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Fluval Spec Owners Thread


evanski

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Spec folks,

 

I just posted the first pics of my Tunz ATO mod to fit in a Spec. Have a look at my build thread, page 8 for details. WIll post pics of the final result later, but this should get you over the hump if you are having problems.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Hi! First post here on nano-reef. This is my fluval spec II. It's my first saltwater so i'm moving slow, but I've got pulsing xenia and some unknown zoas that hitchhiked on the xenia frag.

 

Livestock:

-Several blue leg hermits

-Margarita snail

-Bumblebee snail

-Peppermint shrimp

-Hitchhiker mico stars

 

I have a question for other pico AIO tank owners. Since I've upgraded my pump, the over flow cant keep up and as a result, the pump side compartment runs dangerously low (bad news since me heater is there). Right now I have a valve restricting the pump output, but i'm wondering if there is a way to increase the overflow rate so I can reap the full benefit of the high flow pump?

 

pTXi00O.jpg

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2004jeeplaredo

Heres the update with the new spin stream nozzle. Let me know what you guys think. Keep it or no? I like it except the noise and the loss in flow but seems to have more pull into the filter chamber.

 

On a side note. Some how went to get water at my LFS and the owner was wanting me to get more coral in my tank but was telling him I needed to budget. He then made me a deal on a Yellow polyp frag for 5$. He then through in a huge green polyp frag to "sweeten" the deal. As I was checking out he came over with something, opened my bag and tossed it in. I looked and it was a tiny green candy cane frag. WOW! for 5$ 3 corals!

 

Link to update video of it in action- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hMF6fnHW5o4&feature=youtu.be'>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hMF6fnHW5o4&feature=youtu.be

 

IMG_0546.jpg

 

IMG_0547.jpg

 

IMG_0543.jpg

 

IMG_0548.jpg

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Tank is starting to fill in. Big thank you again to Alex for the corals. Been adding bit by bit. and the older pieces are starting to recover from the alkalinity spiking to 14!! The hermits had just walked across the gorgonian and the star polyps up front so I will have to get more pictures soon when everything looks better, but this will do for now.


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Finally joining this thread! Here is a link to my build.

 

FTS
post-83539-0-47027600-1393700197_thumb.jpg

 

Tank: Fluval Spec 2 2 Gallon
Lighting: Coral compulsion Vibrance par30. Re purposed the stock light to feed the chaeto.
Flow: Mini jet 606
Filration: Custom media rack with floss, Chaeto, and LR rubble
Heater: Hydor 25W Heater
Issues: No issues yet


Livestock
- Blue legged hermit x2

- Mexican turbo snail

- Nassarius snail

- Emerald crab

Corals

- Green star polyp

- More more! I want more!


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So a friend of mine wants to start a Spec 2 and we have been talking about it for a while now. Petco seems to keep them priced at about 45 bucks. Other than a heater what else does the tank need? Is a new light absolutely necessary? What is the minimum buy in for a decent light setup?

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So a friend of mine wants to start a Spec 2 and we have been talking about it for a while now. Petco seems to keep them priced at about 45 bucks. Other than a heater what else does the tank need? Is a new light absolutely necessary? What is the minimum buy in for a decent light setup?

 

Probably around $75 for LED's. That's about what I spent on my DIY. There's some commercial fixtures that work and probably come in around that price point or higher.

 

Edit, for the spec 2 you might be looking at more like $50 starting price. I was pricing for a V.

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jacketherington

Am I the only one that gets a lot of salt creep on the two front corners. The black tabs seem to pull water up and over the top.

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defective_weeble

Am I the only one that gets a lot of salt creep on the two front corners. The black tabs seem to pull water up and over the top.

 

Nope. Same here. What I've done is take a bead of silicone and run it on the lid where the lid meets the frame. That seems to have stopped things quite a bit. I also run without very much surface breaking of the water, so that keeps things from splashing up quite so much.

 

Anyway, here's mine:

 

Minijet 606

12w ABI LED (replacing soon)

Stock sponge

1 big-ass rock

1 mushroom (the rest are now in my 20 long)

Too many snails

 

large_bc3c08711e.JPG?1393445764

 

I'm really torn. I want to leave this tank up as a frag/quarantine for corals, but I also need to keep it cycled. I'm tossing in some flake food every few days to keep the CUC happy, but I'm not sure that's enough. Any recommendations?

