Fluval Spec V simple marine setup

[Guest weehourwaves]

Fluval spec v (white) marine setup with stock led lighting.

Filter: chem pure and foam insert at the moment. (need help and tips in this area)

RODI water top off.

50 watt heater in return pump area (keeps 78-80 degrees)

Replaced stock pump with a mini jet 404 for a little more flow, which is working nicely.

 

At the moment I've just got 3 small blue leg crabs and a small kenya frag. My plans are to keep a few small hardy corals, mushroom, kenya, pulsating xenia perhaps. I may keep one fish but uncertain which one? damsel, clown?

 

Any thoughts or suggestions would be great!

 

-wee

 

 

[scribbles]

subscribed, like this tank. have you kept a reef tank before and how is the lighting?

[Guest weehourwaves]

subscribed, like this tank. have you kept a reef tank before and how is the lighting?

Thanks! These tanks are indeed pretty neat. So far the light is fine. I mean, it works nicely, looks good and has a low power consumption which is cool. I imagine it's not suitable for keeping certain demanding corals etc with it's low output but for a basic system it seems to be okay. I'm only wanting to keep a few corals in here and maybe a fish. Overall I like the footprint and design of this tank and how you can hide equipment etc in the back chamber. I imagine these tanks are better suited for freshwater, but myself, I wanted a go at salt again.

I had a 15 gallon marine setup fowlr before but mostly I'm a newbie to marine and reef keeping, any pointers would be awesome!

 

-wee

[scribbles]

I have several tanks in the garage but my wife really wants her own and i'm thinking bout the spec v, it will just be a mushroom tank most likeley, floss and micro in the back. there are a lot of upgrades to the pump avaliable as well. couple led upgrades out there also.

 

Just trying to decide on this. Ot to use use the edge i have in the garage, de top it, drill and sump it with a custom stand, so many options lol

[dtitus1]

a clown goby or tailspot blenny would look nice in there.

[Guest weehourwaves]

a clown goby or tailspot blenny would look nice in there.

Yeah, those are nice choices. Thanks!

[Guest weehourwaves]

I have several tanks in the garage but my wife really wants her own and i'm thinking bout the spec v, it will just be a mushroom tank most likeley, floss and micro in the back. there are a lot of upgrades to the pump avaliable as well. couple led upgrades out there also.

 

Just trying to decide on this. Ot to use use the edge i have in the garage, de top it, drill and sump it with a custom stand, so many options lol

I also have a 6 gallon edge, which I love. I keep it as freshwater low tech tropical system. I've also toyed with the idea of removing top etc but that totally kills the whole edge concept. Its a beautiful little designer tank. I'll post some pics of it sometime.

The spec V with macro and little light could be cool but for now stock seems to be working for me as is. I like when people keep it simple and get really creative using things stock. If the stock lighting is weak, use less demanding things. Doesn't mean it can't look good. I like the smaller tanks because you can enjoy the hobby without breaking the bank and it doesn't take over your living space and all your free time. Service is more often perhaps but it's quick. Do you have any links, pictures to your tanks? I'd love to look,

 

Cheers!

-wee

[scribbles]

Only tank I have a thread about is the one I set up the first of this year jan3 or so, 46gbow with a sump the link is the blue line on the bottom of my signature. Check it out

 

 

Went out on the way home today and looked at the specV. I sell custom stands to a couple lfs's, so they let me take it apart and play with it in the store a bit tank looks great, light is not going to cut it I don’t think. It will be fine for a falro and may support shrooms but that is about it. Need to start researching led upgraded, wife wants a full coral tank, love the design though.

[scribbles]

BTW, get rid of the sponge I really don’t like it. Will cause problems I think. Get some floss, and an aqua clear sponge I think it will fit, sponge on the bottom, then the chempure, then some macro on top. Put a bit of floss in if you stir up stuff or need to polish the water quick, don’t leave it in pertinently. But get rid of that weird ass massive sponge.

 

 

You need to find a bigger power head as well, I’m not sure what will fit you will probley need to hack something up.

[Guest weehourwaves]

BTW, get rid of the sponge I really don’t like it. Will cause problems I think. Get some floss, and an aqua clear sponge I think it will fit, sponge on the bottom, then the chempure, then some macro on top. Put a bit of floss in if you stir up stuff or need to polish the water quick, don’t leave it in pertinently. But get rid of that weird ass massive sponge.

 

 

You need to find a bigger power head as well, I’m not sure what will fit you will probley need to hack something up.

 

Thanks for the advice regarding filter media. The sponge is kinda odd but I guess it's mechanical filtration? I don't see much of that happening in this tank. I think I will 86 the sponge and go as you describe. I removed stock pump and replaced with mini jet 404 which is 108gph and moves water pretty good in there. I also had a hydro nano 425 circulation pump in there but felt it was overkill plus I like having no visible equipment. These tanks are flipping awesome! I totally recommend to anyone The light is decent but again low wattage. Add a stunner strip and voila! The tanks only 5 gallons or less so you can't really stock too much. My goal is to make everything size or scale approiate to the tank. I went with uber tiny crabs and small Kenya. Proportion and perspective, gonna be fun!

