Fluval Evo 13.5 Owners Thread

[R2Dork]

@748S911 Eheim compact 1000 didn't work for me either. Not only did it heat up the tank, I found it too noisy.

@DRGN AutoAqua Smart ATO Micro with the sensor and water line in the return pump chamber has been working great for me.

[DRGN]

Just now, R2Dork said:

@DRGN AutoAqua Smart ATO Micro with the sensor and water line in the return pump chamber has been working great for me.

 

@R2Dork Thank you, could I trouble you for a picture? 

[R2Dork]

@DRGNI have some pictures in my tank journal here:

 

[DRGN]

Thank you, I saw the mini first and thought that's a reasonable price but the micro is more than double, in the UK at least. I'll have to shop around!

[748S911]

@R2Dork thanks for the heads up don't want a noisy pump.  

[EvilFish]

6 hours ago, DRGN said:

is anyone currently using an ATO on this tank and if so which one and where have you located it? 

Yes. Smart ATO Micro, the sensor in the chamber 3. Works great.

[Maddie]

Hi all, I've been out of the hobby for a few years, and I have a friend willing to sell me their fully set up Evo 13 for 100 bucks. I'm strongly considering it, but I know this tank can come with a variety of upgrades, etc. I want a low maintenance, soft coral tank that's not going to cost me thousands or take me hours a week to maintain. Is this tank a good choice? 

[748S911]

brand new they are 159.99, so really depends on condition and what all comes with it? I just bought one and love it, its a perfect size and fun to upgrade. 😀

[Maddie]

Fully set up, sand, live rock, even fish, though they may not stay. Condition should be decent. Every time I go to the fish store I drool over the shrooms and rics, so I've been thinking about it for awhile. I'm just about done fiddling with my two fresh besides general maintenance, so a new project would be nice. 

[748S911]

that's a good deal for all that.. you'll love the tank.

[Wrasseopora]

Been pottering about on this thread, looking at some amazing evo's!
Decided to throw in some pics * of my EVO which I took after a water change. (which could do with some more upgrades at some stage)

*sorry about the cam quality, my phone is being a little strange with the camera settings, need to sort that out.

[Maddie]

We've decided to get the tank (of course!). Trying to decide on livestock. What fish do you guys keep? 

[EvilFish]

5 hours ago, Maddie said:

What fish do you guys keep? 

Watchman goby (Yellow) + Tiger Shrimclownsclown and firefish.

[KISReef]

On 3/8/2019 at 3:05 PM, Maddie said:

 I want a low maintenance, soft coral tank that's not going to cost me thousands or take me hours a week to maintain. Is this tank a good choice? 

Thousands? Try $47 gallon x 13.5 gallon. Drum roll please.......= $634.50. So, I think you're under budget on this build. Just look at the tiny tank build thread, it's even more expensive  per gallon "according to one reefer".    It's a 1/2 gallon build (1 gallon if you consider the sump) and "the nameless reefer" has spend almost $400 so far.  Nameless, because he wants to protect his identity.  

 

The big question is how much is your budget?   It's good your doing your research first! 💰

[Maddie]

26 minutes ago, KISReef said:

Thousands? Try $47 gallon x 13.5 gallon. Drum roll please.......= $634.50. So, I think you're under budget on this build. Just look at the tiny tank build thread, it's even more expensive  per gallon "according to one reefer".    It's a 1/2 gallon build (1 gallon if you consider the sump) and "the nameless reefer" has spend almost $400 so far.  Nameless, because he wants to protect his identity.  

 

The big question is how much is your budget?   It's good your doing your research first! 💰

i just want to be sure before I start do anything crazy like lighting my money on fire and buying corals at 300 apiece that this system can do what I would like it to. So far, the answer to all my questions has been yes. It can grow shrooms, rics, and leathers. Haven't heard about gorgs. Based on what people say on seahorse.org, a pair of Bluestripe pipefish will be ok in this system as long as I buy them eating prepared foods. So far, so good. I'm just going to keep researching all the basics now until I get the tank in a couple weeks. 

[KISReef]

26 minutes ago, Maddie said:

i just want to be sure before I start do anything crazy like lighting my money on fire and buying corals at 300 apiece that this system can do what I would like it to. So far, the answer to all my questions has been yes. It can grow shrooms, rics, and leathers. Haven't heard about gorgs. Based on what people say on seahorse.org, a pair of Bluestripe pipefish will be ok in this system as long as I buy them eating prepared foods. So far, so good. I'm just going to keep researching all the basics now until I get the tank in a couple weeks. 

From what I've heard from "Frances, aka marketing/sales rep Guru" from Fluval. The light can even grow SPS Corals on the bottom of the tank . You may not get the "best" color, but it promises to "get the job done". So they say! 🙏

 

The tank is cheap compared to the corals that will go inside it (that's for dang sure). 

 

Good luck with the build.

[748S911]

9 hours ago, KISReef said:

Thousands? Try $47 gallon x 13.5 gallon. Drum roll please.......= $634.50. So, I think you're under budget on this build. Just look at the tiny tank build thread, it's even more expensive  per gallon "according to one reefer".    It's a 1/2 gallon build (1 gallon if you consider the sump) and "the nameless reefer" has spend almost $400 so far.  Nameless, because he wants to protect his identity.  

