All In One Frag Tank

[bfessler]

I thought I'd show off my recently built frag tank. It is an All In One design that doesn't require a sump for filtration. I designed it to work with Hiatt System Filtration but the filter chambers could be configured for what ever filter equipment is desired. This frag tank has great circulation and a gentle flow throughout the tank. I am still waiting on the commercial T5HO lighting fixture so the lights pictured are only temporary.

Here is a full tank shot of the frag tank before adding sand and water. You can see the 2 spray bars for circulation. These spray bars create a high flow with a gentle current throughout the tank. Holes in the lower spray bar are drilled pointing at a 45 degree angle up and down as well as horizontal to create a random flow.The top spray bar is drilled slightly up to agitate the surface for gas transfer. I also built a plenum into the bottom of the system but would probably omit this in the future as the latest research indicates that a deep sand bed is just as effective as a plenum. The filter system is powered by 2 maxi-jet 1200 power-heads. They are rated at 295 GPH but realistically I should be getting about 250GPH at 0 head so 500 GPH total for a 10x flow rate.

These pictures show the filter chambers. The first houses a sponge for mechanical filtration and Carbon, the middle chamber is for filter media required by the Hiatt System but could be used for whatever media is desired. The last chamber houses the Return Pumps and ATO.

This picture shows the frag trays that can be placed at various depths in the tank.

Here the tank is set up on its stand. Sand and some live rock are in the tank as well as a ceramic reef rock and some un-cured dry reef rock. No lights yet.

Some pictures of the tank at 4 weeks.
Scooter

Frags

 

[bfessler]

I built a shelf to hold the ATO and some spare stuff to keep everything off the ground. This is because the tank is in my grandkids play room and they are coming to visit next week.

 

[Anonymous]

DIY props to you Burt. You are very resourceful!

I'm liking the set up and those frags are tasty (particularly like the color of the zoas). One question though. I always thought Scooters needed similar set ups to Mandarins. Is that not the case? If he's eating pellet/flake, no worries I guess, but if he needs similar levels of pods to a Mandarin, I'd be a little concerned.

 

[bfessler]

I've had the Scooter for 3 months now. First he was in my 20G, that I took down after starting my frag tank so I could do some mods to it. In the 20 I was producing plenty of pods for him and he grew about 1/2" in the 2 months he was in that tank. My frag tank generates tons of pods and he is loving life in there. I haven't fed it since moving it to the frag tank a month ago and he has fattened up considerably since being in there. Last night a fellow hobbiest came over and commented that he was the biggest scooter he had ever seen. Don't know about that but he's doing fine in the frag tank.

 

[bfessler]

Here's another picture of Scooter. He's got to be my favorite fish so far.

 

[Anonymous]

Scooter looks fat and happy, Burt.

I built a shelf to hold the ATO and some spare stuff to keep everything off the ground. This is because the tank is in my grandkids play room and they are coming to visit next week.

Upper right, over the tank--is that the poultry waterer rig you put together? That thing is another brilliant solution to a common problem.

 

[Anonymous]

Good to hear about the Scooter. He's a good looking fella. 8)

 

[bfessler]

Thanks Tom,

Seamaiden,

Yes thats another poultry waterer ATO. Just made this one yesterday. It's 7 Gallons instead of the 3 gallons I have on the clown tank. I had a DIY ATO with float valves and a aqualifter pump but with the tank being in my grandkids playroom I had to put the reservoir above the tank to keep little hands out. When I did that the water siphoned straight through the aqualifter and into the tank so I went back down to Cal Ranch Stores and picked up the biggest poultry waterer they had.

Thanks for the compliment.

 

[Ben1]

Burt you have some great DIY skills, you've picked them up in a very short time in the hobby, I am impressed with all your projects.

 

[bfessler]

Thanks Ben.

 

[wetworx101]

Beware, that acrylic will absorb up to 60% of its weight in water from being in the tank like that. As it does over months, it will expand, and if it doesnt have anywhere to expand (like if its siliconed between two opposite glass panels), it will either crack the glass, or it will actually push the glass panels apart with enough force to sheer the silicone.

I have built a few tanks, around the same size as yours, with internal acrylic baffles like that (the whole 'enclosed' concept just like yours). Every single one of them blew out... either by cracking or the silicone being pushed apart. I even tried leaving a spacer, more 'expansion space' etc... still ended up with a leaky tank every time. One time, I even pre-soaked it for 3 months so that it wouldnt need to expand any more... right? Oops... when I took down the tank once and let it dry out, a few months in dry storage resulted in the acrylic shrinking and pulling on the side panel so hard it cracked.

When you put acrylic baffles/walls in a glass tank, you need to leave some sort of expansion space. You can silicone the acrylic in at an angle to the glass. You can have a bow or angles in the acrylic, etc. This way, as the acrylic expands/contracts... it can do so without applying force on the glass.

 

[bfessler]

Beware, that acrylic will absorb up to 60% of its weight in water from being in the tank like that. As it does over months, it will expand, and if it doesnt have anywhere to expand (like if its siliconed between two opposite glass panels), it will either crack the glass, or it will actually push the glass panels apart with enough force to sheer the silicone.