 

-wee

[Guest weehourwaves]

lil' late night update. Well, mostly everything is the same just removed Hydor 425 as I felt it was overkill. The mini jet 404 pump adds just the right touch to this little beauty and of course having nothing inside the tank in terms of visible equipment is always a bonus!

This upcoming week planning to add some additional small coral frags, probably just a mushroom or two and perhaps a clown goby if my lfs has a micro sized one.

Any rate, here's a few pics

[Guest weehourwaves]

Here's my Fluval Edge simple tropical setup

3 zebra danios, 1 white cloud and a juli cory.

plants=anubias and some other anubias type plant I can't recall name of.

Just a clean, simple and completely stock system. Runs perfect! Weekly 1 gallon water change and top off every two days with RODI.

I originally tried a marine setup in this tank but there's hardly any gas exchange taking place due to there being a glass top. I feel there much better suited for tropical with the lighting it has etc. I like the challenge of this tank, they're defiantly love hate tanks.

 

-wee

 

 

[scribbles]

lil' late night update. Well, mostly everything is the same just removed Hydor 425 as I felt it was overkill. The mini jet 404 pump adds just the right touch to this little beauty and of course having nothing inside the tank in terms of visible equipment is always a bonus!

This upcoming week planning to add some additional small coral frags, probably just a mushroom or two and perhaps a clown goby if my lfs has a micro sized one.

Any rate, here's a few pics

awesome in the pump upgrade, and stunner strips is what i was thinking as well

[Guest weehourwaves]

awesome in the pump upgrade, and stunner strips is what i was thinking as well

 

I was lucky I had a 404 pump from ages ago laying aboot in my bin of "fish crap" A mini 606 would be the way to go. I've been looking for one already. Btw my rocks turning brown? This is a normal bloom?

[scribbles]

yes its the dantom bloom, last step in the cycle. Eating all of the silicates from rock or sand. they should go away in a couple weeks and be replaced by green

[Guest weehourwaves]

Fluval Spec Simple Marine Update 3/21/13

 

Things are going well in this little tank so far, still no fish but did add a peppermint shrimp which is a pretty neat looking creature and fun to watch. I've also added some additional live rock bits from my lfs (1/2 pound) Just wanted to help seed the tank a bit. So far i'm liking the scape and the overall look of this little tank. My kenya tree is still ticking but it's really not opening up fully, the feathery tips that is? I'm assuming it's due to the lack of light? However, I broke down and added an additional LED strip light that sits nicely on the plastic cover. It's made by Current USA and so far it looks ok but kenya still not thriving? Corals are just gonna be a biznotch in this tank unless you've got some coin to drop on a serious LED lighting system. This little strip light I got is about the extent of where i'm willing to go with the lights. If the kenya gets too poor looking I have plans to donate it to a friends tank which is a much bigger one with the right lighting.

Anyrate, here's a few update pics:

[x3thelast]

oh whaaaat?! didnt know the spec v came in white as well! first thing would be to upgrade return pump and lighting. Theres a bunch more specs in the "pico" section of the forum if you havent seen them already

[x3thelast]

Yeah, white is the money. It reminds me of an iPod. It's the apple of fish tanks. I'm sure heeps of people have these tanks nowadays but how far and styling can you go with things stock? It's easy to turn a spec into "not" a spec. It's all about the illest stock setup creative aquascaping

Not me. I'll take my spec into spec R lol. I've got the sps bug and a stock spec won't cut it for the corals.

[Guest weehourwaves]

Not me. I'll take my spec into spec R lol. I've got the sps bug and a stock spec won't cut it for the corals.

 

Yeah,

Your setup looks pretty damn ace! I do like your corals. Those MP10s are mega bucks, right? But the sps need lots of current?

My spec is the poor mans marine setup

[ghbrewer]

Fluval spec v (white) marine setup with stock led lighting.

Filter: chem pure and foam insert at the moment. (need help and tips in this area)

RODI water top off.

50 watt heater in return pump area (keeps 78-80 degrees)

Replaced stock pump with a mini jet 404 for a little more flow, which is working nicely.

 

At the moment I've just got 3 small blue leg crabs and a small kenya frag. My plans are to keep a few small hardy corals, mushroom, kenya, pulsating xenia perhaps. I may keep one fish but uncertain which one? damsel, clown?

 

Any thoughts or suggestions would be great!

 

-wee

 

I really like your tank, I am setting up a Spec V as well. If you could indulge me a bit, what kind (make/model) of top off device and heater are you running? Do they both fit into the return chamber? I am thinking of going with the mini jet 606, is there any reason I should consider the 404 instead?

[Ein1212]

Spec 5

I have a spec for years now, love it. One clown and gobie. Snails and few hermits all levels been good but I wouldn't put any more on it.

[Jonboy21]

Is this tank still running?

[CWFarmski]

Any recent pics of your tank?