Fluval Evo 13.5 Clean Up Crew

[anewell1321]

Hi! I have just gotten my fluval evo up and running. I plan to keep the stock lighting and pump for the time being and do not have the skimmer upgrade. I will be putting the intank media basket in chamber 2 probably sometime next week when it comes in the mail. (any filtration media tips also appreciated) at the moment I have the stock filter foam still in that chamber. I currently have two clown fish and several small soft coral frags in the tank. I would like to start stocking a clean up crew and am looking for some suggestions. I love the look of cleaner shrimp. I would also like to possibly add an emerald crab or some hermit crabs. I am not a real fan of the look of snails so I'd like to stay away from those. Any suggestions from fellow Fluval evo owners would be much appreciated.

 

[Les Poissons]

I just got our new Evo 13.5 set up as well. It sounds like you're a little ahead of me as I only have one clownfish and asmall CUC in the tank and plan to add our first soft coral frags this weekend. I do have the Fluval PS2 skimmer running, and I have already replaced the foam in chamber 2 with a 3D printed media basket. I added a couple of hermit crabs and 2 astraea snails to the tank a couple weeks ago. All four members of the CUC seem to be happy and busy nibbling on things here and there around the tank, but there is really no visible algae for them to work on. The hermit crabs are definitely more interesting to watch, as the snails are nocturnal, but I like the idea of a diverse CUC and will be adding other snails and possibly a shrimp in the long run. Will probably focus next on something that will spend more time in the sand bed. For the crabs we tossed in a few extra small shells from the beach, and one of the crabs keeps switching shells, trying to find the best fit. It's become a bit of a game with my kids to guess which shell "Charlie" will be wearing tomorrow. Good luck with the tank. We'll definitely need some luck as well as this is our first reef tank.

 

[CrimsonTide]

Evo's are small so I wouldn't suggest an urchin if you're opposed to snails do some red and blue legged hermits and then go a couple trochus snails and astrea snails. The crabs won't work on the glass like they will. Emerald crabs are cool but if you don't have a lot for them to pick on they can start to pick on corals. I have an emerald crab that lives in a frogspawn colony. If she starts to mess with the polyps she's getting tossed. I would suggest a female emerald crab they have smaller pinchers so they can get into better spots and also do less damage if they decide to go after corals. Cleaner shrimps are cool but I like to add CUC as I need them. Nobody wants to pay a janitor who doesn't have any work to do. A peppermint shrimp would be cool if you don't want to go cleaner.

 

[Sardius]

Hey all. I just joined this forum and I also just started my tank. Its several weeks old now. Have the skimmer upgrade and also put the InTank upgrade into chamber 2. I ordered the upgrade pump that I had read was a nice upgrade but not overbearing (Sicce 1.0) that should be here in the next few days. I have 2 clowns, a nice size turbo, 2 red leg hermits (small), couple of blue leg hermits (tiny so they fit in the really small spots), 2 nassarius snails, and a banded coral shrimp. Tank cycled really well and the crew stays busy. Wish you all the best of luck with the tanks!

 

[leriel99]

Hey all. I just joined this forum and I also just started my tank. Its several weeks old now. Have the skimmer upgrade and also put the InTank upgrade into chamber 2. I ordered the upgrade pump that I had read was a nice upgrade but not overbearing (Sicce 1.0) that should be here in the next few days. I have 2 clowns, a nice size turbo, 2 red leg hermits (small), couple of blue leg hermits (tiny so they fit in the really small spots), 2 nassarius snails, and a banded coral shrimp. Tank cycled really well and the crew stays busy. Wish you all the best of luck with the tanks!

Did you have any trouble with the flow having the chamber 2 with the intank mod ? I worried about that i run a skimmer on the first chamber

 

[davidcalgary29]

I kept a tuxedo urchin in mine for eight months until it died from a contaminant accident. It's certainly feasible to keep one in an Evo if there's enough live rock on which it can graze.

And the inTank Chamber two basket works well. Just don't overload it with media, and you'll be fine. I actually had to leave the sump hole unplugged, though, as the positioning of the PS/2 skimmer in chamber one and the basket in chamber two resulted in inadequate water flow that caused the return pump to seize (and led to the death of that urchin when the powerbar melted).

 

[Sardius]

Did you have any trouble with the flow having the chamber 2 with the intank mod ? I worried about that i run a skimmer on the first chamber

No not at all. The 2nd chamber insert has full flow access on the sides unlike the 1st chamber insert. Thus allowing accessibility the entire length of it any where water wants to come by the skimmer.

 

[Sardius]

I kept a tuxedo urchin in mine for eight months until it died from a contaminant accident. It's certainly feasible to keep one in an Evo if there's enough live rock on which it can graze.

And the inTank Chamber two basket works well. Just don't overload it with media, and you'll be fine. I actually had to leave the sump hole unplugged, though, as the positioning of the PS/2 skimmer in chamber one and the basket in chamber two resulted in inadequate water flow that caused the return pump to seize (and led to the death of that urchin when the powerbar melted).

I was not excited about the chamber 1 insert for that very reason. That made electing the skimmer over it all the easier. Never could make sense of why they blocked off the entire flow of chamber 1 into 2 except the 3 little holes at the bottom. All that seemed to would do would be to direct the flow straight through 1 and across the bottom of 2 instead of letting the tank actually take advantage of the extra filtration. There is enough room beside the skimmer to allow adequate flow through the entire second chamber so works out nice I think.