Deciding to switch the displays to frag tanks

Joe Lydon

Joe Lydon

New member
After seeing all of the pests, and dealing with the ones we can't see, my kids have decided to remove the rock, go bare bottom and setup some egg crate. They both agree it's the coral they love, and could care less about the rock. Can I use the rock as a biofilter, in the sump without having to worry about pests making their way into the water column? Or is there a more efficient means for that? Seachem matrix?

What do you guys run for filtration on a frag only system?

This whole reef experience has been a test the waters type thing, to see how the kids would respond. Their interest is only increasing, so I've decided to dedicate a room to tanks. My son is in love with everything that has a cornbred in the name and my daughter just loves it all. Plans are two 100 cubes for them, a 150 tall sps setup and a 240 fowlr cube for me. It's going to be a long process, but in the meantime they are happy to use their 40b's to grow out frags for placement in their future systems.
 
Joe Lydon said:
After seeing all of the pests, and dealing with the ones we can't see, my kids have decided to remove the rock, go bare bottom and setup some egg crate. They both agree it's the coral they love, and could care less about the rock. Can I use the rock as a biofilter, in the sump without having to worry about pests making their way into the water column? Or is there a more efficient means for that? Seachem matrix?

What do you guys run for filtration on a frag only system?

This whole reef experience has been a test the waters type thing, to see how the kids would respond. Their interest is only increasing, so I've decided to dedicate a room to tanks. My son is in love with everything that has a cornbred in the name and my daughter just loves it all. Plans are two 100 cubes for them, a 150 tall sps setup and a 240 fowlr cube for me. It's going to be a long process, but in the meantime they are happy to use their 40b's to grow out frags for placement in their future systems.
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Wow... Ur a good dad!!

My frag tank is bb with rock in huge refugium... Lot cleaner look...

For ur next tanks... Use dry rock and seed.... Eliminates all the pests...
 
No sand in frag tanks. I'm living that mistake now... In a remote tank/sump, you can have macro, sand, rock, mantis shrimp, or pretty much anything you want. Personally, I'd run a skimmer. Then I wouldn't have to worry about the cleanliness of the water as much. Maybe it isn't required, but I'd definitely run one.

Good luck with the tank revolution! It sounds like you'll have a blast! How old are your kids, Joe?
 
a pest in the system is a pest in the system, unless you speak of crabs and such, but bugs and stuff will go right through the system. if that is what you meant.
 
I'm talking about aiptasia, majanos, colonial hydroids, and uninvited inverts. I bought a 92g corner setup from someone before I really knew much about the whole pest situations and ended up with rock just loaded. I have peppermint shrimp that luckily took care of the aiptasia as far as I can tell and I will nuke the majanos, I just have to pick up a syringe. Today, I found some red crab about 1/2" across and it was the last straw. Going sterile from now on.

I can choose to use this liverock in the sump, to hold the biological filter (I would like to feed the coral regularly and maybe keep a clown pair in each tank), or I can throw it all in a stock tank and use it in a fish only system later on.

After reading my own post, it just makes sense to remove it completely... Only reason I was leaning towards throwing it in the sump, is to keep the system stable. There is a fair amount of coral that I don't want to lose during this process. What is the best way to transition into a new biological filter?

My daughter is 10, and my son is 7. They like corals more than fish! They want to breed designer clowns too. I always try to introduce them to new experiences.
 
Personally I'd keep the rock in the sump. Since you aren't going to have rock up in the display it will be a lot easier to deal with the occasional aptasia popping up on a rack.
 
richiet said:
Personally I'd keep the rock in the sump. Since you aren't going to have rock up in the display it will be a lot easier to deal with the occasional aptasia popping up on a rack.
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yeah the benefit of the LR in the sump will totally outweigh the chance something will come through your return pump. and Rich is right that with BB pests won't really have a chance to get bad in the main tank. I have a pet aiptasia and several majanos in my fuge on my grow-out system they have never once show up in either of the two other tanks attached to the system. No filter socks or any kind of chemical filtration either. I'm sure they can spread to the other tanks, but they haven't. I've been doing this as an experiment on exactly this point because I don't have anything else in the tank other than a pair of clowns and a ton of xenia (i even aggressively feed the pest nems). What would you do to keep the nitrogen cycle going in a reef (albeit frag) tank without the LR? not to mention the natural food source that the pods and micro-organisms provide.
 
Herbie said:
What would you do to keep the nitrogen cycle going in a reef (albeit frag) tank without the LR? not to mention the natural food source that the pods and micro-organisms provide.
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I was researching that and a lot of people swear by Seachem Matrix. I have no experience with the stuff though, so I wouldn't know how effective it can be. Nor would I know how to make the switch, considering the matrix would need a month to cycle. I just want to do it right this time, instead of cutting a corner and end up chasing my tail. Tis why I love forums! I really appreciate all of the advice.
 
I'd rinse and set up a deep sand bed in a fuge section of your sump, toss in as much rock as you can fit under there, and fill up the whole tank with heated NSW. Let her rip, wait a week, and add some corals!
 
Yes it will some how some way make its way to ur frags. And some frags u buy will have pests pop up on the plugs. Here's a pic of my 40b I jsut built. I too took out all rock. Left one piece for the two cleaner shrimp. Mine is ran off my sump which is also plumbed to my DT.
 
Here is an idea that I'm doing soon..
This is a 40B
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Nice little set up.. I don't have any sand in frag tank sump. U really don't need crazy pods or what not for ur coral. I went BB with all my live rock in sump. I've battle hydroids and Aipstasia. I picked the best pieces of rock and tossed rest. There are a couple aipstasia I'm betting; but i tossed in some peppermints to eat the last few.

Sand is messy and can be a detritus trap.
 
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