I just converted my old display tank into a frag tank. I hope to prop some Zoas, rare palys, an acan or two, some rics.





Top down shot it looks weird but I didn't use flash or anything



Zoomed


Stats

Aqua C Nano remora
150W Coral life pendant with XM 20K
10g sump with Eheim return pump (haven't filled it up yet too lazy)
Koralia 2
What does everyone think?

Anyone know if it would be worth it to swap out the Clown and get a sixline wrasse to control pests?

I have heard they are used in prop tanks to eat flatworms, nudis, and clam parasite. Is this true?

I like it!

I may be setting up something very similar pretty soon.

Thanks!

Good luck in setting it up. What are you planning on fragging in it?

Well, at least you have the frags....LOL

sorry dude, I couldn't resist.

brian, nice tank, sorry for the hijack.

mostly stuff from my 40g. I reaaaaaalllllly hate having frag racks in my display. That's why i'm setting up the 20L for the extra clippings.

I will also keep an eye out for the occasional diamond in the rough at the local LFS. I don't have any more room in my 40g, but I would love to find another nice large zoa colony that i can buy cheap and frag up. I'll also probably invest ina small colony of nuclear greens. Those things seem to do pretty well for just about everybody, and they always bring a little $$$.

Thats my plan for this tank, cherry pick a few nice colonies of zoas over time, get about 15 multicolor rics and frag those up, haven't really planned any further than that. Nuke greens do sound like a good idea to consider.

Just got some cespitularia frags. They are acclimating right now, post pics tomorrow when the lights turn on.

Those tanks look nice. I like the ric idea. They always seem to be in demand and one of the more colorful corals IMO. Im actually looking to find a nice yellow and pink ric soon.

Alright I'm thinking of either going to the LFS in Boston and seeing if they have any good $45 zoanthid colonies I got a decent colony of RDE's and EE's from them in the pictures above but I'm not sure if they'll have any worth while stuff So I as thinking of getting a colony or two from the Live Aquaria Diver's Den.

What does everyone think of any of these colonieS, I need some input

A. http://www.liveaquaria.com/diversden/ItemD...&ddid=50620
I really like this one alot, its a little pricey but I think frags would be really populary. Crazy pink colors.

B. http://www.liveaquaria.com/diversden/ItemD...&ddid=50616
Good colony cool red skirt, but kinda boring in the center.

C. http://www.liveaquaria.com/diversden/ItemD...&ddid=49905
Thes\e are cool too

I love the ones from live aquaria you have listed as C. Gorgeous!

Yeah I agree, I've never seen black and pink palys before.

I'm in the process of getting parts together to make a 2 bulb actinic retrofit supplement. Any recommendations for bulbs?

http://zomania.com/index.php?main_page=pro...products_id=384

I was thinking of getting this pack. Seems like a good price, what do rics go for if I were to frag and sell them? I'm thinking like $13-$16 per polyp

While some of those zoos are really pretty, I'd never pay that much for them. Pickup some cheap frags and just grow them out. People on here, and other forums sell them all the time. Also check CraigsList, I know in my area I see people selling frags for $5-10 all the time. Zoos and pallies ship easily so there is less risk of them getting harmed in the process.

Why pay $100's when you can pay $10's, wait for several months and have the same $100 pieces? All you are paying for is time. And in this hobby, its all about sitting back and watching things grow. Remember, they are all the same type of animal, just different morphs and color variations. Once color should not cost any more than other colors IMO.


Looking at that Zomaina link... those 5zoo 10 packs seem to be a decent price based purely on variety. You can sit back and watch those grow, then frag them out and have 10 different ones you can frag and trade/sell instead of just one big one you paid an arm and a leg for initially.

I bought 8 zoo frags for $60 at a local store a couple months back (all different colors, even the nuke greens everyone goes nuts over) and they have all doubled or tripled already.

Looks good so far.

