Fluval Sea Evo 52L (13.5 US Gal) - New Setup/Beginner/Advice

[jmurphy1919]

Hi

I'm looking for some advice, tips and recommendations. I've been looking for a while now at starting a salt water nano reef tank. After reading many forum posts, youtube videos and chats with a few shops, i think i'm ready to start.
Just want to post below the equipment i've settled on, if anyone can give me any feedback or other suggestions that would be great. Thanks!

Tank - Fluval Sea Evo 52L (13.5 US Gal)
Upgraded Pump - Eheim CompactON 1000
Random Flow Generator - Not sure on size should i'd go for 1/2" and remove the stock connector completely ?
I understand if i get the above with the new pump i wont need a wave generator
Heater - Aquael Ultra Heater 75w (From what i've read this should fit fine in chamber 3 with the above pump)

Filtration Upgrades
InTank Fluval Evo Media Basket - Chamber 1 - (Would like advice on what to put in each section)
InTank Fluval Evo 52L and Spec 60L Media Basket - Chamber 2 - (Would like advice on what to put in each section)

Rock - Still undecided. Swaying towards Real Reef Rock Gen 4, however open to Live Rock.

Sand - I like really white sand so looking at Natures Ocean Bio-Activ Natural White Live Sand

To get the cycle started, Dr Tims One and Only Nitrifying Bacteria Reef always seems to pop up

Future plans on what will be in the tank

Clean up crew will go in first, then a few easy to maintain corals then fish

no plans on a light upgrade yet, but again the Prime AI seems to be one that always get mentioned

 

[AnotherReefHobbyist]

Hi

I'm looking for some advice, tips and recommendations. I've been looking for a while now at starting a salt water nano reef tank. After reading many forum posts, youtube videos and chats with a few shops, i think i'm ready to start.
Just want to post below the equipment i've settled on, if anyone can give me any feedback or other suggestions that would be great. Thanks!

Tank - Fluval Sea Evo 52L (13.5 US Gal)
Upgraded Pump - Eheim CompactON 1000
Random Flow Generator - Not sure on size should i'd go for 1/2" and remove the stock connector completely ?
I understand if i get the above with the new pump i wont need a wave generator
Heater - Aquael Ultra Heater 75w (From what i've read this should fit fine in chamber 3 with the above pump)

Filtration Upgrades
InTank Fluval Evo Media Basket - Chamber 1 - (Would like advice on what to put in each section)
InTank Fluval Evo 52L and Spec 60L Media Basket - Chamber 2 - (Would like advice on what to put in each section)

Rock - Still undecided. Swaying towards Real Reef Rock Gen 4, however open to Live Rock.

Sand - I like really white sand so looking at Natures Ocean Bio-Activ Natural White Live Sand

To get the cycle started, Dr Tims One and Only Nitrifying Bacteria Reef always seems to pop up

Future plans on what will be in the tank

Clean up crew will go in first, then a few easy to maintain corals then fish

no plans on a light upgrade yet, but again the Prime AI seems to be one that always get mentioned

Everything you said sounds great! I would advise you to go with live rock, as that will add tons of biodiversity, and make the tank establish itself much more quickly.

For the media baskets, I have found a mix of Mechanical, Biological, and chemical is best. I would advise to put a sponge in the first chamber to catch any debris, and then you could put some biological ceramic rings or other media in the second, and leave the last chamber for any carbon or other chemical media you may want to run.

Have fun with the tank and make sure to start a build thread!

 

[jmurphy1919]

Everything you said sounds great! I would advise you to go with live rock, as that will add tons of biodiversity, and make the tank establish itself much more quickly.

For the media baskets, I have found a mix of Mechanical, Biological, and chemical is best. I would advise to put a sponge in the first chamber to catch any debris, and then you could put some biological ceramic rings or other media in the second, and leave the last chamber for any carbon or other chemical media you may want to run.

Have fun with the tank and make sure to start a build thread!

other than the sponge's or filter floss on the top shelf, does it matter in which order the chemical and bio media goes in on each shelf/chamber?

Also, with the pump and random flow, am i right in saying a wave generator isn't required?

 

[MNFish]

If you are ordering from intank I would recommend getting a surface skimmer as well, I have mine set up a lot like your plan, but I do not use the intank chamber 2 only 1. I use the sponge in chamber 2 and I do not have a random flow generator but have another small power head.
I have used the stock light for over a year now and it gets the job done.

 

[AnotherReefHobbyist]

other than the sponge's or filter floss on the top shelf, does it matter in which order the chemical and bio media goes in on each shelf/chamber?

Also, with the pump and random flow, am i right in saying a wave generator isn't required?

I don’t think it would really make any difference which order you put the bio and chemical media.

As long as you aren’t a stick head you should be fine with just a return pump for flow!

 

[gbroadbridge]

Hi

I'm looking for some advice, tips and recommendations. I've been looking for a while now at starting a salt water nano reef tank. After reading many forum posts, youtube videos and chats with a few shops, i think i'm ready to start.
Just want to post below the equipment i've settled on, if anyone can give me any feedback or other suggestions that would be great. Thanks!

