Aquarium Schmo's 11 Gallon Frag Tank

[AquariumSchmo]

I'm starting a new build! I wanted something different than a standard tank though.

While I don't really need a frag tank right now, I have a good reason for purchasing it. For the past two years, I have been battling flatworms (also bristle worms in the tank). They are not prolific, but enough to where I have been wanting to get a six-line wrasse for a while. The thing that has been holding me back is my lone fish, a yellow clown goby. He is basically family and I'm sure a wrasse would not get along with him. I call him buddy, my wife calls him lemony, and my kids call him blub blub (we have never agreed on a name). I have flatworm eXit and have tried it numerous times. It definitely kills flatworms, but despite siphoning, a big water change, and using carbon, I can still see the stress it causes to the coral. And they are never all gone since it doesn't kill all of them.

I'm going to take it really slow to make sure it is fully cycled and aged. At some point in the distant future, I plan to move the yellow clown goby to the new frag tank, then purchase a six-line for my main tank.

After this, my next build will be a year or two away. I want to upgrade to a 120 (already got permission from my wife! lol). At that point, my plan is to put the frag tank under the 120, either plumbed in or separate. But it will give me a place to put frags to sell or rest while I decide where I want them.

Here's the details (attached picture is from the ebay listing... just ordered it):
16X20X8 AIO Tank
11.5 Gal.
Sides are 1/2" thick acrylic
Black back and bottom
1/2" bulkhead return hole
3-compartments in AIO section
Polished edges are hand polished for sleek look
3 staggered frag racks (1", 1.75" and 2.5") included with tank

Equipment plans:
1) I bought Marine Pure Gems for biological filtration. May add Seachem Matrix as well. I might also remove a frag tray (if possible) and add dry rock.
2) For a light, I'm thinking about a Hipargero LED ($60 on Amazon)
3) For the AIO return, I have a few small pumps already. It is a 1/2 inch hole and I would like to possibly use a random flow generator nozzle or a spin stream (which I already have in my equipment stash).
4) And of course a heater, wave maker (either a Koralia 240 which I already have, or another Jebao OW-10 like I have on my main tank), and still thinking about which ATO to use (maybe another Coral Box A100 like I use on my main tank, if it will fit in the AIO compartments, only $70).

 

[FutureInterest]

Hey Casey, adding a sixline to your existing tank should be fine for the goby. New fish are typically respectful to existing tank residents since they are the intruder of someone else's turf. Sixline wrasse follow the same protocol. The many warnings and stories you hear of sixlines murdering other fish really only applies to new tank residents that are added after the sixline has established its territory.

In the alternative adding a small yellow or green coris wrasse or a melanarus wrasse should also take care of your flatworm issues with a bit less hostility towards any newcomers.

 

[AquariumSchmo]

Hey Casey, adding a sixline to your existing tank should be fine for the goby. New fish are typically respectful to existing tank residents since they are the intruder of someone else's turf. Sixline wrasse follow the same protocol. The many warnings and stories you hear of sixlines murdering other fish really only applies to new tank residents that are added after the sixline has established its territory.

In the alternative adding a small yellow or green coris wrasse or a melanarus wrasse should also take care of your flatworm issues with a bit less hostility towards any newcomers.

Hey Jin, thanks for the info. If anything happened to the goby, I would never hear the end of it though and the wrasse would be blamed regardless.

I checked out the coris and melanarus wrasse and looks like they get too big for a 20 gallon. In a year or two, when I upgrade to a 120, they are definitely on my shortlist for possible tank inhabitants.

 

[jeffandkelly]

Hi Casey, you can find small yellow wrasse. They do get big, but it takes a while. Then when you upgrade you already have pest control. They do a great job!

 

[AquariumSchmo]

The frag tank is coming together. The only thing remaining is an ATO. Also, the frag racks are little too close in height for my preference, so I contacted the seller they offered to send me three new ones with a little higher step up for each rack. I think I will put some smaller pieces of dry rock under the third rack. I seeded it with Fritzzyme 9 nitrifying bacteria. Excuse the speckles of sand throughout; accidentally got some in when filling it up.

 

[AquariumSchmo]

Since the purpose of this tank is to house my yellow clown goby, rather than as traditional frag tank, I decided to take the racks out and add sand and rocks instead.

 

[AquariumSchmo]

I purchased the last piece of equipment... an ATO. I have been topping it off manually twice a day for the past month. My initial plan was to buy a Coral Box A100 like I have on my main tank, because it has worked flawlessly, but wanted to try something different. I bought a Reef Breeders Exo-ATO. It looks very similar to the AutoAqua Smart ATO, but much cheaper.