 

Also, as to why I'm replacing the light - This thing grows green algae way better than it grows corals...

 

I'd actually like to take the mushroom into my bigger tank, but there's red bubble algae that came along with it and I'm too afraid that I'll infest the 20 long.

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Am I the only one that gets a lot of salt creep on the two front corners. The black tabs seem to pull water up and over the top.

I get salt creep everywhere, but those black corner pieces did seem to make things worse. I cut the plastic out on the inside of the tank so I just have the plastic caps left on the dry side of the glass. Helped a little bit, but not a huge improvement.

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anyone else getting lots of detritus build up? even when I use a turkey baster to blow things around, i dont see much getting sucked back into the filtration chambers. everything just swirls around the tank and settles back on the rocks.

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Do you have the InTank media basket with ther surface skimmer?

 

If not, there are a couple of examples of DIY skimmers around.

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I have a mixed Fluval Spec V 5.5 gallon mixed reef tank with red macroalgae plants. I will be adding ricordea, mushrooms, and some other types of coral later down the road. My tank currently houses amphipods. The specs on this tank are as follows:

 

Tank Manufacturer - Fluval Spec V 5.5 gallon

Finnex HOB refugium (not pictured)

Par 38 OCreef full spectrum 36 watt light with clamp housing (not pictured)

Oceanic Nano Skimmer (not pictured)

8 lbs of Dry Rock from Marco Rocks

5 lbs of Nature's Ocean Samoa Pink Oolite Sand

Hydor Koralia Nano circulation pump

 

Livestock

Amphipods

 

Live Plants

Assorted Red Macro Algae

 

**The photo attached is an old one, I re-arraged the rock in the tank since.**

post-83827-0-81098200-1394383847_thumb.jpg

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Anyone have a recommendation for a good heater that will fit in the 3rd compartment of a Spec 2 gallon?

 

cobalt neo therm heater fits in mine. works great

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  • 2 weeks later...

Why is the inTank Fluval Spec media basket better? I see lots of people in this forum have installed it but I couldn't find any mention why. I am new to the reef aquarium hobby coming from the Freshwater aquarium hobby. So, I am trying to get better educated.

 

I have a Fluval Spec V.

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Why is the inTank Fluval Spec media basket better? I see lots of people in this forum have installed it but I couldn't find any mention why. I am new to the reef aquarium hobby coming from the Freshwater aquarium hobby. So, I am trying to get better educated.

 

I have a Fluval Spec V.

Better than what?

 

The media basket allows you to segregate different kinds of media, allowing for better flow than if you just stacked it.

 

There are several folks here, me included, who run floss, CPE, and Purigen in that order too to bottom.

 

HTH.

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Why is the inTank Fluval Spec media basket better? I see lots of people in this forum have installed it but I couldn't find any mention why. I am new to the reef aquarium hobby coming from the Freshwater aquarium hobby. So, I am trying to get better educated.

 

I have a Fluval Spec V.

Like evanski said, the InTank media baskets are just an easy prefabricated basket that you can drop into the Spec and run any media you want. You can also make your own basket if you like it just won't be as pretty and convienient as the InTank stuff.

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Better than what?

 

The media basket allows you to segregate different kinds of media, allowing for better flow than if you just stacked it.

 

There are several folks here, me included, who run floss, CPE, and Purigen in that order too to bottom.

 

HTH.

I meant better than the stock media sponge it comes with. Thanks for the explanation. I will look into ordering. I also looked up the CPE you mentioned and plan to get that. It looks like the mini (http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0055KZE3I/ref=cm_sw_r_udp_awd_O5Xltb04B8KSB) is the right size. What's a good filter floss that fits?
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I meant better than the stock media sponge it comes with. Thanks for the explanation. I will look into ordering. I also looked up the CPE you mentioned and plan to get that. It looks like the mini (http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0055KZE3I/ref=cm_sw_r_udp_awd_O5Xltb04B8KSB) is the right size. What's a good filter floss that fits?

 

They media baskets are better but fairly pricey. If price is a huge concern, I wouldn't worry about it.

 

This is the cheapest stuff you'll find: http://www.bigalspets.com/filter-floss-10-sq-ft.html

 

It's guaranteed to be aquarium safe unlike some of the floss you find at walmart or hobby stores which has fire retardants on it.

 

The 10sq ft will last years on a tank this size. Just cut a piece every few weeks or as needed.

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