. A cheap inexpensive fixture will give you more flexibility with the corals you can keep in the frag tank compared to LED's that might not be so generous to most corals initially.


I THINK - Just me... that frag tanks should be able to keep EVERYTHING at the same height. NOTHING should need to be excessively "Light" acclimated.. and it should present the best foot forward for displaying corals. Take into consideration that you will have SPS/CHALICES/ACANS/ZOOS all on the same level..

under LED's?? - might have some issues...

Do you really want to move all those leds when you dip your hands in the tank? Wouldn't you rather be able to buy anything in the store and bring it straight to your frag tank and plop it in without lightacclimating it for a few weeks?

I don't see anything wrong with the sand. Your frag tank unless its plumbed into a larger system should be run like a normal tank. You want the buffering capability, the critters that your coral's eats, de nitrification, and other buffs. A barebottom tank that's relying on a diy fuge and some filtermedia in a bag might have a tough time keeping up with waste.. especially if you throw a fish in there to eat algae off the plugs.. and a wrasse to eat worms off the frags which is what you might like to do.


just sayin..

 

[AntFa]

Thanks for the input guys, ill ditch the sandbed, the only reason why I'm using the LED's I am is because I had already had them on my other reef for a long time before just upgrading to a better system.

 

[mnat]

My comment was more to do with color, it just sounds like it will be very white which might not give you the pop with zoas. I saw you mentioned in your review of the reefchicks.com website that the zoas were not as bright in your tank, and under those lights they won't be.

 

[AntFa]

Mnat, those zoas were under my newer lights, the 16000k 120 w Razor LED's in my main tank, not my jury rigged strip setup I currently plan to implement on the 15 gallon. I do plan on purchasing another one of those fixtures when I have the money available.

 

[mnat]

My mistake, well good luck and I will be following along, I have a love of zoas as well.