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Fluval Evo 13.5 vs Innovative Marine 14 Peninsula Tank


Red_Blenny

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Hey guys, been awhile since I've been on here but I'm planning on moving to a new place and I've been thinking about getting a new tank and I'm stuck between the Fluval 13.5 and the IM 14gal Peninsula tank. The dimensions are similar and I'm just wondering  if anyone can give me feedback/experience on either tanks.

 

Thanks :happy:

 

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Fluval 13.5 (I have this tank)

Pros:

- Dimension is better for aquascaping.  It is longer and not as high so you have more usable space to play with.

- It sits on a pedestal giving it a floating look

- It costs about $70 less than the IM 14 gallon

 

Cons:

- The chamber design is stupid and you will have to either DIY a media basket or buy the inTank media basket for another $40.  

- The stock light is crap and you will end up replacing it.  Not a huge deal since the IM 14 doesn't come with a light.  You can reuse the Fluval light for a refugium or a QT tank so I guess it can be a pro?

- The stock pump is weak so you will need a secondary circulation pump or upgrade the stock pump.  But I read you will need to do the same for IM 14.

 

IM 14 (I don't have this tank but read a lot of build threads on it)

Pros:

- Low iron glass

- Better filtration chamber that can fit IM accessories and comes with filter sock (not sure how good the stock sock is though)

- Comes with leveling mat

 

Cons:

- IMO, dimension not as nice since it's taller and shorter than the Fluval.  Vertical space is harder to utilize and takes away from the "peninsula" look

- You will need to buy a light

- Read the stock pump is noisy and needs to be replaced.

- $200 is expensive price tag for a 14 gallon tank.

 

 

Sooooo...if I am in your shoes, I will get the IM 20 Peninsula =P.  The dimension is awesome and more water volume is always good.  However, the IM 20 Peninsula is hard to find a light for and you may end up spending more money.  If IM 20 Peninsula is out of the question, I will choose the Fluval 13.5 over the IM 14, mostly for the dimension.  Again, these are just my opinions...

 

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4 hours ago, ninjamyst said:

Fluval 13.5 (I have this tank)

Pros:

- Dimension is better for aquascaping.  It is longer and not as high so you have more usable space to play with.

- It sits on a pedestal giving it a floating look

- It costs about $70 less than the IM 14 gallon

 

Cons:

- The chamber design is stupid and you will have to either DIY a media basket or buy the inTank media basket for another $40.  

- The stock light is crap and you will end up replacing it.  Not a huge deal since the IM 14 doesn't come with a light.  You can reuse the Fluval light for a refugium or a QT tank so I guess it can be a pro?

- The stock pump is weak so you will need a secondary circulation pump or upgrade the stock pump.  But I read you will need to do the same for IM 14.

 

IM 14 (I don't have this tank but read a lot of build threads on it)

Pros:

- Low iron glass

- Better filtration chamber that can fit IM accessories and comes with filter sock (not sure how good the stock sock is though)

- Comes with leveling mat

 

Cons:

- IMO, dimension not as nice since it's taller and shorter than the Fluval.  Vertical space is harder to utilize and takes away from the "peninsula" look

- You will need to buy a light

- Read the stock pump is noisy and needs to be replaced.

- $200 is expensive price tag for a 14 gallon tank.

 

 

Sooooo...if I am in your shoes, I will get the IM 20 Peninsula =P.  The dimension is awesome and more water volume is always good.  However, the IM 20 Peninsula is hard to find a light for and you may end up spending more money.  If IM 20 Peninsula is out of the question, I will choose the Fluval 13.5 over the IM 14, mostly for the dimension.  Again, these are just my opinions...

 

Thanks for your feedback Ninja. I saw your Fluval 13.5 though Google and it's pretty nice and I was like "oh, it's ninja's tank. Of course it's nice"

 

I actually thought about getting the IM 20 instead buuuuuut GF says the tank must be less than 20gal.... unless I convince her it's a 19gal :D 

 

 

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45 minutes ago, Red_Blenny said:

Thanks for your feedback Ninja. I saw your Fluval 13.5 though Google and it's pretty nice and I was like "oh, it's ninja's tank. Of course it's nice"

 

I actually thought about getting the IM 20 instead buuuuuut GF says the tank must be less than 20gal.... unless I convince her it's a 19gal :D 

 

 

hahah you had me googling my tank now =P.  I am pretty sure your GF meant 20 gallons or less....so IM20 should still be good.  Show her the IM video with the 20.  It looks great.