 

The big question is how much is your budget?   It's good your doing your research first! 💰

that's pretty accurate i'm hovering at the $700 mark for initial set up. 

 

still on my list

ato $150

aquatic life hybrid t5 fixture $250

 

that's an extra $400, With all that im at $81 a gallon. not including coral

 

 

[hyoib]

My Jebao DP3 doser arrived today for my evo. Anyone have any experience hooking up a dosing pump to the back section? Which section did you put the dosing tubes into? 

[pricewayne]

10 hours ago, Maddie said:

i just want to be sure before I start do anything crazy like lighting my money on fire and buying corals at 300 apiece that this system can do what I would like it to. So far, the answer to all my questions has been yes. It can grow shrooms, rics, and leathers. Haven't heard about gorgs. Based on what people say on seahorse.org, a pair of Bluestripe pipefish will be ok in this system as long as I buy them eating prepared foods. So far, so good. I'm just going to keep researching all the basics now until I get the tank in a couple weeks. 

Check out myfirstfishtank.com — it’s the most comprehensive start up guide I’ve found and he has a recommended build list specific to the fluval evo. Want to say it’s like $290 startup (including tank). Really helped me to get started!

[Maddie]

Hmmm, that's a pretty big jump from 290 to 700, but I'll have to check it out. Luckily for me, mine is coming with presumably everything I need for the tank itself. Live rock and sand are included at the very least. Bf and I are visiting the lfs Thursday to confirm that we're taking it and to ask questions about equipment, etc. The good thing about it is they'll order me anything I need. I just have to buy a stand, and we unfortunately don't have IKEA here. 

[748S911]

9 minutes ago, Maddie said:

Hmmm, that's a pretty big jump from 290 to 700, but I'll have to check it out. Luckily for me, mine is coming with presumably everything I need for the tank itself. Live rock and sand are included at the very least. Bf and I are visiting the lfs Thursday to confirm that we're taking it and to ask questions about equipment, etc. The good thing about it is they'll order me anything I need. I just have to buy a stand, and we unfortunately don't have IKEA here. 

if I would've kept original lights, added an inexpensive powerhead pump, and not wasted an additional 100 or so on things I really didnt need for my tank,  I would be close to that 300 mark. 

 

[pricewayne]

1 hour ago, Maddie said:

Hmmm, that's a pretty big jump from 290 to 700, but I'll have to check it out. Luckily for me, mine is coming with presumably everything I need for the tank itself. Live rock and sand are included at the very least. Bf and I are visiting the lfs Thursday to confirm that we're taking it and to ask questions about equipment, etc. The good thing about it is they'll order me anything I need. I just have to buy a stand, and we unfortunately don't have IKEA here. 

Yep, the $290 is really a base starting cost -- sort of the minimum equipment and supply list to get your tank cycling and ready for easy corals//fish live stock. Also includes optional and upgradeable recommendations as well (see screenshots).

 

I used his guide get my cycle going, added my clean up crew and 2 darwin clowns. This was my first saltwater tank so found his guide SO helpful to wrap my head around how to startup (what equipment is needed, how to set it up for the first time, what to watch out for while in my tests while I ran a fishless cycle etc.) -- since then, I've relied heavily on nano-reef forums to inform what modifications//upgrades are worth investing in based on my goals.

 

My upgrades since "day 1" have certainly taken me above the $290, but not at all required investments.

- DIY media basket w/ egg crate & poly fill (approx $15 total for egg crate, zip ties and poly fill)

- Innovative Marine Wavemaker Powerhead, Desktop ($99)

- NanoBox Mini Tide Plus M light upgrade ($299) just ordered yesterday in a custom color and I'm excited to get this on my setup!!

[EvilFish]

On 3/8/2019 at 6:05 PM, Maddie said:

Hi all, I've been out of the hobby for a few years, and I have a friend willing to sell me their fully set up Evo 13 for 100 bucks. I'm strongly considering it, but I know this tank can come with a variety of upgrades, etc. I want a low maintenance, soft coral tank that's not going to cost me thousands or take me hours a week to maintain. Is this tank a good choice? 

Easy.

Tank 100$

Hipargero Aquarium LED Lights 30W -around 60$

Cobalt Aquatics MJ900 pump - 30$

VOYAGER NANO STREAM PUMP (530 GPH) 40$

LED for refugium 50$

SMART ATO MICRO 120P  - 135$

Heater 50W 15$

 

That's it.

[dvs1986]

21 hours ago, EvilFish said:

Easy.

Tank 100$

Hipargero Aquarium LED Lights 30W -around 60$

Cobalt Aquatics MJ900 pump - 30$

VOYAGER NANO STREAM PUMP (530 GPH) 40$

LED for refugium 50$

SMART ATO MICRO 120P  - 135$

Heater 50W 15$

 

That's it.

Id say kill the refugium light. the tank doesn't really need a refugium with regular water changes. In the end its more likely whatever you're growing in there is going to die and release all the nutrients.

[Maddie]

Until I've had the tank running for a while, I plan to keep every thing stock except for back media. I want it to be a ric/shroom/gorg/macro tank, so I don't need a crazy light or anything. Pumps will probably be upgraded sooner than later if it hasn't already been done and add an ATO asap because I'm super lazy.