I'll probably be talking to you about getting a couple frags in a couple weeks since your local.

What do you have for Zoas right now?

Went to the LFS and got a big red zoanthid colony and a plating hydnophora coral. Unfortunately I had no idea it was an SPS coral. I thought it was a LPS it has big sweepers like galaxea and I'll admit it was impulse. I feel like a noob for not knowing it was sps lol.

Pics later

What LFS did you go to?

Skipton's

I'm trying to decide upon ordering a 10 pack of rics or getting some more zoa colonies. Also I picked up some Boston AquaFarms frag plugs so I should be doing some fragging real soon, I'll get some pics when I frag some stuff.

What does everyone think of the red zoas? Do they have a name?

Looks good so far, like the bare bottom idea, going to do it with my tank.

Can't wait to get my frags!

Thanks everybody,

The LFS said instead of a sixline wrasse for nudi and flatworm control I should get a yellow coris wrasse, they are pretty knowledgeable and know my tank is a 20 long. I looked on Live aquaria and its says 30g minimum but it gets 4-6". I don't really want one just wandering if people really keep yellow coris wrasse in smaller tanks?

I wouldn't keep anything over 2 or 3 inches in a 20 long.

I am going to do a setup very similar to this soon.

i have a yellow coris wrasse in a 26 gal. it will be fine in your tank if its the only fish.

Thanks, if I go down to the LFS and they have one I'll probably pick one up, as they haven't had sixlines in a while.

What do you feed him? Do they really grow that big?

I'm pretty sure that yellow coris wrasses like having a SB to bury themselves in. I'm not positive that not having a SB will be a problem, but still something worth noting.

fwiw, I'm going with a 6 line in my frag tank.

both like the sb, but i have a sixline in frag tub that is bare bottom. they pretty eat alot of foods. rods, cyclopleeze, etc. I know that my sixline hides in one of the pvc legs on my rack at night.

Glenn you're right, I was worried about the sand bed. It all depends on whats in stock although the six line wrasse would be preferred if they have it.

DT thanks for the food info thats cool how your 6 line hides in the pvc

I decided to try to feed brine shrimp to the People Eaters on Acid and Red People Eaters. I just thawed them in tank water and squirted them at the polyps. I was surprised that the brine shrimp stuck to the disc of the PE's and then the People Eaters just closed up and engulfed the shrimp, some of them have bits of Brine shrimp sticking out.

Anyone have any ideas on whether its worth it to feed them? Does it really increase the growth rate?

I don't feed the zoas as I haven't observed any noticeable eating response from them like the people eater.

Brine is kind of a waste. No nutritional value. Mysis would be a better choice.

I have noticed that target feeding palys mysis and cyclopeze has made them grow a little faster. I also use Coral Frenzy too, and everything loves that.

Thanks, I'll have to pick up some better food for them.

Other news,

I just paid for a paly/zoa frag pack with 2-3 polyps of all these

-stardust pes
-king midas
-Nuke Greens
-Purple Death
-Mohawks
-Rainbows


I know its not the best investment, but I like them and used the money I made from selling frags. Plus I'm tired of running around town selling $15 frags I think from now on I'd prefer putting packs together and shipping them, or selling fewer but nicer more expensive frags.

Bangin tank man!! Im super excited for it.... Let me know 1st when your making a frag pack to sell/trade. I picked up like 15 types of zoas last night.

hahahahah@pr0n spammerz.

Thanks, I already have a frag of People Eater's on Acid with your name on it. I'll let you know when I get a frag pack ready, probably in about two months or so. On another note I just arranged a trade for 3 polyps of tub's blues for a polyp of my PEoA's.

I really hate how spammers hit my thread twice in two days, am I being targeted? or does this happen alot?

This is the first time Ive seen a spammer on here maybe you are cursed? haha...


