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Aqueon 8 - Evolved


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Planning a couple tanks for the new place. Moving over the next month.

 

Most of the equipment is purchased. Planning a 20L and have slowly talked myself into using the Aqueon 8 i last used as a freshwater planted tank.

 

Equipment

 

Tank: Aqueon Evolve 8

 

Plumbing: Stock pump is far too weak. I changed it out for a Hydor Pico 300gph model, but the stock plumbing was incredibly restrictive. I changed out the bulkhead to a 3/4"(stock was just a pipe that slipped in) and added a flare locline nozzle on the other end. Flow seems pretty incredibly. Hopefully will not need any additional powerhead in the tank.

 

Heating: Tetra 50w.

Top off: Autotopoff.com nano setup. Have a no-name fountain pump and will have to decide on the container.

 

Lighting: Stock for now. depending on stocking I'll change out to a clamp on par38.

 

Filtration: Stock holds one of the aqueon filter cartridges. I may use the ridges and a piece of plexi to hold filter floss on one side and potentially some cheato on the back end. Not a ton of room here, but I'm hoping to keep everything pretty self contained on this one.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Live stock

 

Undecided. Thinking mostly softies, and potentially a clown. Definitely going bare bottom and 5-10lbs of liverock. I've had clowns in the past in much larger tanks (75gallon) and have had them not move out of 6x6x6 area. This is larger than that, but it's something I'm still giving thought to. Could be a good excuse to upgrade to a larger tank in a year or so, but I'm not convinced this would be insufficient.

 

Because the 20L won't be getting any, part of me wants to do a pulsing xenia forest.

 

Enough talk: photos of it with tap water to test the flow of the new plumbing.

 

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I'm excited to see an Evolve 8 build! My very first tank was an Evolve 4. If you check the 4g build in the signature you'll see a lot of pictures and comments about mods I did.

 

It sounds like you've already done some of the same mods. Increasing the size of the return pipe makes a huge difference! The increased flow should give you enough power to run a spinstream to get more evenly distributed flow, too.

 

I did the plexiglass thing with chaeto in the back just like you described. I put small bags of carbon and GFO on the bottom of the first chamber and layered some floss on top. The only problem was there wasn't much to hold the chaeto in, so I was always clogging up the pump.

 

Also, I had to cut the notch going into the pump chamber to make it bigger for increased flow. Once the water was forced to go through the floss and media bags, it slowed down too much, making the water in the display chamber too high. Hopefully you won't have that problem in the 8g.

 

Good luck - I'll be following along!

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Thanks. I'll keep an eye on the flow once I have the filter section assembled. The real goal is no powerhead in the display.

 

Your Evolve 4 looks very nice.

 

I've also ordered some plexi support clips for the front of the tank, because the top design drives me crazy with how easily it falls into the tank.

 

 

I also have very poor compulsion control, and have a dimmable par38 "54w" bulb and a gooseneck fixture on the way.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Tank on hold until vacation. I haven't filled the tank, but I have saved water change water from my main tank and throw in a rock, heater, and tiny powerhead. Also pulled a few snails from my CuC order from john.

 

burtOXP.jpg

 

Also upgraded the hardware a bit:

 

 

Made a baffle and glued an extra piece of acrylic to the back to enhance the strength. The new light fixture was bending the stock back quite a bit.

 

 

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On an unrelated night, I could pick up a jbj nano cube 12 for $30 locally. Super tempting. Light, pump, heater etc would transfer.

 

Ugh. anyone have opinions on these compared? If I hadn't dumped $100 into plumbing/other hardware upgrades that wont transfer I'd be much more tempted.

 

I would be more comfortable with the picasso clown pair I want in the 12, but otherwise I'm happy with this size.

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Filled the tank the rest of the way (had one rock, heater, and powerhead dropped in). Added a few rocks. Think the scape is okay. Want this thing covered with xenia/anthelia. Mini fuge is quite mini. Anthelia likes the lower flow (it was at a 90 degree angle in the other tank), but I think i'll add a tiny powerhead to add more flow. I'm losing a ton of flow through that plumbing, since the largest pico should be overkill.

 

UOUcCow.jpg

 

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Light seems super purple. It was sold as a reef light, but seems more like a weed light. oh well. May change it out. Seems plenty bright. just not sure if I like the hue.

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I have a question... do these evolve tanks squatch easily?

 

It's an acrylic tank, so it will scratch (noticed the first tiny scratch earlier today).

 

Having said that, I've had the tank for four years, used it for 2.5 of those. Not too bad considering that. The glass cleaner doesn't cause scratches.

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  • 4 weeks later...

Okay so I haven't sucked up the snail poop in these photos, but will be doing a wc in the next day. Photos are also quick phone snaps, but you'll live.

 

Changes:

I cemented a panel of acrylic to the back wall to strengthen it for the clamp on light

 

Changed the lightbulb out to a Par38 18LED bulb without the reds. Looks much nicer now.

 

Added the livestock! Two semi picasso clowns! Got them locally for an absurd price because someone breeds 5-6 "high"-end variants. The soon to be male is tiny - about 1/2-3/4". Female is roughly 1.5"-2". I've had them since monday and the male is eating like a pig - loves the flake I've been feeding sparingly twice a day. Female spits out the flake, but I have been mixing mysis in from time to time which I've seen her eat.

 

Anthelia has been encrusting the rock! and so it begins! It's about doubled in size and gotten quite feathery in the waterflow conditions I've created.

 

I moved over the xenia after I had a heater fiasco in the 20L - left partially unplugged after a feeding, which is required because the hob filter drains below the min line when the filter is off. Most of the corals have recovered and look great over there, but the xenia has been slower to respond. I figured I'd move it over now anyway. It has improved, but isn't 1/2 of what it was a week and a half ago.

 

Finally, i removed the extra lid clip because it was causing a siphon and draining a bit of water. Salinity never dropped below 1.026 (hovered right there), but it scared the crap out of me to come out to a puddle.

 

 

Getting lazy on wiping the glass

 

FTS

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Feesh

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Anthelia

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Xenia

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Nice clowns :)

 

I've had that problem with the clips too, when the water level is just a bit too high. They wick the water up and siphon it over the edge.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Nice clowns :)

 

I've had that problem with the clips too, when the water level is just a bit too high. They wick the water up and siphon it over the edge.

 

Yeah it's annoying. the filter floss backs up a bit and puts the water level in the display up.

 

Thanks! I really like the clowns. The local guy gave em to me for $25 a piece.

 

Just did a big water change. I've been having a bit of detritus build up and the resulting algae. I'm not convinced my chaeto gets enough light in the back without a separate light, which I really think would ruin the style. Have a ball of chaeto in the display too, which is pretty hilarious.

 

 

Think I'll be bringing the gsp over soon. Let the pest algae tank begin. ALl the worst inhabitants I've ever had.

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