frag system

Frag System Overview

melev — Thu, 02 Jul 2020 16:56:17 +0000

Frag System Overview melev Thu, 07/02/2020 - 19:56

While I enjoyed my small frag tank attached to the 400g reef, after four years it was due to be broken down. I also wanted to set up a bigger system, a stand alone system, that would allow me to grow out frags from my reef's cuttings, and provide a separate repository to hold some species safely in case the big tank ever had a nasty disaster. Plus, with a smaller tank I could do some product testing with normal sized equipment, something I really couldn't do with a 400g setup.

I built the entire thing:

60g frag tank: 3/8" cast acrylic; 48" x 18" x 16" tall with internal overflow box at the far end
Model F sump: 34" x 15" x 15"
ATO reservoir: 6" x 15" x 20"
Triple Doser reservoir: 6" x 15" x 12"

Supporting equipment:
Vectra M1 return pump with Battery Backup
Vortech Mp10wES
Nyos Quantum 120
Cobalt 100w Neotherm heater
3x Icecap Dosers
SmartATO Micro
Reef Angel LED fixtures

I built the stand out of 1" x 3" Oak lumber, used a sheet of 3/4" MDF on top, and installed a sheet of pink foam on top for the acrylic tank to rest upon. It was painted with an oil based black paint to seal it from moisture.

And here is a video showing how it was initially set up in January 2016.

My Tanks

FRAG SYSTEM

60g setup and cycle - How I did it using raw shrimp

melev — Sun, 14 Aug 2016 19:17:51 +0000

60g setup and cycle - How I did it using raw shrimp melev Sun, 08/14/2016 - 22:17

I've been uploading videos to Youtube pretty regularly lately. Did you happen to catch the Youtube Live show last week? Here's the latest one, so if you've missed a few you need to get caught up. I describe how I set up the 60g frag system I built myself, including all the acrylic work.

Reef Blog

The new frag tank is running!

melev — Sun, 10 Jan 2016 15:27:00 +0000

The new frag tank is running! melev Sun, 01/10/2016 - 18:27

After about a year of saying I needed to do this, it's finally operational. The stand, tank, sump, ATO reservoir, doser container are all built (by me). Plumbing was accomplished and the new Vectra M1 pump is circulating the system. Here are some pictures, less than a day after water was added. The skimmer cleared the water overnight.

This is a stand alone system, apart from my reef. I wanted it separated in case something in the main tank went wrong, I'd have backup pieces available. Plus I can sell fraglets this way. And finally when I'm asked to do product reviews, I'll have a normal sized system to use them in. I built the tank myself, which I'm very proud of. I've shied away from display tanks for many years, but perhaps that will change.

Good surface movement.

The tank has two Durso standpipes to drain into the sump. That section has a black lid to keep algae from growing in there.

I love how quiet it is. Usually it takes 14 days for plumbing to slime over internally to quiet down. The tiny bit I'm hearing now is going to get better?!

At the moment, only three things are plugged in: the skimmer, the return pump and a heater. Combined, they add up to 140w of power, or 1.4 amps.

I love the look of everything.

There is still quite a few things to do before coral frags can be placed in it, but the hardest part is behind me. The Vectra M1 pump has really impressed me right out of the box. My initial thoughts last night were:

Small, clean, lightweight. The blue bushings look nice, but I'd truly prefer it if the socket was taller to glue the PVC into 1" of material instead of merely 1/2" of blue plastic. I made sure to glue a perfect connection considering how little surface area was available, and let it cure for several hours before immersing in water.
Reeflink found it easily on the first attempt.
Calibration was simple. I tried to do it from my Macbook Pro, but walking back and forth to update it after checking the pump at each stage didn't work. Instead, I used the ESL App, and had it taken care of within 2 minutes.
The return line from the M1 pump is 3/4" and my plumbing is longer than I'd prefer. It rises 10", then travels 9" at a 45° angle, then 28" to an elbow, then 19" up to another elbow, and then finally enters the tank via a bulkhead and out the locline. The tank has two 1" drains, and when I turned the Vectra to 100% flow the drains were not going to keep up with the serious flow coming out of the locline. That was impressive. Glad I calibrated the pump to avoid it ever jumping to that rate.
It's dead silent with no vibration. I'm hoping it will run flawlessly, and I'm ready to hookup a battery backup as soon as this becomes available.

I still have a number of things to do:

Get it cycling.
Order a SmartATO kit for this setup
Order some Icecap dosers for 3-part solutions
Run RO/DI tubing from the current feed to the ATO reservoir
Install lighting - Radions
Install shelf above tank to suspend said lighting
Install Apex PB-8 and connect it to the current Apex with a PM2
Clean up wiring and secure electronic components

And once all that is done, move excess corals from reef into this system and grow out some frags.

Reef Blog