I also replaced an off brand 160gph pump that I had been using with a Tunze Recirculation Pump Silence. It is so much quieter.

 

[hatzo1]

Cool tank

 

[sotsreef]

Where did you get this frag tank?

 

[AquariumSchmo]

Where did you get this frag tank?

On eBay from seller luckreef (his name is Dan). He has several options ranging from $145 all the way up to $450. Just search for "frag tank" and you will see all of them.

 

[FutureInterest]

His prices seem very good for what you get. I've been considering just buying some acrylic and making a tank... but I think the acrylic might cost me more than what he's charging for one that's already built.

 

[AquariumSchmo]

His prices seem very good for what you get. I've been considering just buying some acrylic and making a tank... but I think the acrylic might cost me more than what he's charging for one that's already built.

Jin, if you want to come over and see the build quality, you are welcome to do so. One thing to note, he builds everything after an order is placed and usually does so on the nearest weekend. It then goes to a third party for packaging. I think it was about a week and a half before it was shipped. So if you buy one, just know that the estimated date from eBay will be wrong.

 

[sotsreef]

On eBay from seller luckreef (his name is Dan). He has several options ranging from $145 all the way up to $450. Just search for "frag tank" and you will see all of them.

Ok thanks

 

[AquariumSchmo]

I just realized how long it has been since my last update. I am amazed by how well this tank is doing, compared to the system sitting next to that is a couple years old. In fact, I moved some corals and fragged some as well, and they are doing better in this tank. I'm not 100% sure, but I think it is the light. My 20 gallon has a Mars Aqua (Chinese black box) with mostly blue and white LEDs, 2 greens, and 2 reds, running at about 45% blues and 15% whites. I also have a 24 watt blue bulb T5. This tank has a Aqua Knight LED and it is my theory that the corals love the spectrum from it. Maybe I have the light turned up too high in my other tank. If anyone has any thoughts, let me know. Everything just looks fluffier in this tank.

Besides the 9 corals that I have added, the yellow clown goby that I moved over has been in for a while now. In the other tank, he used to sit on the frogspawn all day. In this tank, he hides in the rock with his head sticking out. Do you think adding another fish might help him to feel more comfortable? If so, any suggestions? I was thinking about a hector's goby.

I added a skimmer about a week ago. It was super cheap (about $14) on Amazon and operates on an air stone. It produces a very wet skim, but does a good job. I have had diatoms for a couple of months. Not sure if they just went away on their own, or if adding the skimmer helped, but it is gone.

Lastly, I began dosing Tropic Marin's All-For-Reef a few weeks ago, which is producing a really stable system; keeping the Alk at 8.5. I also started dosing AcroPower recently. In the next couple of weeks, I will be adding a doser.

 

[Mom2Many]

Wow! Very nice! I am very attached to my yellow clown goby too. They are great fish. I have a very peaceful fire fish in with mine. They are happy together.

 

[AquariumSchmo]

Wow! Very nice! I am very attached to my yellow clown goby too. They are great fish. I have a very peaceful fire fish in with mine. They are happy together.

I had one in my other tank, but it jumped through the 1/4" netting. Thought about another, but I will need to redo my lid with 1/8" netting first.

 

[AquariumSchmo]

1) Pushed the rocks back
2) Added a custom clear frag to the front from the same guy that built my tank
3) Added and moved some corals
4) Setup dosing with a Kamoer X1 and DIY VOSS water bottle
5) Still been battling an ugly faze with diatoms, but I think it is finally over

 

[Mom2Many]

A very nice looking tank for a frag tank! Neat frag racks.

 

[AquariumSchmo]

Just a quick exciting update on this tank...

When my yellow clown goby was in my other tank, he used to sit out in the open on the frogspawn all day. After cycling this tank, I moved him over towards the end of last year and he has been sitting in a hole in one of the rocks ever since. Well, something exciting started happening yesterday. I added a possum wrasse early last week. It was shy for several days, but has been out exploring a lot the last couple of days. The yellow clown goby seems to be really intrigued by the possum wrasse and has been moving all over the tank; even seemingly mimicking it's behavior. Maybe having another fish makes it feel safer.

Also, this tank is currently sitting on my desk. I'm going to build a stand for it soon; that will be my next update.

 

[Mom2Many]

That is really neat! Either he really needed the company and feels happier and more secure or he figures the odds just got better of his not getting eaten if a predator came along, being he has a buddy now. Acutally, watching the fish and inverts and their behavior is so interesting to me too. I am glad he is out and about more for you. By the way I love possum wrasses... Cant wait to see your new stand when you build it.