InTank Fluval Evo Upgrade Question

[GrapevineReefs]

I run two of these evo’s side by side as a little desktop dueling display. I personally have had great success using both intank media baskets for chambers 1 and 2 I don’t bother with skimmers due to easy weekly water changes. The media baskets have afforded me the ability to successfully grow loads of chaeto in Chamber 2 I have heard of some people having issues turning the back into a mini fuge but after upgrading the return pumps things have been going swimmingly. One of the tanks is sps acro dominated the media baskets definitely help!

 

[NeonRabbit221B]

sps acro dominated the media

What do you use for a light for the chamber 2 fuge? Mine has a ph probe and backup heater but is largely just empty space.

 

[Mike from TN]

I like this setup! I almost was going to get a UV light after an ich outbreak, but wound up not, in favor of first upgrading the filtration and flow, then revisiting the idea of a UV light.

I like the UV light. It’s just a cheapo made in China off of Amazon. I have ZERO algae and I think I owe it to the light.
I did make the mistake of leaving it on while seeding with Tisbe Pods. They are bottom dwelling and I should have followed common sense and turned the light off. I think most of them died right away. Next time I seeded, I turned off EVERYTHING and used a 50ml syringe with a long feeding tube and shot them right at the sand bed.

 

[GrapevineReefs]

jbj Nano-glo fuge light I think I got from
Marine depot or BRS... it’s magnetic and the magnet fits perfectly in the media baskets the width it’s spot on...

 

[Sharkbait19]

I like the UV light. It’s just a cheapo made in China off of Amazon. I have ZERO algae and I think I owe it to the light.
I did make the mistake of leaving it on while seeding with Tisbe Pods. They are bottom dwelling and I should have followed common sense and turned the light off. I think most of them died right away. Next time I seeded, I turned off EVERYTHING and used a 50ml syringe with a long feeding tube and shot them right at the sand bed.

I could definitely use one of those UV lights, because my algae returns literally a day of getting scraped away. It would be either that or a black molly.

 

[jradishness]

Ideally, I would run a skimmer in chamber 2 and run the basket in chamber 1 with filter floss pre-filtering incoming water. But, I'm not even sure the skimmer can be placed anywhere but chamber 1...

Good luck, let us know.

I run my skimmer in chamber 2, on top of two 2” marine pure blocks. This allows me to use the chamber one basket, and the skimmer’s presence promotes flow through the media blocks.

Edit: they might be 1.5” blocks

 

[NeonRabbit221B]

I could definitely use one of those UV lights, because my algae returns literally a day of getting scraped away. It would be either that or a black molly.

Ya know I think I got one of those in a bulk setup purchase and I didn't even put 2 and 2 together that it was a fuge light... Thanks!

 

[Cole.mormon]

The heater wont hurt anything
Personally I would use 2 layers of filter floss then a lot of biomax by fluval then carbon and purigen

 

[Cole.mormon]

Dont need a skimmer in a tank that small

 

[Sharkbait19]

The heater wont hurt anything
Personally I would use 2 layers of filter floss then a lot of biomax by fluval then carbon and purigen

I for sure need more biomax. I'm still running on what they gave me and probably should have more for bacteria growth.

 

[Cole.mormon]

Get the new bio max

 

[Cole.mormon]

Also u could make chamber two refugium
Up 2 u tho

 

[Sharkbait19]

Also u could make chamber two refugium
Up 2 u tho

I've thought about it, but am not sure I really need one for such a small tank.

 

[Cole.mormon]

I dont think you do
If you want pods u can order from algae barn
Dose like 2 ml of phyto a day
Coral loves it also

 

[Sharkbait19]

I dont think you do
If you want pods u can order from algae barn
Dose like 2 ml of phyto a day
Coral loves it also

I definitely need phyto in my tank. I'll probably pick up a bunch next time at the LFS, they have tanks full of them.

 

[Bato367]

I run my skimmer in chamber 2, on top of two 2” marine pure blocks. This allows me to use the chamber one basket, and the skimmer’s presence promotes flow through the media blocks.

Edit: they might be 1.5” blocks

Nice, did you cut the cover or ditch it all together?

 

[3sgterror]

Also if you have a printer this one works fantastic. The flow director really pushes the water through the filter floss and media very well

Fluval Evo 13.5 Chamber 1 Media Basket by stutaylor

Modified version of my chamber 2 basket for use in chamber 1, it doesn't go down as far as an intank media basket but does block off the slats to chamber 2 forcing the water down through the media

www.thingiverse.com

I will second this basket. I have the exact one printed for my evo.

What I will say on the water levels due to evaporation is if you are using the stock hood, then evaporation will not impact you all that much. A lot of it is contained due to the lid and I would just refill by hand once per day. At least that's how it was in my Evo.

Once I removed the lid, because I upgraded to an AI Prime, evaporation went through the roof. At that point in time, I needed an ATO and the water level would drop 2-3 inches a day in my return chamber.

Currently I use the basket above in chamber 1, i have my heater and a bag of ceramic rings in chamber 2, in the return section I have an Eheim 1000/ATO/temperature probe.

 

[jradishness]

Nice, did you cut the cover or ditch it all together?

I pulled off just the edge part, and replaced it with a small piece of acrylic, just to prevent spray/evap.

 

[Sharkbait19]

The media baskets arrived today, so I'll be installing them soon!

 

[Mike from TN]

Don’t forget to plug the hole on the false wall!