Penguin's reef Fluval Evo 13.5 build

[NeedMoreReef]

Fluval Evo 13.5 reef. Have wanted a nano tank for some time now and have been attracted to the evo 13.5 because of the price and size. Biota aquarium has a fluval 13.5 start up kit that I think is a great concept for folks new to the hobby. Well anyways this is my little tank and I'm hoping to give my kids something they can be more hands on with.
Picking up tank...

 

[jfoahs04]

My 13.5 Evo is my first sub-20 gallon nano and I was intrigued for all of the same reasons you are. It's an excellent little tank and I'm sure you and your kids will have a lot of fun with it.

 

[NeedMoreReef]

My 13.5 Evo is my first sub-20 gallon nano and I was intrigued for all of the same reasons you are. It's an excellent little tank and I'm sure you and your kids will have a lot of fun with it.

thanks jfoahs04, My daughter already named it penguin's reef and made a mascot,

 

[NeedMoreReef]

plan on swapping the stock return pump for a sicce silent 1.0 and picked up a voyager nano 2000 circulation. Have a wave maker laying around from an older setup going to try. cobalt neo-therm heater 25watt.

 

[NeedMoreReef]

getting water ready in our fancy mixing station
brute trash can with float valve, venturi pump from a CPR bak pak protein skimmer. Mag 5. no heater right now.
my 100 watt Eheim heater cord and plug got caught under the door from the garage as it shut it pulled it up and out of the trash can - shattered into a million pieces

 

[NeedMoreReef]

what's the consensus on plugging chamber two hole?

going back and forth on this one...

 

[NeedMoreReef]

cherry picked some lighter/ porous, avoiding the more rounded rock, which I had a lot of.
used BRS and I think polyp labs superglue and DD epoxy. used the foam that the tank was packaged in to hold overhangs, also rubber banded the heck out of the joint and let dry overnight.

 

[NeedMoreReef]

decided to leave chamber two hole patent for now... filled in with bio media from an Eheim canister I had. also cut the foam mech filter fluval provided. I'll use carbon and filter floss in chamber one intermittently as needed.

 

[NeedMoreReef]

used a translucent white film background and will pick up some blue LED strip light off Ebay to place behind the tank. looks much more white in person...

 

[Alex's Nano Reef]

That’s a lot of bio media especially if your going to have live rock or dry rock imo

 

[NeedMoreReef]

That’s a lot of bio media especially if your going to have live rock or dry rock imo

its definitly more than needed, in fact the flow through chamber 1 is so slow it may become a denitrification chamber or worse. the kids will feed this tank so I'd like to keep so of it, well have to see.

 

[NeedMoreReef]

here it is filled.

 

[Bsnow0053]

used a translucent white film background and will pick up some blue LED strip light off Ebay to place behind the tank. looks much more white in pers

I like where you have this setup , it's gunna look awesome when she starts filling up with livestock

 

[gibec]

Wow i really like your aquascape!

Evov13.5 is my first tank as well.. i kept my aquascape super simple. Kind of regret but mayb next time I will do a little more.

I recommend sicce pump 1.0 and ai prime hd to start. I believe are must haves!

 

[NeedMoreReef]

Wow i really like your aquascape!

Evov13.5 is my first tank as well.. i kept my aquascape super simple. Kind of regret but mayb next time I will do a little more.

I recommend sicce pump 1.0 and ai prime hd to start. I believe are must haves!

thanks gibec for kind words. YOur tank looks great! I have a sicce 1 also for return and it seems to be doing nicely. Do you have VCA return fitting? what do you think?

 

[NeedMoreReef]

I like where you have this setup , it's gunna look awesome when she starts filling up with livestock

Thanks Bsnow0053, it looks twice as big, and you get two angles when sitting at the computer, which is where we spend most of our time.

Can wait to get a fish and some corals. keep eye ******* LiveAquaria nano fish section. My daughter wants an ORA orchid dottyback. Kinda of nervous because the tank is running a little hot. so not sure what to do at this point.

 

[Bsnow0053]

Thanks Bsnow0053, it looks twice as big, and you get two angles when sitting at the computer, which is where we spend most of our time.

Can wait to get a fish and some corals. keep eye ******* LiveAquaria nano fish section. My daughter wants an ORA orchid dottyback. Kinda of nervous because the tank is running a little hot. so not sure what to do at this point.

Yea I have a magenta dottyback in my Evo, and for the heat grab a cheap desk fan that's what I use. Alittle 6 inch one with USB plug and it cools mine down pretty good when needed.

 

[Reef Jockey]

agreed that a small fan across the top will keep your tank cooler. of course thats for topless tanks
my temp stays between 77-78