Frag tank advice.

[Paul31733]

Hey everybody!
I am looking to purchase a 36" frag tank. Possibly from advanced acrylics.
I am asking for guidance on setup and lighting and such.
If you could link me some good threads to read or have some direct advice I am all ears.

One question I have is if I use a hybrid lighting system. On a 36 " long tank, do I need a 36" ballist or could I use a 24" ballast?

Thanks.
Paul.

 

[Ron Reefman]

24" t5 bulbs would probably be OK over a 36" tank. But if you use leds, you'll probably want a 32" led fixture.

If you have other frag tank questions, ask away, I'm watching this thread.

 

[Billdogg]

I'd go with a 24" light as well, but I'd put it closer to one end than the other so that you can have a larger variety of lighting intensities to keep different types of corals happy.

I have a shallow 60g FT (2x4x12") The return comes over on one end, the overflow is on the other. For lighting I use a pair of AI Sol Blues that used to light my 120DT. That allowed me to move a pair of Kessil A360W's over to the previously unlit QT so that I can now QT corals as well as new fish.

 

[X-37B]

I have a 36x24x12. Ran 6 36" T5's for a year. Now run 1 150 watt halide.
Run the same lighting as your main display.
If you want led's look at OR3 light bars. I run 1 on my 120 for dawn/dusk and need to get 1 for my frag system.
Several die hard led friends have converted from radions to the OR3's and wont go back fwiw.
The growth and color are outstanding.
Here is my 1 year old frag/lagoon systsem.

 

[Paul31733]

Looks nice! Do you know how many orphek or3 bars I would need for a 36x20x12?

I have a 36x24x12. Ran 6 36" T5's for a year. Now run 1 150 watt halide.
Run the same lighting as your main display.
If you want led's look at OR3 light bars. I run 1 on my 120 for dawn/dusk and need to get 1 for my frag system.
Several die hard led friends have converted from radions to the OR3's and wont go back fwiw.
The growth and color are outstanding.
Here is my 1 year old frag/lagoon systsem.

 

[X-37B]

Looks nice! Do you know how many orphek or3 bars I would need for a 36x20x12?

One bar is equal to 2 T5's.
3 would be perfect, imo.
2 blue plus 1 reef day.
Friends are running them 2:1 with very good color and growth.

 

[Paul31733]

One bar is equal to 2 T5's.
3 would be perfect, imo.
2 blue plus 1 reef day.
Friends are running them 2:1 with very good color and growth.

Thank you for your help! Happy holidays!

 

[Reeffraff]

Just a quick note on Advanced acrylics. They are experiencing production delays of 3-4 months but for some reason are not telling customers about the problem. If you need a tank sooner, I'd go with someone else.

 

[Paul31733]

Just a quick note on Advanced acrylics. They are experiencing production delays of 3-4 months but for some reason are not telling customers about the problem. If you need a tank sooner, I'd go with someone else.

Wow thanks! Any other recommendations?

 

[ReefChef19]

Luna reef out of Orlando, Florida does some nice work. He's on ig and fb.