80g Frag Tank Build

[bg2311]

Starting a build thread for our 80 gallon Deep Blue frag tank.

Size: 4' long x 2' deep x 16" tall
Capacity: 80 gallons
Total system volume as of 8/6/21: ~200 gallons (plumbed into display tank)
Lighting: 3 x Orphek OR3 LED bars (1 day plus, 1 blue plus, 1 UV/Violet)
Powerheads: 1 x Ecotech MP40wQD

We were running out of space in our 120 gallon display to put frags and had colonies that needed pruning. There was also nowhere to set rocks/coral for holding while doing maintenance on the display so this was a logical next step. In the interest of not adding another system to maintain we opted to put the frag tank in the next room and plumb the return and drain through the wall. This connected it into the existing display system so that they share the same heater, sump, rollermat/skimmer filtration, return pump, dosing and parameters etc. The lighting is scheduled to turn on a little before the display turns off and stay on a little after the display turns on. This offsets the PH dip we would otherwise see in the evening. By raising the lighting gantry recently we can keep the lights on longer and achieved better spread across the whole frag tank.




To-do:
Hard plumbing for drain line back to sump (currently soft vinyl under the stand)
Cut/attach barn doors to face of the stand
Finish cleaning up Apex module wiring on side
Add some gyre pumps to supplement Ecotech MP40
Build 2 frag racks
Build a screen lid


The Tank:
80 gallon RR Deep Blue (4' long x 2' deep x 16" tall)



The Stand:
DIY build using the same design as our display tank with the added modification of offsetting the back corner legs under the drain to allow for easier access to the pipes.




The Frag Racks:
1" PVC, zip ties, and egg crate



The Lights:
3 x Orphek OR3 LED bars (1 day plus, 1 blue plus, 1 UV/Violet) on Orphek aluminum mounting bars

 

[bg2311]

Built a screen lid out of pine last week:



Also relocated 3 of the Mexican Turbo Snails from the sump to the frag tank now that they can't climb out and go floor surfing.

 

[Gabridge83]

Love!! We are working with the same tank right now for our frag tank.

 

[DiefsReef]

Love this frag tank build! Going to steal the diy rack idea looks great.

 

[bg2311]

Cleaning day for the frag tank. Did the 'frag plug shuffle'® and sprayed both racks down outside with hydrogen peroxide then hosed them down before swapping all of the plugs to the other rack and repeating.

Pack of 3" Ocean Wonder tiles arrived today. I cut the post off of most the fully encrusted plugs and started to transfer them to the larger grow out tiles. Also moved a couple of the taller ones that have a tendency to fall over in high flow sometimes. Downside is it makes them look so tiny. At least they won't blow over or off the rack now and have plenty of room to grow.

 

[Adam]

I used to use pvc for the legs of the egg create racks held on with zip ties. It makes cleaning them a total PITA.

@Cook 3D printed me leg adapters that use driveway marker rod you can get at Home Depot. They disassemble easily and it's also much easier to change the height of the racks. Other benefits are you no longer have detritus traps in the pipes and the lower profile doesn't deflect flow under the racks. Check with Brian, I'm sure he'd be happy to print you some and the cost is reasonable.
I can post up some pics when I get home tonight if you're interested in seeing what they look like.

These are the rods I used because the cheaper ones weren't in stock. I'll be getting a bunch of the less expensive ones now that I see they are in stock.

Everbilt 48 in. 2-Sided Driveway Marker Red 31454 - The Home Depot

The 48 in. Driveway Marker is ideal for safe navigation or identification of driveways, boundaries, parking lots, trails or special event locations. Its red reflector is highly visible on both sides. The durable pencil point shaft makes insertion into the ground easy.

www.homedepot.com

Cheaper

Everbilt 48 in. Reflective Rod in Orange 31474 - The Home Depot

Colorful and eye-catching, this orange 48 in. Reflective Rod is durable and easy to install in the ground thanks to its pencil point. It's high visibility reflective tape can be seen from a distance at

www.homedepot.com

 

[DFlip]

Very nice! I am e process of building on of these tanks.

 

[bg2311]

I glued 1.25" round frag plugs to the bottom of the legs to help act as anchors. The open top of the PVC legs is helpful for the fish as well if they want to hide. The blenny usually sleeps in them. Drain holes at the bottom would be nice though when it comes to lifting the racks out of the tank.

 

[scottw]

Looking good. Now I want a frag tank. I have to stop looking at the boards.

 

[DiefsReef]

Cleaning day for the frag tank. Did the 'frag plug shuffle'® and sprayed both racks down outside with hydrogen peroxide then hosed them down before swapping all of the plugs to the other rack and repeating.

