10 Gallon Propagation Tank

[Smtanner15]

Today I went over the home depot and I picked up 10' of 1/2" PVC pipe and 2' by 4' egg crate sheet.

I plan on making my 10 gallon into a frag tank, and I was wondering if anyone has suggestions on how I should set the shelves or have some pictures or ideas for the layout. Any suggestions would be good.

The tank is 20" by 10". Thanks in advance.

[Zook]

10g might be small and you'll find yourself running out of space, many uses a 20g long and that seem to work well. If you can wait until next week, Sam, it'll be good for you to see how the prop tank at Healthy Pet is constructed.

[ScottT]

Those egg crate sheets are overpriced, aren't they Sam?  At least I remember being annoyed with the price.  There are a bunch of methods.  Look around on the internet, and like Chau says, check out the one at HP.  The one there was constructed by a seasoned aquarist. 

[Smtanner15]

Yeah I know I ended up paying like $12 for just the egg crate and $3 for 10' of PVC -.- The light I was planning on using is a 24" 1 T5 bulb and 1 actinic bulb and is 48 watts all together, Adam used to use it on his sump and the bulbs are a couple months old, but what size tank would be 24" long?

[Beast1961]

I think most home prop tank shelves are constructed with elbows, tees and piping of PVC. If you go this route make sure to drill holes in it to let the air escape so it doesn't want to float.

[Zook]

http://alysta.com/books/fishtank.htm

[Smtanner15]

I was thinking of making about 3 shelves all at different heights kind of like a staircase and have low lighting for bottom medium in the middle and having higher lighting corals on top obviously but I have seen pictures of people having 2 shelves on the sides up high or having triangle pieces  in the corners. I am just wondering which one would be most effective for different levels or would have the most room.

[Smtanner15]

so a 10 long or a 15 gallon would be 24", last year I attempted this same thing but do all think that light I have could sit on a glass top and support corals in a 20 long?

[Beast1961]

I would buy the leg kit for it or make some kind of cross member to support it. Water will condense and evaporate on the glass creating salt creep and cut down on the light getting to the corals. I did this for my 75g with 2X250w MH fixture out scrap wood then polyurethaned the crap out of it, it fit snug on the inside lip of the tank rim.

[Smtanner15]

It has a small leg on it but would there be a leg kit for a 24" fixture to fit a 30" tank?

[Beast1961]

Try googling the manufacturer + leg kit and maybe tank size, It might state what size tanks it will fit.

[Smtanner15]

No need I was just looking at the light and the small arms I was telling you about pull out and they extend to 41" looks like I will try to get a 20 long now, if the light is strong enough to support most corals except hard corals of course.

[Keith81]

Post is months later but here is what I did with my 10 gallon prop, might be ugly but it will work just fine, 1x96 watt 50/50 lighting, egg crate shelfs, all tied together with zipties, held down with the bottom rock, Had a tank like this in the past and once it got settled it was great...