Frag tank Q's

so my birthday is in may and my dad said that it would be a good b-day present would be a frag tank. what kind of filtration, flow, lights would i need im thinking of having mixed reef with montis acros and softies

 

bump

 

browntrout has a nice frag posted on the "For Sale" forum. Maybe you can check it out and ask questions?

 

ok thansk

 

You can find acrylic frag tanks on ebay for fairly cheap. You'll need a sump, pump, and enough live rock to fit whatever size frag tank you choose (not to mention the stand). As for lighting, that's a highly debated subject... You'll probably get a different answer from every person on this forum I can tell you that we use Sunlight Supply Tek Lights. They have individual reflectors, the T5s don't use a ton of power, and they don't generate a lot of heat so you'll save on electricity, air conditioning, etc. We've seen very good growth with these lights and in a shallow tank where most coral is only a few inches away from the water's surface, I personally feel that T5s work every bit as good as Metal Halides... maybe even better since corals get light from all angles instead of just one point like metal halides. Also, don't forget powerheads, a protein skimmer, possibly a phosphate reactor, food, chemicals, maybe some egg create for display, etc.

 

Is the live rock neccesary because i probubly wont have enough room to keep one because when i go to college in a year i plan on taking it with me and most colleges dont allow any tank over 20g

 

I want this one 20"x16"x8" - ACRYLIC FRAG TANK, BLACK BACK, RIMLESS! - eBay (item 190369472195 end time Mar-01-10 15:57:15 PST)

 

I posted a link below the guy also makes all in one frag tanks

 

way to expensive for just a tank

 

ive been looking and he usually auctions some off starting at like $50-$60

glasscages has some cheap stuff