Question about Fluval Evo 13.5 Tank

Mike N · Mar 21, 2017

I purchased this tank about a week ago, I see it has an optional skimmer that can be purchased. Is this skimmer necessary for such a small tank? In what scenario would I need to buy it?

I plan on this tank being mostly FOWLR, but may add some corals down the road.

reef-rc · Mar 24, 2017

It may be optional for some. Personally I favor a skimmer just to help out with tank maintenance. For around $60 it works well. For me since I am shooting for a mini-reef, I have one to keep waste level low and long term maintenance a little more forgiving given small size of this tank.

My tank has only been running 4 weeks with the PS2 Mini since day one and have seen the waste it has removed every few days. IMO it's worth it. Others I read don't see a need for the skimmer.

btw - I see you are in Katy from other threads. im in northwest houston

Mike N · Mar 24, 2017

Thanks for the information. I probably will go ahead and pick it up, I guess it can only help.
Yep, I'm in Katy. Nice to have some local people for advice.

Andrewalex11 · Mar 24, 2017

The first stages of your reef probably most definitely will not require a skimmer, so long as you're consistent with your water-changes. I'f you decide to up bio-load like adding more that just 2 fish, or keeping more experienced corals in demand of consistent pristine water conditions then the skimmer would be in my eyes necessary to accomplish those tasks. What other equipment do you have for your nano-reef? maybe that money could be spent somewhere in a more beneficial piece of equipment.

BUT absolutely would not hurt to keep it on there anyway so it's up to you.

Mike N · Mar 24, 2017

Andrewalex11 said:
The first stages of your reef probably most definitely will not require a skimmer, so long as you're consistent with your water-changes. I'f you decide to up bio-load like adding more that just 2 fish, or keeping more experienced corals in demand of consistent pristine water conditions then the skimmer would be in my eyes necessary to accomplish those tasks. What other equipment do you have for your nano-reef? maybe that money could be spent somewhere in a more beneficial piece of equipment.

BUT absolutely would not hurt to keep it on there anyway so it's up to you.

Ah, I see. I purchased the skimmer today from LFS along with a koralia nano 425 (which seems to be DOA).
I'm just running the stock tank filter/pump, lights and heater at the moment. I'll have to exchange the koralia tomorrow.
The tank is still in the middle of cycle (day 7) so I won't be installing the skimmer anytime soon.

reef-rc · Mar 24, 2017

Mike N said:
Ah, I see. I purchased the skimmer today from LFS along with a koralia nano 425 (which seems to be DOA).
I'm just running the stock tank filter/pump, lights and heater at the moment. I'll have to exchange the koralia tomorrow.
The tank is still in the middle of cycle (day 7) so I won't be installing the skimmer anytime soon.

Well that was quick. IMO it's good to have around. Keep in mind when you do start using the skimmer, it'll take 1-2 days for it to break it.

Things to keep in mind:

Good to know what direction opens up /closes the water to the skimmer.
Good to know which direction on the air valves increases or decreases the air intake.
These two things above along with the water level will help ensure the skimmer is working correctly based on my experience so far. Occassionally I do have to adjust both controls to ensure a decent foam output. A consistent water level helps a great deal.

For me, I usually have to dump out the smelly stuff every 2-3 days. The waste has more water than ideal but is great to see the waste removed from the water since I heavy feed my pair of frostbite clowns.

Mike N · Mar 24, 2017

Awesome, thanks for the advice. Much needed since it will be my first skimmer.

reef-rc · Mar 25, 2017

Here are the junk that come out of my tank. Smell is even worst than it looks. This more wet than I like but is good enough.

Mike N · Mar 25, 2017

Nice, are you running FOWLR or reef?

reef-rc · Mar 25, 2017

Reef. It's basic at this point. Only 3 corals, 4 fish, 3 snails, 2-3 shrimps and macroalgae. Here's the link to the tank thread: https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/reef-rc-13-5g-nano-reef.291996/

Mike N · Mar 25, 2017

Wow, you're running some serious equipment. I'm totally getting that spin stream.
What is your opinion on best placement for a single nano powerhead? Assuming everything else is stock.

reef-rc · Mar 25, 2017

The IM spin stream beats the standard nozzle hands down. Adds so much more potential for varying water movement while reducing the need for an extra powerhead. In this size tank, space holds such a high value

which I rather use for corals

.

The standard return pump works good with the spin stream. You could increase power with a Syncra pump based on my research but I have not upgraded since I am fine with the flow and seem to work well with the skimmer. The tunze being a DC pump helps a lot with the flow and allows me to control pump speed.

As for placement of the single powerhead with the spin stream...I would put it directly in the middle on the other end or back by the corner on the other end to direct the water flow toward the front center or back to the other side depending on amount of flow of the pump. This may give you enough flow to avoid dead spots. Plus with the spin stream, it should also help create some random turbulence within the tank.