What are some tips for keeping a successful frag tank?

[Daniel@R2R]

Frag tanks are a different animal in many ways compared to a standard reef tank. What are some tips for keeping a successful frag system? What have you found that is helpful for those getting started?

 

[Ef4life]

Have a tang to eat algae.

 

[Everything Aquatics]

What algea eater for a 20 gallon frag I’m thinking of getting

 

[ElectricMusic]

Add a molly miller blenny, six line wrasse and some peppermint shrimp for aiptasia and bristle worm control.

 

[living_tribunal]

Frag tanks are a different animal in many ways compared to a standard reef tank. What are some tips for keeping a successful frag system? What have you found that is helpful for those getting started?

If you don’t want to keep fish in it, either do water changes with water from display or dump skimmate in it.

Fish poop is the key to success.

 

[CWoods]

My frag tank is plumbed into my display so there's not much maintenance. I have a baby tang in the frag tank to grow out and sell back to the LFS but it doesn't even bother with algae right now so I introduced an emerald crab and he's doing work

 

[Southpawblues]

Melanarus Wrasse for bugs, Yellow tang, turbo snails and astrea snails for algae control, stabile water quality, slightly elevated nitrate and phosphate, feed corals, proper PAR and spectrum based on coral needs........and then leave it alone except for water changes. My Zoa frags seem to do best when I leave the tank alone and let the corals do what they do.

 

[Tankkeepers]

I would agree with above but also add you want the holding tanks lighting and water to be as close to the tank they came from (I'm assuming main display) and if possible to plumb it into the main system

 

[Tankkeepers]

Enless used as a quarantine frag tank for before they go in main system the same as above but not plumbed to main system

 

[Tankkeepers]

Also will add for anyone else that a tang or wrasse is not nessisary and please don't setup a small frag tank and put a tang in it

 

[Reefs and Geeks]

I have mine plumbed into my display's sump, so I have the stability of a 300 gallon system on the frag tank. Plus what I frag from my display goes right back into the same exact water chemistry as it came from.

Frags are also alot of maintenance, I'd invest in some snails to keep them clean. Must be presentable if having people come by to look at them

 

[nmo0ory]

how do you cycle your frag tank ?
i am going to build a new frag tank can it be cycle in 2 week ?
it will be most likely without sand
should i add lot and lot of media block or rocks in the sump that will do ?