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My advice is get the IM 20 Peninsula which I have and is great. I am kind of wishing I got a little larger of a tank. Just keep in mind your budget and all the components you will need. I'm currently running two 24 inch Current USA Orbit Marine IC's and am loving them. They seem to provide plenty of light for the tank since it is shallow and my monti's love them. 

 

Btw you can tell her it's a 16-17 gallon tank since rock and sand displacement. :) 

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I have the IM 14 and absolutely love it so far. I also debated between the Fluval and the IM but ultimately decided I didn't like the weird honeycomb look on the Fluval. The filtration chambers are still somewhat transparent and it just doesn't look as clean and sleek as the black vinyl they put over the filtration chambers on the IM tank. The quality of the IM tank is also fantastic with the 6 mm low iron glass and sleek black silicone seams. It's a very sleek, high end looking tank which really impressed me. It also has tons of compatible accessories from IM and inTank, which is really nice. I replaced the included filter sock with an inTank media rack. However, I'm running the stock pump and it's plenty of flow and not noisy at all. I also added the IM spin stream nozzle to the return output to generate random flow. Overall, I think the IM tanks are a good value for the money.

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The IM 20 is technically less than 20 gallons.  19.92208 gallons.  Tanks are always measured to the outside glass edge.  Accounding for that and the acrylic AIO wall it is just over 19 gallons.

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On 11/11/2017 at 1:24 PM, Goneaway562 said:

Btw you can tell her it's a 16-17 gallon tank since rock and sand displacement. :) 

 

18 hours ago, Tmr8188 said:

The IM 20 is technically less than 20 gallons.  19.92208 gallons.  Tanks are always measured to the outside glass edge.  Accounding for that and the acrylic AIO wall it is just over 19 gallons.

LOL that's a good argument.

 

23 hours ago, Felicia said:

I have the IM 14 and absolutely love it so far. I also debated between the Fluval and the IM but ultimately decided I didn't like the weird honeycomb look on the Fluval. The filtration chambers are still somewhat transparent and it just doesn't look as clean and sleek as the black vinyl they put over the filtration chambers on the IM tank. The quality of the IM tank is also fantastic with the 6 mm low iron glass and sleek black silicone seams. It's a very sleek, high end looking tank which really impressed me. It also has tons of compatible accessories from IM and inTank, which is really nice. I replaced the included filter sock with an inTank media rack. However, I'm running the stock pump and it's plenty of flow and not noisy at all. I also added the IM spin stream nozzle to the return output to generate random flow. Overall, I think the IM tanks are a good value for the money.

The low iron glass was a temptation for me. For me, I like the size of the IM 14 buuuut $50 more, I can get the IM 20 so that seems like a pretty good value. Good call on the spin stream nozzle, I'll put that on the list too when buying it

 

On 11/11/2017 at 1:09 PM, ninjamyst said:

hahah you had me googling my tank now =P.  I am pretty sure your GF meant 20 gallons or less....so IM20 should still be good.  Show her the IM video with the 20.  It looks great.

I showed it to her the vid and she approve it :wub:

 

 

Thanks guys, looks like I'm getting the IM 20 Peninsula whoooooooooooooo. It'll be like 8 months from now that I'll set it up though :closedeyes: 

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  • 1 year later...
AnotherBotDown

I know this is an old thread but would anyone of you have bought the Waterbox cube 15(for $150) instead if it was an option then? I am in the same boat as OP was but don't want to go the 20 route.

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  • 3 weeks later...
On 6/27/2019 at 1:43 PM, AnotherBotDown said:

I know this is an old thread but would anyone of you have bought the Waterbox cube 15(for $150) instead if it was an option then? I am in the same boat as OP was but don't want to go the 20 route.

Sorry for the late reply buuuuuut the funny thing is, I'm debating about the Waterbox 20 cube or the IM 20 Peninsula. If you're set on the Waterbox 15, I'd rather upgrade to the 20 cube instead- mainly because Waterbox doesn't have the 15 cube anymore and you can pimp it out with the inTank stuff.

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