Fluval Evo 13.5 gal. - Started a new used tank!

Bato367 · Dec 2, 2020

I picked up this gently used Evo for a good price a few days ago. Cleaned everything, built a scape and started it up. Due to its size I am limited with fish options but I was thinking a tail spot blenny and maybe a clown or two.

Softies and and a few LPS. I will stock it in maybe 2-3 months.

It's all stock but an Intank filter basket, Inkbird temp. controller, and a Fluval CP1 is on the way. I would like to add a few blue leds and put them on a two channel digital timer so I can ramp up the lights and blues for nighttime. Also considered installing a Fluval 15" Marine LED if it will fit (with some mods) into the stock hood? I live in a dry climate so a stock hood is preferable.

I still have to loom up the wires and all that stuff.

We'll see how it goes!

Spare time · Dec 2, 2020

So one thing to keep in mind is that the blue is not a night time light. That is your light specifically for coral growth. At night time the lights should be completely off. I am not sure if that light will fit the hood but fluval should be able to answer that question.

I like that tank. I had a mantis shrimp in at at one point.

Chrisfish · Dec 2, 2020

Congratulations on your new tank, looks good

Twoddler · Dec 3, 2020

Looks good, I had quite a bit of store credit and ended up buying the same tank, just have nt decided what I'm going to do with it ( apart from fill it with water lol )

Bato367 · Dec 3, 2020

I would add some sand and rock =)

Twoddler · Dec 4, 2020

Bato367 said:
I would add some sand and rock =)

Yeah good idea lol

Bato367 · Dec 5, 2020

Is the stock skimmer on these worth running in a mixed reef with 2 fish and inverts?

I just ordered an InTank chamber 2 basket but I am wondering if I should've ordered the chamber 1 basket and ditch the skimmer?

Twoddler · Dec 5, 2020

Bato367 said:
Is the stock skimmer on these worth running in a mixed reef with 2 fish and inverts?

I just ordered an InTank chamber 2 basket but I am wondering if I should've ordered the chamber 1 basket and ditch the skimmer?

I'm starting my evo build tomorrow, regards the skimmer I,very done a lot of research and it seems to be a mixed bag, I think I'll start without, just to see how things go

Bato367 · Jan 2, 2021

Tank finally finished cycling. I added a few hermits, an astrea snail and a mithrax crab. A day before, I removed some sand as I seen it was a bit too much. Also removed just a bit of rock work on top to allow for coral growth.

Ten frags are on order, a bunch of cool corals coming. Mostly softies (I love Zoas) but a few LPS and 1 low light SPS.

Skimmer is working great now that its broke in. I also tied up all the wires and mounted my few controllers. Since, I last posted, I installed a new Fluval Sea powerhead, LED moonlight strips, and a Nicrew light timer. Works great for $17. No need to go crazy with such a simple small reef.

Bato367 · Jan 3, 2021

Tonight I added a rainbow (Colorado?) BTA, Fire Shrimp, Court Jester Goby, and 2 Ocellaris.

That's all for this tank, just waiting on 10 coral frags. I also added some Brightwell Aquatics Microbacter 7 to prevent or minimize any mini-cycles or Ammonia spikes. Also a bottle of Tigger pods went in. Not to feed any fish directly, but for bio-diversity and as part of a complete clean-up crew. Tank is chugging along as a nano would. Finally some movement and visible life in the tank!

The Court Jester Goby is quite shy and is hiding. Seems to be ok, just shy. He was shy at the LFS store too. Anyone else's Court Jester shy? My first time owning a Rainfordi...

Jonify · Jan 4, 2021

This is an awesome tank. The light is good, too! Will even keep some SPS at the very top. One thing to keep a look out for is the rear sump. Once the foam in the middle gets clogged, the rear sump area can fall a little. Just keep and eye on it. Try and clean it once a week when you do your water changes (but don't rinse the bio balls or the carbon--leave those in the orginal water and put them back in once you've rinsed the foam). If you want to put your light on a timer, Fluval sells a controller you can use. You even use the controller to do moonlight on much lower blues, which you run well past the normal light period. I can send you the link if you DM. All said, you have a GREAT tank

Bato367 · Jan 6, 2021

Jonify said:
This is an awesome tank. The light is good, too! Will even keep some SPS at the very top. One thing to keep a look out for is the rear sump. Once the foam in the middle gets clogged, the rear sump area can fall a little. Just keep and eye on it. Try and clean it once a week when you do your water changes (but don't rinse the bio balls or the carbon--leave those in the orginal water and put them back in once you've rinsed the foam). If you want to put your light on a timer, Fluval sells a controller you can use. You even use the controller to do moonlight on much lower blues, which you run well past the normal light period. I can send you the link if you DM. All said, you have a GREAT tank

Awesome, thank you!

I did swap out the foam for an In-Tank filter basket. The foam just holds too much particulates. I also opted for the Nicrew timer and it is working great. I added two small strips of blue LEDs as moonlights and the timer has two channels so it is a cheaper way of automating the stock light I suppose. It does work great so far.

Easy Reefing · Jan 6, 2021

Cool rock scape !

Bato367 · Jan 6, 2021

Added my coral frags from Robbie's Corals today! I am super pumped about these frags. They are settling in great. so far. Meteor Shower Cyphastrea, Rainbow Ricordea, Rainbow Glove Polyps, Fire & Ice Zoas, Green Bay Packers Zoas, Midnight Blue Zoas, Pink Eye Blue Zoas, Whammin Watermelon Zoas, Electric Green Maze Brain, and a Painted War Coral. My BTA finally parked it, so that's cool.

Here are some shots from today:

I made a "guide" for myself for placement reasons.

Bato367 · Jan 6, 2021

Easy Reefing said:
Cool rock scape !

Thanks! I think that's one of the funnest aspects of setting up a reef.

Though I agree from Victor from WWC on one of his Youtube videos, 'dont spend too much time because the corals will fill it in eventually anyways'.

But getting a good structure is important though.

Bato367 · Jan 6, 2021

My wife calls the skimmer "so cute".

I call it 'the little skimmer that could'. Its doing a great job of pulling out the nastiness.

Bato367 · Jan 6, 2021

I was afraid I lost my wild caught Rainfordi Goby but he is doing great. He just took a day to hide and get used to it. He is eating and looks great. A fresh jar of pods for him also went in before him.

He's already built a few sand caves under the rocks.

Bato367 · Jan 7, 2021

A few tank shots after a glass cleaning. Frags and critters have settled in quickly.

Jonify · Jan 7, 2021

Bato367 said:
Awesome, thank you!

I did swap out the foam for an In-Tank filter basket. The foam just holds too much particulates. I also opted for the Nicrew timer and it is working great. I added two small strips of blue LEDs as moonlights and the timer has two channels so it is a cheaper way of automating the stock light I suppose. It does work great so far.

I did the same! (didn't add extra moonlight, because the Fluval light controller did that for me--if you back it down to 5%, it's just moonlight) ... great choice!