Pack of 3" Ocean Wonder tiles arrived today. I cut the post off of most the fully encrusted plugs and started to transfer them to the larger grow out tiles. Also moved a couple of the taller ones that have a tendency to fall over in high flow sometimes. Downside is it makes them look so tiny. At least they won't blow over or off the rack now and have plenty of room to grow.

View attachment 46054

View attachment 46055

View attachment 46056

Tank looks great!

 

[bg2311]

Tank looks great!

Thank you.

 

[Adam]

It does look really good, as do the corals in it!

 

[dball711]

Couple thoughts on PVC legs for egg crate support. I use a Drexel with a cutting wheel to make a cross-cross cut in the top of t he PVC leg.



Then pres it into the thin side of the egg crate, pressure wedges it in place and no need for glue or zip ties.



Weight of the frags hold it down so no need for additional weight in the legs.



For cleaning the PVC legs just pop out. Simple and easy.

 

[bg2311]

I was finding that the frag racks were moving slowly either by the force of the powerhead (changing from MP40 to Icecap 4K on Friday), or by the Mexican Turbo snails pushing their way around. The added weight of a couple frag discs on the bottom of the 5 legs has helped a bit. 5th leg was for the center to prevent sag. Bare bottom tank so very little friction. The more frags I added initially to the racks, the more they acted like sails and caught the flow causing the racks to shift. The big tiles I added last night added a decent bit more weight though. We'll see if it helps. The racks I have right now are 3 tiers because the tank is so deep (16"). I wanted to have differing levels of PAR by moving the frags up or down a level as needed without having to adjust the height of the lights. They're all Orphek OR3 strips that span the 4' tank so it's just on or off with no fading. If I picked the racks up from the base I could probably still move them in 1 piece with slotted PVC legs. At the moment each tier is zip tied at the top and bottom of the PVC legs to the level below/above. Drilling those holes would have been a huge pain without a jig. Just need to make sure when I lift them out to clean them that there's no fish hiding in there. It seems almost all of the frag plugs I have fit into the rack easily but with enough flow have a tendency to fall over. I would have thought that they would be sized to fit the egg crate but most appear to be a bit on the small side (the post underneath, not the top mounting surface).

 

[dball711]

Got it, mine don't move because they cant...wedged in place. I love the OR3 strips from Orphek.

 

[Trizzino]

Looking good. Now I want a frag tank. I have to stop looking at the boards.

And you talk about me…

 

[scottw]

And you talk about me…

we are 1 in the same, I am just the size of 2 of you lol.

 

[bg2311]

Added a 4K Icecap gyre to the far end of the frag tank opposite the MP40/overflow. Experimenting with modes now. At the moment using an alternating gyre capped at 30% to keep frags from being blown over. I may add a 2nd one later and put them both on the back wall of the tank.

 

[bg2311]

Quick update:

Algae Free magnetic scraper arrived today for the frag tank from BRS. Should help get the stubborn green film algae off. They're pricey but I really like the one on our display (Tiger Shark size) so I ordered another one sized for the thinner 3/8" glass on the frag tank (Piranha size). These magnets mean business and if they do become detached they float.

Still figuring out how frequently the CO2 scrubber media needs to be swapped/changed out. Running the dual canisters still and the water container added before the 1st scrubber is helping keep the media moist. Going to change up the design for a recirculating setup here this weekend probably. Fish of Hex scrubber lid 3D printed part should arrive Saturday. Hopefully can squeeze more life out of the scrubber media. Since setting up the frag tank to turn on when the display turns off at night the PH swing has leveled out a decent bit. Not getting quite as high PH readings without them both on at the same time but that's the trade-off I suppose.

 

[hzheng33]

Quick update:

Algae Free magnetic scraper arrived today for the frag tank from BRS. Should help get the stubborn green film algae off. They're pricey but I really like the one on our display (Tiger Shark size) so I ordered another one sized for the thinner 3/8" glass on the frag tank (Piranha size). These magnets mean business and if they do become detached they float.

Still figuring out how frequently the CO2 scrubber media needs to be swapped/changed out. Running the dual canisters still and the water container added before the 1st scrubber is helping keep the media moist. Going to change up the design for a recirculating setup here this weekend probably. Fish of Hex scrubber lid 3D printed part should arrive Saturday. Hopefully can squeeze more life out of the scrubber media. Since setting up the frag tank to turn on when the display turns off at night the PH swing has leveled out a decent bit. Not getting quite as high PH readings without them both on at the same time but that's the trade-off I suppose.

did you get the algae free float plus? how do you like them? i'm thinking of getting one but i just bought the tunze float not too long ago.