45 Gallon Frag/Fuge Tank

[Beanz]

Hey all, so I have had this idea for a little while now and decided to see what some people on here thought about it. Ok, so I have this 45 gallon tank right beside my little 15 gallon tank that would b really easy to plumb into the system. The dimensions of the 45 gallon are 48Lx18.5Hx12.5W. Here is the tank:
http://www.canreef.com/vbulletin/picture.php?albumid=595&pictureid=4644

My plan currently is to have the right side of the tank be a refugium that i could try breeding clowns in. Then there would be a wall in the middle of the tank where the fuge water would overflow into the second chamber which would be the "frag tank" part of the tank. Then the water would then go into the overflow into the sump where it will be filtered ect.

For plumbing I would plumb the tank so that the return line would have a valve that i could shut and the water would bypass the fuge when there are baby fish in there.

The questions that I have about this kinda set up are:
Would the baby fish be able to survive on the pods in the fuge?
Would a 298w odyssea light fixture be sufficient light for the "frag tank" side of the tank? I want to grow SPS, LSP, and zoas in there.
What return pump would you recomend for this application?
What should i use for powerheads/water movement in each side of the tank?

Thats all i can think about right now Ill post more as they come. Please let me know what your thoughts are on this idea.

[Beanz]

Any thoughts?

[shootingstar]

Ian,
I think it would depend on what type of frags you want to grow out.
I can't see this working at all for SPS.
General rule I think is fuge should run about 30% flow of DT so that would not be good at all for frags.
The idea is great for multi-purpose/space saver but not great for the health of either side.

If you stuck to softies....maybe, just maybe it might work.

Sorry, can't help you on the breeding/feeding question, have never bread clowns.

Cathy

[Beanz]

For the return i was thinking of having 2 inlets into the tank. One would go into the frag tank part and the other farther down the line into the fuge part, so i could set the flow of the fuge part of the tank lower. Would this not work?

[Beanz]

Any suggestions on what I should light the frag tank part of the system with? I am currently thinking of making a 6 bulb t5 fishneedit fixture because the tank is upstairs and it heats the room up a bit even with the 70w MH I have over my 15g. Another route I am considering is a DIY LED fixture. What would I need for this application? Or would maybe a 150W with some t5s be the best bet for this?

[Beanz]

Anyone have any suggestions?

[Cugio]

Would the baby fish be able to survive on the pods in the fuge?


I don't think this would work if you want to raise the fry in that tank as well. The baby fry need less lighting (just enough to see the food). You also need to feed them live rotifiers until they are big enough to eat live baby brine shrimp. The flow would be too strong.

This setup would be okay if you left the parents in too breed on a piece of live rock or clay pot. then relocate the babies to a different holding tank (5 - 10 gallon with a sponge filter and bubbler).

Why not just make it into one large fuge and have a frag rack in there?

[SeaHorse_Fanatic]

Yup, rotifers & then newly hatched baby brine shrimp. Baby pods are too large and too few in number to keep baby fish alive in a small tank.

[Beanz]

Thanks for the reply guys. I was thinking about it and would still like the fuge to b on one side cause I want a big spot for frags and growing corals out and think it would be kind of a hassle to have the cheato growing on the racks and having it impede on the corals. I am also going to keep the fuge fishless for the production of more pods and have some clean up fish in the frag tank.

That being said what would some good clean up fish be? I was thinking sixline wrasse for pest control and some kind of algae eater like a lawnmower blenny. Also what are some good inverts to have in a frag tank to keep it clean without knocking frags off racks?

Another question I have is whether to go with a DSB in the fuge or not. If I did what inverts would I be able to use to stir it?

And finally what would be my best bet for DIY LED lighting for the frag tank? The water will be around 15" deep, and the opening on top of the tank is 24" long by 10" wide. I will get dimmable drivers and have blues their own and whites a separate driver(s) so i can get good growth and color as well. I just don't know how many, on what optics, and what spacing ect. would be suitable for this.

Any input it appreciated