I have built a few tanks, around the same size as yours, with internal acrylic baffles like that (the whole 'enclosed' concept just like yours). Every single one of them blew out... either by cracking or the silicone being pushed apart. I even tried leaving a spacer, more 'expansion space' etc... still ended up with a leaky tank every time. One time, I even pre-soaked it for 3 months so that it wouldnt need to expand any more... right? Oops... when I took down the tank once and let it dry out, a few months in dry storage resulted in the acrylic shrinking and pulling on the side panel so hard it cracked.

When you put acrylic baffles/walls in a glass tank, you need to leave some sort of expansion space. You can silicone the acrylic in at an angle to the glass. You can have a bow or angles in the acrylic, etc. This way, as the acrylic expands/contracts... it can do so without applying force on the glass.

Thanks for the advice, but the expansion and contraction of acrylic is not due to absorbtion of water. Acrylic is non porous and cannot absorb water. It may expand and contract at a different rate than glass but I have never heard of acrylic absorbing water.

 

[wetworx101]

So why doesn't acrylic absorb water? Because you say so? :wink: Want to put some money on that?

Most acrylics, and for that matter, most plastics & rubbers, are porous and expand underwater, many will suck up about 1% of their weight in water in just 24 hours. If you weigh a piece of acrylic before and after soaking it in water for say... a few months, you might be shocked how much heavier it gets. There are some acrylics that have their surfaces 'sealed'... scratch resistant and chemical resistant ones... they are almost impossible to bond with weld-on because of this. But the rest... cast, extruded, etc... they suck up some water. In fact, there have been patents and research devoted to the formulation of acrylics sheets that are 'low moisture absorbing'. FWIW, acrylic is MADE from water.

This is why acrylics aren't approved for use around food by the FDA. PE is used instead because its 'safe'. This special “safe” quality comes from the fact that PE is a CLOSED CELL material. That means it doesn’t absorb any water. And because it doesn’t absorb any water, it floats (unlike acrylic which will quickly sink to the bottom). That’s why polyethylene is also commonly used to make kayaks and other things that float as well as tarps and pool covers.

I suppose you dont believe that CO2 cant pass through regular airline hose either... 8)

 

[bfessler]

Well I stand corrected. I looked up the water absorption of acrylic but I couldn't find any reference to the high amount of water you mentioned. According to the Machinist-Materials,
Plastics Comparison Table. http://www.machinist-materials.com/comparison_table_for_plastics.htm The absorption of water after 24 hours is only .03% and at saturation no additional amount was recorded. Also every source I could find listed dimensional stability as one of acrylic's benefits. I was surprised to find out that acrylic is not a closed celled material. Do you have any source of infromation regarding the dimensional stability of acrylic when submurged in water?

I don't have enough information to dispute your claim so I'll keep an eye on the tank. I do have several friends that have made sumps using acrylic sheets for baffels without any problems.

 

[Anonymous]

While I'm not going to call BS, especially with regard to direct experience, I find myself sitting here wondering about all that acrylic used at the LBAOP and how those displays were built, the massive volumes of water behind the acrylic, etc. Sure would suck if those tanks blew, would suck royally.

 

[bfessler]

I posted a few inquiries on other boards looking for anyone else that has had this experience. Haven't found anyone else yet but several people that have mixed acrylic and glass without a problem. I'll post any responce I can find regarding this. It seems if it was a big problem more people would have experienced it.

 

[bfessler]

This is why acrylics aren't approved for use around food by the FDA. PE is used instead because its 'safe'. This special “safe” quality comes from the fact that PE is a CLOSED CELL material. That means it doesn’t absorb any water. And because it doesn’t absorb any water, it floats (unlike acrylic which will quickly sink to the bottom). That’s why polyethylene is also commonly used to make kayaks and other things that float as well as tarps and pool covers.

Actually Acrylic is approved by the FDA for use around food.

CYRO’s ACRYLITE® FF and ACRYLITE® GP acrylic sheets are regulated for food contact under 21CFR177.1010. Our colorless materials have been tested and meet the requirements of these regulations for all use conditions up to and including hot filled or pasteurized above 150°F (i.e. Condition C, 21CFR176.170, Table 2) for all food types except those containing more than 8% alcohol.

I haven't been aboe to find any info one way or the other regarding expansion in water but have receied numerous contacts from others in the hobby that use acrylic baffels in glass tanks without problems provided the acrylic is cut to fit loosly (1/8" clearance or so).

 

[bfessler]

I finally found the adsorption stats for acrylic.
http://cyro.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/cy...GV4dD13YXRlciBhZHNvcmJ0aW9u&p_li=&p_topview=1

In the 24 Hour submersion test the weight gain was .2% soluble mater lost 0% water adsorbed .2% and dimensional change .2%. The chart also gives data as to weight gain at 7, 14,21,35 and 48 days but unfortunately it did not give the other factors. At 48 days the weight change was 1.1% and if the correlation between weight gain and dimensional change are linear this would translate to a dimensional change of 1.1% as well but I cannot verify this by the provided chart but if this is true than the dimensional change in 10" would be about 1/10".

 

[Ben1]

I wouldn't worry about it, Ive used acrylic inside glass tanks for years as baffles glued in with silicon with no problems.

 

[imcosmokramer]

sweet design!