High Tide Aquatics

Blackfysh's Fluval Evo 13.5

Blackfysh said:
Hello everyone,

I'm a long time freshwater, planted aquarium hobbyist setting up my first saltwater/reef tank. I'm starting with a nano tank in my office at work because I have access to RODI water in our lab, and a nano tank is all I can fit inside my office. I went with the Fluval Evo 13.5 because I liked that it's an AIO and I prefer its dimensions over other peninsula tanks like the Waterbox Peninsula Mini. The fact that so many people have it is a bit plus because I know I'll have a lot of resources to turn to for help.

I purchased the Evo on Amazon Prime Day, so I got a decent deal on it. The tank has been sitting in my office for months as I sort out the aquascape and wait for the tank upgrades to come in. I upgraded the stock pump with a Sicce Syncra 1.0, and upgraded the light with an AI Prime 16HD. I'm going to go with a mixed reef tank and will be using the WWC 24g Nano Reef Schedule: https://worldwidecorals.com/pages/led-lighting-presets. Lights will be off for the duration of the cycle, and I probably won't turn them on until I put in something that needs it.

I've also purchased a SmartATO Lite, and media baskets from InTank for chambers 1 & 2. I'm planning on setting up a fuge in chamber 1 to help with nutrient export and be a home for copepods, and attached a chaeto light from Innovative Marine.

I decided to go with dry rock and sand from Marco Rocks to avoid any unwanted hitchhikers. I'm patient and can wait for the nitrifying bacteria to colonize the rocks and sand. I'm also going to add copepods from AlgaeBarn as soon as the tank is cycled.

I'll be doing my best to keep this journal updated, but the tank will be cycling for a few weeks. In the meantime, here are some photos of the tank as it is. I also ordered a Kraken Reef lid, which hasn't arrived yet.

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nice! My most recent return from FW was via a Fluval 13.5G... I still use ti today! :)
 
thesassyindian said:
Happy to help!

Salifert has been spot on for me! I had received a bad batch of Hanna Alk reagent, and Salifert saved my ass - matched perfectly with the AquaSpin at AC.
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I'm getting a 6.1 dKH based on their table. My PH, using the Salifert test kit, read as 8.15. Maybe I'm doing it wrong. Are you suppose to have a 0.1ml gap of air in the syringe when you draw the liquid KH reagent?
 
Blackfysh said:
I'm getting a 6.1 dKH based on their table. My PH, using the Salifert test kit, read as 8.15. Maybe I'm doing it wrong. Are you suppose to have a 0.1ml gap of air in the syringe when you draw the liquid KH reagent?
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0.1ml sounds about right - the volume of the air column is equal to the volume of reagent in the pink tip of the syringe.
Just make sure you are reading the level at the base of the black plunger - nearest to the tip of the syringe.

For example, the reading of the below image would be: 0.12ml

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If you want to bring a container of water to me I can test it with my hanna to compare. I think you’re in SF?
 
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Blackfysh said:
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The Kraken Reef lid is on! Great quality lid. Really well made!
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The only problem besides it’s price is that the feeding port is in the wrong corner (most people prefer putting their wavemakers right under there).

Some would argue that the wavemakers are turned off during feeding, but I don’t like pellets sinking into the moving parts. Maybe I’m just jaded by working with autonomous vehicles for the last 10+ years.
 
thesassyindian said:
The only problem besides it’s price is that the feeding port is in the wrong corner (most people prefer putting their wavemakers right under there).

Some would argue that the wavemakers are turned off during feeding, but I don’t like pellets sinking into the moving parts. Maybe I’m just jaded by working with autonomous vehicles for the last 10+ years.
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I always turn off my pumps when I feed. I do that with my freshwater tank now. I don’t want the food blowing all around the tank, so I don’t mind where the feeding hole is located.
 
Blackfysh said:
I always turn off my pumps when I feed. I do that with my freshwater tank now. I don’t want the food blowing all around the tank, so I don’t mind where the feeding hole is located.
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Correct - not a problem initially. As I was saying, that's where most people put their wavemakers. So you either have to put the WM elsewhere, or not use the feeding port.
 
I use a feeding ring that suction cups to the tank and then I don’t need to turn pumps off and the pellets can stay in one spot for the fish to get. Just gotta use pellets that float.

I have an auto feeder drop pellets into the ring and the clowns seem to find it, and if they don’t the CUC will.
That’s a good spot for the feeding door IMO you don’t want it close to the overflow where they can go over and just decay in the aio chambers.
 
max_nano said:
I use a feeding ring that suction cups to the tank and then I don’t need to turn pumps off and the pellets can stay in one spot for the fish to get. Just gotta use pellets that float.

I have an auto feeder drop pellets into the ring and the clowns seem to find it, and if they don’t the CUC will.
That’s a good spot for the feeding door IMO you don’t want it close to the overflow where they can go over and just decay in the aio chambers.
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My fish are just plain dumb. I've made a feeding ring, and tried to use it with TDO. My fish are so dumb that they would swim under the ring to get to the pellets.
 
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