Tank - Fluval Sea Evo 52L (13.5 US Gal)
Upgraded Pump - Eheim CompactON 1000
Random Flow Generator - Not sure on size should i'd go for 1/2" and remove the stock connector completely ?
I understand if i get the above with the new pump i wont need a wave generator
Heater - Aquael Ultra Heater 75w (From what i've read this should fit fine in chamber 3 with the above pump)

Filtration Upgrades
InTank Fluval Evo Media Basket - Chamber 1 - (Would like advice on what to put in each section)
InTank Fluval Evo 52L and Spec 60L Media Basket - Chamber 2 - (Would like advice on what to put in each section)

Rock - Still undecided. Swaying towards Real Reef Rock Gen 4, however open to Live Rock.

Sand - I like really white sand so looking at Natures Ocean Bio-Activ Natural White Live Sand

To get the cycle started, Dr Tims One and Only Nitrifying Bacteria Reef always seems to pop up

Future plans on what will be in the tank

Clean up crew will go in first, then a few easy to maintain corals then fish

no plans on a light upgrade yet, but again the Prime AI seems to be one that always get mentioned

I set up one of these a year ago.

I'm simply using the supplied pump and filtration (cleaned weekly with 20% water change).

I added a Nero3 for extra wave motion, an ATO, a red sea tank cover to stop jumpers, and an AI Prime HD.

Perfectly happy LPS/Softie tank.

1 x Strombus snail, 2 x Trochus Snail, a pair of clowns and 2 peppermint shrimp.
Candy Canes, Toadstools, Hammers, and star polyps.

 

[FishyFishFish]

I have the intank basket in chamber 1. You can get their filter sponge (which works ok) or use filter floss. I don’t use any other media in the basket, but I do have some Seachem matrix that I can use to seed my quarantine tank if I need to in a hurry.

If I detect a problem (e.g. high phosphates) then I will temporarily put media in there but I don’t leave it in all the time. I keep changing my mind whether to leave carbon in there all the time or not.

I wouldn’t worry with the chamber 2 basket unless you need it. You could set up some form of refugium in there but I haven’t bothered. I have my heater in there to leave room in chamber 3 for the Tunze ATO.

I also use the stock light, for softies and LPS, and it is fine. If you are going to use the stock light for any amount of time then I would look at the Nicrew Pro Timer on Amazon. This will make the annoying on/off light dim up and down automatically, and it only costs $13!

 

[davidcalgary29]

Get the inTank media basket for chamber one and a surface skimmer. Put filter floss in the uppermost slot in the media basket; the other choices are up to you.

The chamber two media basket is entirely optional and, if overloaded, may interfere with water flow in the "sump". Do get rid of the stock sponge.

 

[Seymo44]

The fit and finish of the inTank baskets are top notch. Performance has a bit to be desired. The flow goes down chamber one and across the bottom of chamber two.

I 3d printed a media basket for chamber one. It has floss on top, then Gfo, then bio media. This basket actually makes the flow go down through media and then back up to dump into the top of chamber two. Chamber two has about 3” of fluval ceramic rings then a bunch of gracilaria macro algae. A cheap Amazon grow light on a reverse lighting schedule is my primary nutrient export. I change the floss weekly. Chamber three has a bag of carbon, heater, and return pump.

3d print files. (I did not design this, but I did modify mine a bit)

Fluva Evo 13.5 media Camber 1 by MervinRalph

This is a custom Media Chamber 1 for tha fluval Evo 13.5 with a return to allow flow back to the top of chamber 2. 2 trays are removable to allow for different media types.

www.thingiverse.com

 

[darkwaterperformance]

Hi

I'm looking for some advice, tips and recommendations. I've been looking for a while now at starting a salt water nano reef tank. After reading many forum posts, youtube videos and chats with a few shops, i think i'm ready to start.
Just want to post below the equipment i've settled on, if anyone can give me any feedback or other suggestions that would be great. Thanks!

Tank - Fluval Sea Evo 52L (13.5 US Gal)
Upgraded Pump - Eheim CompactON 1000
Random Flow Generator - Not sure on size should i'd go for 1/2" and remove the stock connector completely ?
I understand if i get the above with the new pump i wont need a wave generator
Heater - Aquael Ultra Heater 75w (From what i've read this should fit fine in chamber 3 with the above pump)

Filtration Upgrades
InTank Fluval Evo Media Basket - Chamber 1 - (Would like advice on what to put in each section)
InTank Fluval Evo 52L and Spec 60L Media Basket - Chamber 2 - (Would like advice on what to put in each section)

Rock - Still undecided. Swaying towards Real Reef Rock Gen 4, however open to Live Rock.

Sand - I like really white sand so looking at Natures Ocean Bio-Activ Natural White Live Sand

To get the cycle started, Dr Tims One and Only Nitrifying Bacteria Reef always seems to pop up

Future plans on what will be in the tank

Clean up crew will go in first, then a few easy to maintain corals then fish

no plans on a light upgrade yet, but again the Prime AI seems to be one that always get mentioned

You can check out my recent post I just put together this same tank with upgrades