Just a Coral Tank?

[phastroh]

I purchased a brand new 75 Gallon Aqueon un-drilled tank to replace my current 75 Gallon Sump tank because I can't have down time to fix the silicone seal that came loose on the bubble trap.

So no I have an extra 75Gal tank that will be laying around and I also have a barely used Nova Extreme Pro 6x54 Light System.

So I was wondering how hard it would be to make it a frag tank.

Do I HAVE to have a sump for it and a protein skimmer. Can I just get aa small HOB filter and be done with it?

I was going to if I can slap 2 small powerheads in it and make a large eggcrate frag rack to hang halfway down in the tank.

Just one layer for frags to grow and they will sit close to the light this way. Plus I should be Nitrate and whatever else free.

But with no rock, skimmer and the suck will this work well especially for acros.

What would be a water change regimen. Once a month with dosing?

I couuld alway toss fish in for QT but then with nothing but an HOB filter(if it can be done with one) wouldn't it not be a good idea.

 

[yote]

Yeah,It CAN be done.
But one thing your not thinking about here.Corals are animals and do require some food from some where.Thats usually supplied from the microscopic plants and animals that come with live rock.

 

[phastroh]

I am thinking about it but I was not sure if not having rock and using Marine Snow or Phyto food or something along those lines would be enough.

I know I normally see in stores a few fish and some snails hanging around but was not sure how much they were needed.

 

[yote]

The waste from the fish helps to provide amino acids that corals need.The the snails do basically the same thing plus algae removal.

 

[phastroh]

So what is the best basic way to do it as far as set-up.

Say I add just like a pair of cheap clowns, No sand.

 

[CurtisL]

i have the same idea... just with a 10 gallon... was wondering if it would work.

 

[yote]

In the frag tanks at the store,we generally just keep a couple of damsels,a couple of snails and a hermit or 2.
But our frag tanks also have sand in em.Which also gives the pods a place to breed.

 

[Smitty]

The only way to successfully make it a functional frag tank, with no sand, rocks, fish, or property filtration, would be to tie it in with your display tank some sort of way. The frag tanks at the lfs don't have much in them, but they're all connected to some sort of sump and to each other.

 

[yote]

The only way to successfully make it a functional frag tank, with no sand, rocks, fish, or property filtration, would be to tie it in with your display tank some sort of way. The frag tanks at the lfs don't have much in them, but they're all connected to some sort of sump and to each other.

All our tanks are set as individual systems.That way if one tank goes down or has a pest problem,it's contained to just that tank.
But I agree that most stores,are set up you described.

 

[phastroh]

I have seen a few frag/coral tanks with nothing in them online. People have them in Nano tanks with nothing else but corals in them.

Hmm how the heck can they do it?

I will have to dig deeper online. I have to know now how these people are successful with no fish or sand or rock.

 

[NanoReefer]

what if you put a layer of live rock rubble under the eggcrate for the frags?

 

[yote]

I have seen a few frag/coral tanks with nothing in them online. People have them in Nano tanks with nothing else but corals in them.

Hmm how the heck can they do it?

I will have to dig deeper online. I have to know now how these people are successful with no fish or sand or rock.

I bet that they dose some amino acids at the very least or even use something like the Brightwell's ZooPlanktos-S .

 

[phastroh]

Yeah I guess that was what I was trying to do.

Have the frag tank and just dose the tank for the corals. I guess that could be expensive though but don't most people dose coral tanks anyway?

 

[yote]

I don't know about others.But we actually spot some of our corals at the LFS.Stuff like hammers,duncans,frogspawn and such.And yeah,we do use the Brightwells coral foods along with the amino acids.

 

[reeftanker84]

i was going to build a 20 long with just sand,rock and corals,no fish at all,i am not going to run a sump or fitler system,the most i will run is a skimmer and 2 maxijet 660s and 1 k nano,i am going to make an all softy tank or zoa garden,got 4 polyps of darth mauls comming soon as well

 

[phastroh]

i was going to build a 20 long with just sand,rock and corals,no fish at all,i am not going to run a sump or fitler system,the most i will run is a skimmer and 2 maxijet 660s and 1 k nano,i am going to make an all softy tank or zoa garden,got 4 polyps of darth mauls comming soon as well

Hey hey now make sure you post a vid or something like your others there. Gotta hear that accent again!!!

 

[reeftanker84]

who you talking about?

 

[phastroh]

Seriously you don't remember when you had your ATO install vid and I asked about your midwest accent and you said no-one ever notices.

Geeesh to much reef over here.

 

[Dana42078]

I didnt read all the posts....being lazy......well from what ive learned and seen.....best would be 1in substrate....lil pieces of LR under 2nd, third, tier of frag rack would be best....HOB filter is doable, as you can see both my tanks do fine.....id say max your fish out....fish shit is key to any SW tank. so +1 to smitty.....ill have one up and going within the next year...not to make money,......to spread the love....happy reefing.

 

[phastroh]

Yeah anyoneone who has a frag tank that does well post you setup and pix and tips.

I have a 75gal tank to do it and a set of 6x54 T5's so far. I can snag a heater cheap. My brother had a $750 HOB Salt or Fresh Filter but we can't find it yet.

My only issue ever would be maybe having it in my garage in the summer.