DIY coral Farm plans??

[morepunkthanewe]

Anyone have a DIY coral farm that was relatively cheap to build. I was thinking about using a rubbermaid tub, or some other cheap holding container. I would love to see pics of your setup, or at least some pointers. Thanks.

 

[JeffB]

I know Garf had one that seemed to be fairly cheap to set up was 3 tanks 4ft long by 2 ft front to back and 4 inches deep with a 12 inch sump might want to look it up

Jeff

 

[Rich-n-poor]

You need to do a search on either LiquidShaneO(he's a member here or Ghetto propagation tank which he built.

FWIW I am almost through builting a prop tank on the same idea here's my breakdown:

5 1/2 gallon tank new $8.00

Sand from main tank ....free

self built canopy from scrap lumber I had lying aroud ...............free

6400 K 13 watt power compact bulb from lowes $9.00
ballast for bulb I already had...Free (but you can buy a bulb/ballast combo with removeable bulb for $9.99)

Socket to run bulb $2.49

old extension cord for wiring .....Free

wire nuts 2X.06 = 12 cents

can of black spray paint for aestics $2.49

all told about $22 and a couple hours for 2.6 watts per gallon

a ten gallon tank is only a dollar more at LFS but this would have increased lighting cost. I still want to add another bulb/ ballast to get 5.2 watts per gallon but I need to price 13 watt actnic bulbs HTH

Oh yeah almost forgot cirulation and protien skimming by an old skilter 250 I had ......free

[ February 20, 2002: Message edited by: Rich-n-poor ]</p>
_________________
Isetta

 

[liquid]

Here's my prop tank:

http://www.liquidreef.com/

Click on the Prop Tub/Tank menu item. VERY lo-tec.

Shane

 

[fishfarmer]

R-n-P,

Here's a bit of advice on upgrading your prop lighting. Get as much lighing as you can over that 5 1/2 gallon and get it CLOSE. I set up the middle of my 20 gal sump as a potential coral farm. It's about a 8 gallon space, 5 gallons with the 4" sandbed. My 27 watt 6700k quad PC(LOA fixture) is about 9" to the sandbed. If I use the watts per gal rule I should have 5.4 wpg, so xenia should be thriving considering xenia grew well in my main tank under 4.6 wpg. Well my main tank has MH and that's where most of my marketable corals come from. I have a hard time growing xenia and anthelia in the sump, even green striped mushrooms are having a hard time multiplying in the sump. I do have a toadstool frag that is doing fine and growing a bit as well as some sinularia frags. I also had some brown button polyps do fine as well.

I'd say if you want to set it up as a place for recovering cuttings and for small tradeable frags low light would be fine, but if you want them to really put on some fat, get more light to them.

[ February 25, 2002: Message edited by: fishfarmer ]

[ February 25, 2002: Message edited by: fishfarmer ]</p>