125 gallon frag tank build

[sharkbait69]

After thinking long and hard about whether to upgrade to a bigger tank or add to another to the four tanks we have in the house now. All because prime realestate in the tanks are closing up and the corals are growing and competing and adding new frags all time, space is becoming a real commodity. I decided t o build a frag.
Well, after losing the battle of another tank in the house, my wife has forced me to bring my new collection of old and new equipment to my workshop and build a new setup in the office, if i dare call an office.

So as i built i took some picture and forgot to take some pictures but i hope you get the idea.
In the end she's built like a tank and works like a dream. She maybe ugly but she's holding frags like a champ now

 

[sharkbait69]

couple more photos.

 

[sharkbait69]

running Mh lights on it now, since i had some units laying around when i got leds for the main tank.

Im thinking of getting a set or two of those evolution 1 watt fixtures to put over the frags. For now the MH are doing the job like the old tried and true friend they are.

 

[sharkbait69]

the system is a sight for sure eyes but it distracts me all day. The systems been cycling for 4 months with water from my matures systems and 35lbs of live rock from the main DT sump/refugium.
Those last two pictures kill my eyes when i look at them.

 

[jg2269jg]

very nice setup do you have any pics with water in it. great job definely will do the job how high is the tank and how far down will the frags be from the surface. also what kind of frags you keeping in there.

 

[wayne]

In the end she's built like a tank and works like a dream. She maybe ugly but she's holding frags like a champ now
if anyone says she's ugly they're crazy it looks great good luck with it and keep updating with photos please..........................
I'm sure if you finish the stand with some oak it'll look great.........................

 

[JARRETT SHARK]

Nice set up were did you get the tank?

 

[ming]

All the weight of the tank looks like is being held up by screws. I'd suggest putting a vertical wood under the frame for better support.
Those power centers (i believe from coralife) are very prone to failure IME. I had 2 fail within a short period of time where the timer would just get stuck so it stays as daylight or night all the time. It works as a 6 outlet surge protector only now (since 2 are stuck off)

Other then that, looks good

 

[aquascaper82]

wow nice job! looks good =) i wanna see pics w/ frags in it!

 

[sharkbait69]

very nice setup do you have any pics with water in it. great job definely will do the job how high is the tank and how far down will the frags be from the surface. also what kind of frags you keeping in there.

Thank you. It was a fun build. Im looking thru the pictures that i did take to see if i took any of it with water cycling. The system is about 3.5 feet tall. I have a leaning shelf for me to lean on and look at play with the coral or when I'm fragging and glueing. The vat is only 13" deep and the Mh are 18 or so inches off the water surface.
Most of the frags are acans since i absolutely love acans. I do have some zoas since my zoas grow out of control. I also will have some sps as the colonies grow into each other.
these are the only pictures i can find from the cycle.
Yeah i just thru the PVC pipe the sump to get a little funk on them to.

 

[sharkbait69]

In the end she's built like a tank and works like a dream. She maybe ugly but she's holding frags like a champ now
if anyone says she's ugly they're crazy it looks great good luck with it and keep updating with photos please..........................
I'm sure if you finish the stand with some oak it'll look great.........................

Thank you.
I'm still undecided if I'm gonna finnish it or leave it as a skeleton frame. I fight my self back in forth on it. On one hand i look and say its my old office, no one goes on that side anymore since nothing is on that side but maybe some trays of finishing nails, screws, drapery rods and rings. But if i have friends in the hobby stop by do i want them to see just a water table with frags? I would hope at least my frags will keep their attention way from the stand.
Once I'm done bring coral from my house to the frag tank who knows what ill do.

 

[sharkbait69]

Nice set up were did you get the tank?

Thank you.
I was looking around and trying to decide glass or acrylic tank. Since i have glass tanks i could use but then glass is heavy and all my tanks are tall for frag tank and bla bla bla... I found it on ebay. It was brand new frag table.

 

[sharkbait69]

All the weight of the tank looks like is being held up by screws. I'd suggest putting a vertical wood under the frame for better support.
Those power centers (i believe from coralife) are very prone to failure IME. I had 2 fail within a short period of time where the timer would just get stuck so it stays as daylight or night all the time. It works as a 6 outlet surge protector only now (since 2 are stuck off)

Other then that, looks good

Hey Ming, thank you. Could you delve further into the whole brace thing. i don't need the table crashing down on me. That would not be fun considering i dont work for my family full time anymore, thats the last thing i need is to get a phone call about it crashing.
As to the coralife timers, i read a couple of post about them not being of quality. In all honesty, i appreciate your keen eye and words of cautions. I have not ever had a problem with any of them (knock on wood) The only thing i don't like is the batteries seem to die quick. Other then that, not a bad timer strip.

 

[sharkbait69]

wow nice job! looks good =) i wanna see pics w/ frags in it!

Thanks.
Here some pictures of some of the frags i made

 

[sharkbait69]

Well i learned a couple of things from this build so far. My picture taking skills are on par with a 2 year old. My HTC eris takes worse pictures with me pushing the button. No company has made a camera that can my shaky hands still.
tomorrow im gonna get my brothers camera and see what that camera can do and ill have my wife take the pictures while i just stand alone in the corner.

 

[sharkbait69]

ok so here is some new photos after two days of picking coral out of my tanks and and fragging them up.
Thanks from some of my friends who helped come over and frag away.
Enjoy the pics.
let me know what you think. It was a slimy two days.

 

[sharkbait69]

yeah i know pictures stink... but im working on getting better at it.

 

[sharkbait69]

some of my acans i cut fragged up.

 

[sharkbait69]

Hers some of my blasto colonies that will meet the dremel maybe this weekend. Love them but again bottom my tanks are prim real estate for a couple acan colonies i spot

 

[sharkbait69]

this is a "cherry bomb" australomussa thats gonna be making its way to the frag tank also. Got to figure out if i can frag it or not. I really don't want to take a shot in the dark since i paid 450. for it. anyone know if it can be fragged? Looks like it would frag like chalice
colors are so much brighter, but the view box really blurs it a little