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Blackfysh's Fluval Evo 13.5

Blackfysh

Blackfysh

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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 big 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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@Blackfysh
Few things:
  1. You don't necessarily need a fuge, if you stay on top of your water changes. (This might be a polarizing topic :p )
  2. Just add an in-tank media basket in Chamber 1 with floss at the top. Toss the stock foam filler. Add some more ceramic media in Ch2. (the media basket for Ch2 isn't worth the $. Make one with zip-ties & egg crate instead.
  3. Before you add any fish, make a lid with a DIY screen kit from Home Depot/ Lowes.
 
thesassyindian said:
@Blackfysh
Few things:
  1. You don't necessarily need a fuge, if you stay on top of your water changes. (This might be a polarizing topic :p )
  2. Just add an in-tank media basket in Chamber 1 with floss at the top. Toss the stock foam filler. Add some more ceramic media in Ch2. (the media basket for Ch2 isn't worth the $. Make one with zip-ties & egg crate instead.
  3. Before you add any fish, make a lid with a DIY screen kit from Home Depot/ Lowes.
Click to expand...

I actually want the fuge as a place to grow copepods as well as nutrient reduction. I’m planning on bi-weekly water changes, but the tank is in my office so I may not always be around to keep up that schedule.

I actually use a coarse filter sponge at the top of the InTank media basket in chamber 1. Filter floss tends to clog quickly since it isn’t as porous. The rest of the chambers are filled with bags of Marine Pure Gems and Seachem Denitrate.

I’ve actually ordered a Kraken Reef lid, which is arriving this week. I’m HORRIBLE with DIY projects LOL!
 
Blackfysh said:
I actually want the fuge as a place to grow copepods as well as nutrient reduction. I’m planning on bi-weekly water changes, but the tank is in my office so I may not always be around to keep up that schedule.

I actually use a coarse filter sponge at the top of the InTank media basket in chamber 1. Filter floss tends to clog quickly since it isn’t as porous. The rest of the chambers are filled with bags of Marine Pure Gems and Seachem Denitrate.

I’ve actually ordered a Kraken Reef lid, which is arriving this week. I’m HORRIBLE with DIY projects LOL!
Click to expand...
We can always help with DIY stuff. (Check out the DIY thread)
Copepods will reproduce in sand /rock work.
 
A question for my fellow Evo owners: did you upgrade your return pumps, and did you also get a wave maker? I upgrade to a Sicce Syncra 1.0, but I can’t tell if it’s enough flow. I’m considering adding like a Jebao SLW-10. Would that just make for too much flow?
 
Blackfysh said:
A question for my fellow Evo owners: did you upgrade your return pumps, and did you also get a wave maker? I upgrade to a Sicce Syncra 1.0, but I can’t tell if it’s enough flow. I’m considering adding like a Jebao SLW-10. Would that just make for too much flow?
Click to expand...
I have a sicce 1.0 as well, and it’s more than sufficient.
You don’t need a wavemaker to begin with, but will need to consider it once you add more corals that need significant flow. I have a Jebao SOW-4.
 
Blackfysh said:
A question for my fellow Evo owners: did you upgrade your return pumps, and did you also get a wave maker? I upgrade to a Sicce Syncra 1.0, but I can’t tell if it’s enough flow. I’m considering adding like a Jebao SLW-10. Would that just make for too much flow?
Click to expand...

i have the same tank as QT. Tried sicce 1.0, but the pump is making a lot of noise from touching the sides. Went back to the stock pump and wrap silicon pad around. Dead quiet

yes, the flow is not ideal. It’s easy to get flow. I added a sicce nano power head . 500gph easy on top of the return.

you are not going to get a lot of flow with the return pump. There is only so much water that can flow through the filtration Chamber. Power head is the easiest and cheapest way to go.
 
Blackfysh said:
A question for my fellow Evo owners: did you upgrade your return pumps, and did you also get a wave maker? I upgrade to a Sicce Syncra 1.0, but I can’t tell if it’s enough flow. I’m considering adding like a Jebao SLW-10. Would that just make for too much flow?
Click to expand...

Not sure how much room is in your chamber, I have an IM Nuvo 14 and I upgraded to a MightyJet desktop DC return pump. I added a vivid aquatics random flow generator nozzle (which I think you can 3D print on your own if you have a printer).

The pump is rated at 300+ gph and can be set to pulse, and the flow can be turned up or down. For <$100 I felt it’s been a big improvement for me and I got rid of the ugly jebao that was in my tank.
 
I use a syncra 1.0 as a return pump. Definitely enough power. If there is noise, you can always put some rubber on the pump to limit chamber vibration. As per wave maker, I use a hygger 1600gph mini wave maker.
 
Thanks for the recommendations everyone! I only notice noise with the Sicce pump when it manages to touch the sides of the chamber. I just wiggle the power cord and it stops.

I had wondered if the MightyJet would fit, but I haven’t seen any other Evo owners mention it. I think I’ll just add a wave maker if I graduate to some SPS corals. For now, I’m mainly thinking of starting with a couple softies and then the rest will probably be LPS.
 
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