The Official Fluval Evo 13.5 Support Group Thread.

[Mike from TN]

Seems like there are more and more of us out there in “Reef Land”!
Lets get together and share thoughts, ideas, upgrades, mishaps, questions, answers , photos and more.

 

[Davem24]

I hear ya! Transitioning out of it but got alot going over the 4 years I've had it.

 

[Mike from TN]

I hear ya! Transitioning out of it but got alot going over the 4 years I've had it.

Nice! I love seeing little tanks outfitted with all the “bells & whistles”!
Here’s mine!

 

[olonmv]

I got mine about 6 months ago. Been fighting dinos, cyano and hair algae etc etc etc. it’s in fallow right now. It’s had its up and downs but I like it. Pretty much stock except for the AI 16hd and a green killing machine UV and a power head. Coral is growing and the shrimp have been alive for months so I guess I’m doin ok.

 

[Mike from TN]

I got mine about 6 months ago. Been fighting dinos, cyano and hair algae etc etc etc. it’s in fallow right now. It’s had its up and downs but I like it. Pretty much stock except for the AI 16hd and a green killing machine UV and a power head. Coral is growing and the shrimp have been alive for months so I guess I’m doin ok.

Looks good! Do you have any other cleaners besides the shrimp?
I like the rock scape!

 

[olonmv]

How long did it take you to get past the anxiety of “things touching”?

 

[ScottJ]

I'm in! Just a year old, stock cover with light. Stock return with a random flow nozzle, inTank surface skimmer and chamber 1 & 2 baskets, XPaqua ato, inkbird heater controller. Still have hair algae, but the cyano has pretty much cleared up. Stocked with a clown, tailspot blenny, and a high fin goby who only comes out at feeding time.
I do a weekly 2-3 gal water change.

I really like this little tank.

 

[olonmv]

Looks good! Do you have any other cleaners besides the shrimp?
I like the rock scape!

Thank you, mines little league compared to your cool tank. Man that’s magical!!!!

I have 1 cleaner 1 sexy shrimp. The rest that is in there are some corals and a couple of rock nems. I want more but I’m baby stepping it. I also have a couple of fish waiting to go back into the display tank. Ich got a few others before I learned a valuable lesson in qting. Once I get past the fallow I plan on another cleaner, sexy and a lawnmower blenny. Fingers crossed.

 

[olonmv]

I am also starting to see coralline taking off on the divider plate of tank. Very exciting.

 

[Davem24]

Nice! I love seeing little tanks outfitted with all the “bells & whistles”!
Here’s mine!

I'm super jealous. Yours looks so well grown out.

 

[Davem24]

Guess I should show some actual pictures of the tank lol

 

[Sharkbait19]

Mine has been running for 7 and a half months, and I really enjoy owning one! It’s got two clowns, 25 corals, a pistol shrimp (and hopefully soon a goby), and other inverts. Upgrades include the InTank baskets for chambers 1 and 2, and I’ve been meaning to get around to 3D printing a random flow generator.

 

[davidcalgary29]

We need some sub-sections: "Why IS there a hole in the back wall of my tank?", "I'm Siccing my sump dry!", and "What am I going to put in chamber 2?"

 

[Mike from TN]

We need some sub-sections: "Why IS there a hole in the back wall of my tank?", "I'm Siccing my sump dry!", and "What am I going to put in chamber 2?"

The hole is there in case your water level drops below the intake grate to prevent pump burnout. Makes sense but really impacts filtration in a negative way. Plug it up and just keep an eye on the water level in the display side of the tank.
I’m running a Sicce 1.0 and have it set to about 2/3 wide open with a SpinStream random head on it.
Chamber #1 has an InTank basket. Top level is 2 layers of carbon infused pad on top of a 50micron pad . That all gets changed out weekly (or sooner if needed).
Middle level is a bag of carbon cubes.
Lower level is a bag of bio-balls and ChemiPure “Elite”.
Chamber #2 has my heater and UV lamp (poor man’s “wannabe “ sterilizer)
Chamber #3 has Sicce return pump.

 

[Mike from TN]

How long did it take you to get past the anxiety of “things touching”?

I just let them “do their thing”! In the wild, there isn’t anyone there to groom them back or move them.

 

[reefinatl]

In, mine is really supposed to just be a holding tank to fallow period frags and inverts and an observation tank post QT for fish but I can see it becoming a real nanoreef in the future. Quite an attractive design. I love almost never having to top off with the full tank cover.

 

[olonmv]

Unfortunately, we went outta town for about 10 days and came home to find that my candy cane coral had gone from healthy to this.
I suspect that My mini carpet stung it to near extinction. I’ve moved it and am hoping it gets better. It surely hasn’t gotten worse. I’m under the impression that corals can’t touch and that incident only drives my assumptions further.

 

[Rickybobby]

In now use mine as a coral and invert qt tank. It’s so much easier taking care of a larger volume of water. That said here’s my setup
Ai prime 16hd. Uv sterilizer. Skimmer. Sicce 1.0

 

[thewire]

Nice! I love seeing little tanks outfitted with all the “bells & whistles”!
Here’s mine!

How you like the Westinghouse battery?

 

[Sharkbait19]

Unfortunately, we went outta town for about 10 days and came home to find that my candy cane coral had gone from healthy to this.
I suspect that My mini carpet stung it to near extinction. I’ve moved it and am hoping it gets better. It surely hasn’t gotten worse. I’m under the impression that corals can’t touch and that incident only drives my assumptions further.

Don’t worry, my trumpet has been to hell and back in my tank and has always recovered. Been overrun by palys multiple times, and I’ve accidentally ripped the flesh right out of it. It always comes back. They’re hardy little guys. Unless it’s a param issue, I’d be surprised to not see a recovery...