40g Frag tank - 24x24x12 or 36x18x14?

[Delphinus]

Just second guessing myself here. My plan was to move my 40g semicube 24x24x12 tank currently housing my carpets and clowns and convert it into a frag tank running off the same sump as the new tank. I was going to go 4x24w t5 for lighting instead of the 175w halide there now.

I also have a 40g breeder, 36x18x14, with false wall on one side to make an overflow. Thus usable footprint once you take away the 4" for the overflow is 32x18. My plan WAS to use this as an eventual QT setup.

I'm almost tempted to switch the plan and go with the 40g breeder for the frag tank. It would stick out into the room less, but block more of the sump. It's also more or less ready to go, new tank so nice and clean, whereas the 24x24 has almost 5 years of runtime so is getting kinda grody and in need of a good scrub down and so on.

Interestingly the footprints are the same area. 32x18 = 576 in^2, 24x24 = 576 in^2. Although the 24x24 has a notch out in the centre in the back so it's a little less.

[BlueTang<3]

Whats available for lighting for you Tony? This will be what will be the deciding factor. I just build my frag tank 24x24x12 because a 24 inch light was cheaper than a 36 inch one. Another thing to consider is flow in the tank. The 24x24 you can place stuff out of the direct line of flow. I put a mp 10 in my frag tank and maybe its too much, but with the 24x24 i can move stuff out of the direct line of flow more.

[Lance]

Footprints are the same so I guess it doesn't really matter that much. Lighting and flow can be made to suit for each. T5's are fine as you can set some frag racks up closer to the lights for the SPS and some racks lower for others. Looks like a win/win to me. Toss a coin Tony.

[lastlight]

Flow might be easier n the skinny tank. Powerheads on an end blowing down the length.

[Myka]

Originally Posted by Delphinus

Just second guessing myself here. My plan was to move my 40g semicube 24x24x12 tank currently housing my carpets and clowns and convert it into a frag tank running off the same sump as the new tank. I was going to go 4x24w t5 for lighting instead of the 175w halide there now.

I also have a 40g breeder, 36x18x14...My plan WAS to use this as an eventual QT setup.

Good plans. Don't second guess yourself!

[Delphinus]

Late at night the questions in my head just starting to get overwhelming. I was sort of wondering if I should somehow usurp the 40g breeder for the eel/butterflies but then that would mean it wasn't available as the frag tank but then it was never really on tap for that so now I'm not sure what the heck I was thinking. Maybe just to make sure that the 24x24 is still a better choice for frags, I dunno. But then the 40g breeder isn't an ideal tank for those fish, it would have to be locked down pretty tight as I see the eel getting out on the first try and I'm not sure if the butterflies would just be sitting there with this kind of "FML" look on their faces because there's no up/down swimming possibilities. Sounds like the better go-forward is to still go with the 24x24 (the light is a Tek 4x24w, New Wave or whatever, it's the econo-model-sorta-looks-like-a-shop-light version) so would fit over the 24" with better coverage, the 36" would have edges without coverage although probably in the order of 3" per side which probably isn't a huge deal. And then find a 65g.

I think I need to have a garage sale though!!!!

[ScubaSteve]

I'd stick with the 24"x24" for the frag tank. Put some rock in the center of the tank and have all the frags around that, that way you can get a nice gyre/raceway effect going on with few powerheads. And like you said, you get better light coverage. also, you might be able to actually do something aesthetic rather than the typical blah frag tank.