I just made a zoa rock out of like 17 frags I got last night, I cant wait to see it open

Awesome idea. Be careful though I was reading that one type of zoa usually takes over all the other ones and dominates the rock. It would be a good idea to keep each type in check by cutting them when they get too close. Can't wait to see it. Would you ever want to do a trade for some zoa frags?

key to your frag tank is trying to find corals that will grow quick. Thats a nice little zoa pack to start out with.

That pretty good makes sense, the PEoA's I got from Makai seem to be growing really quickly. The RPE's are growing but just not as ridiculously as fast. I can't wait to start growing out the zoa pack! It's gonna be shipped next monday though.

Not much new here but I got my old percula clown back. The neighbors didn't want him anymore so I figured why not take him back.

I cut stuff from my tank about twice a week... Im always monitoring it.

Good plan, can't wait to see it!!!

I figure I should share my plans for the future of this tank. My plan was to set it up as a prop tank over the summer because I have found it easier to maintain and stuff full of corals. At around February I'd like to see it back as a display tank, but as we know nothing ever goes as planned. The idea for the Display tank is this, I want to grow out the nice zoas and palys I have and the ones I'm getting. The rockwork will be a half circle cliff line of rocks. The zoas and palys will be placed on the rocks and in the middle of the half circle of rockwork on the sand my true dream coral a Scolymia. Hopefully I won't have any fish in the tank, I'll have to find a home for the clown. From now on most of the money I make from selling the corals I frag will be put towards getting a huge scolymia.

A huge scoly just like this one!!!
http://totm.aquariumpros.ca/TOTM/images/Pa...ymia_eating.jpg

I'm getting a new test kit, What does everone think about API Reef Kit? I remember reading it was supposed to be good, but the low price surprised me. Anyone know if its any good?

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod...mp;pcatid=15473

I use API kits for cal, alk, and nitrate. When tested with Salifert, the numbers are always very close to my API numbers, and I think the API tests are easier and faster to use (not to mention cheaper). The API phos test is probably a waste of money unless your phos is REALLY high - it will be useless for testing phos in the low range.
HTH,
Anna

^ Thanks

I found a 1 inch nudibranch!!! Its grey and was on the glass presumably eating algae. Its grey has kind of a large bump on its back and was a mottled grey. I'll try to get a pic.

Friend or Foe?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?

Anyone have any nudibranch ID threads?

Turned the lights off and killed the big nudi, It looked like a sea hare but I don't want a nudi in my tank.

Just posted a frag pack on my local reef site, What does everyone think about the price?

Got a decent shot the Cespitularia, It's an ok coral but its 90 bucks for a small frag at Live Aquaria thats crazy! I got two 3" frags of it in a trade for some small zoa frags.



The three frag packs I made up are taken already so I should be able to get that scolymia or 2-3 Maximas as the centerpiece for when I switch it back to a display tank after christmas.

I also have Makai's RPE's and PEOA's and I have found that I get great growth if I spot feed mysis soaked in selcon, I have gotten 3 new polyps on the RPE's and 2 on the PEOA's in less than a month. FWIW

Do corals grow fast enough to make it profitable to keep a 20L frag tank? Right now I've only got a couple of corals and I've only had them about a week so I have no first hand experience.

My frag of PEOA's went from 8 to about 13 pol. Thanks polyps in about month, the RPE's seems to grow a little slower for me I have 5 polyps on the frag that are just making it to adult size, I spot fed brine shrimp but I need to get some mysis because its better. Thanks for the tip.


Define profitable, i've put over a thousand dollars into my tank I lost count how much exactly . I use this tank to propagate corals and get the money I paid for them back and then some to buy more corals. So its profitable if you pull it off right, but I think that it would take a while to make your money back on the whole system itself. If I were you I'd focus on getting some nice zoa colonies and some palys(not high end stuff) and other nice looking corals that aren't hard to take care of. I've noticed that things like that sell alot faster than any sps frags I've seen for sale locally. It also depends on your market too.