Proxo Fluval Evo 13.5

[Proxo]

Hey, i'd like to first just introduce myself as i'm new here.
I've been into fish keeping for roughly 10 years, freshwater. It's time to move onto the Salt, that's why i'm here.

Currently set up my first salt tank about 4 months ago, basically i'm here for help on IF the tank goes wrong and information on corals for this tank and how to go about it.
Here's some information and pictures;

 

Equipment:

Eheim Compact 1000 Pump

Fluval A3977 Digital 2-Channel LED Timer

VYAIR Compact 4-Stage RODI

Fluval Protein Skimmer Ps2

Dennerle Nano ThermoCompact 50w

D-D Dual Heating And Cooling Temperature Controller

 

Aquarium Scape:

iQuatics Dried Reef Rock

Red Sea Live Reef Base

 

Fish:

2 Common Clown

1 Royal Gramma

 

Invertebrates:

3 Hermit Crab

3 Narcissus Snails

3 Turbo Snail

 

Coral

Hammer Coral (Euphyllia ancora)

Pulsing Xenia (Heteroxenia fuscescens)

Acan (Acanthastrea echinata)

Mushroom (Fungiidae)

Zoanthids

 

Lighting:

Stock Fluval Evo 13.5

 

Filteration:

Intank Media Basket Chamber 1

Intank Media Basket Chamber 2

Filter Floss

Small Sponge

Chemi Pure Elite

Seachem Matrix Bio Media

Seachem Purigen

Seachem De Nitrate

Seachem PhosGuard

Chaeto Algae

 

[bomerst]

18 minutes ago, Proxo said:

Channel

Looks like a great start, and I love the rockwork!  You will need to add to your CUC though: neither your hermits or your Narcissus snails will touch Algae.  Consider adding some trochus or astrea snails (watch out, the astreas cannot right themselves if they tip over) to help keep your tank clean.

[Proxo]

Ah right, didn't know - how much CUC can i have in a 13.5g? i'm after some more fish or something too if possible tho.
And possibly some easy starting coral? 😄

[Proxo]

Currently making my own Intank media basket with acrylic, will post the outcome soon.

[Proxo]

Here's the work in progress.

[Proxo]

Ok so some coral help please? i don't know what to start with 😞

[Garf]

What are your params at? Ca, KH/Alk, Mg. The key is keeping them as stable as you can.

 

Look for a couple of the easier LPS corals, the more forgiving the better. Do a search on beginner corals on youtube, some good advice there. Mr. Saltwater fish had a good video. If you get green star polyps (GSP), make sure you isolate it on a rock, it can really take over a tank. Same with zenia. Then as you get your routine down, and figure out how to keep things stable, add more corals. Resist the temptation to add too much too fast. 

[Proxo]

Sorry for the late reply, been busy.. i'll do some tests tomorrow and post params.
I'm currently just starting to get things under control, as it was a fish only tank i've just had to purchase some different salt, going with the red sea coral pro.

I've purchased some zoa, acan, hammer and idk what else, some proper IDs would be nice. 😄
They're doing okay but my nitrates are pretty high atm.

I've also had some serious diatoms problems 😄


 

[Garf]

Did you already buy the red sea coral pro? Be careful you don't raise the alkalinity too fast. What was your mix and tank at prior?

 

I am going in the opposite direction of you, going down from 11dkh, to 9. my boxed water wasn't reliable, so I switched to Fritz RPM. it mixes around 9dkh, and 430 calcium. I have been doing 1gallon water changes every couple of days, it brings my dkh down .2 per water change. A salt that mixed lower alk seemed a better fit for me, as my tank isn't consuming much. And I believe it is easier to adjust up than it is to adjust downwards. If I needed to do a large water change, lower params might be easier to deal with. 

[Proxo]

I didn't buy it yet no, after your reply i've been doing some more research.
Currently using the Red Sea Salt but i'm extremely low, not sure if to stick with this brand or move to something else.

I'll be honest, i'm a complete noob to reefing - i thought an algae problem in my freshwater was a headache 😄 

Do you also have the evo ? i'm not really liking the lighting at all, but i like to keep the hud 😕 can't find a led strip for the life of me.

[Garf]

 

Yes I have the EVO. My journey is documented in my aquarium build journal. I kept my hood, and installed Current USA Truelumen LED strips.

[Proxo]

Nice, i've checked it out - i'm from the UK and the only truelumen leds i can find are the combo, could really do with some more blue on the stock evo light 😞
tempted to just get the ai prime but i really would like to keep the lid as i've got the fluval spec 60L right next to the evo. 

[ezreefer73]

Add to of these to your Evo: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00OP3P0XA/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I added 2 of these 2 my evo and they add alot of blue color. Make sure you order the powers supply too. One will power up to 3 strips.

[Proxo]

18 minutes ago, ezreefer73 said:

Add to of these to your Evo: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00OP3P0XA/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I added 2 of these 2 my evo and they add alot of blue color. Make sure you order the powers supply too. One will power up to 3 strips.

Yeah i seen your post while looking for some lights,I'm losing the will to live they're not on the UK amazon or any other site i can find for that matter.


 

[ezreefer73]

You can order them direct, I think they ship from China. May take a week or 2 but they really add a good amount of blue to the evo. I 3M taped them under the hood.

http://www.ledenet.com/product-category/led-rigid-bar/

[Proxo]

Ah, i'm bored of having a headache so i'll order them if the shipping isn't too much. Pretty sure i've got a 12V DC somewhere. Cheers bud :).

I wish i stuck to my freshwater tank lately, but i know it'll be worth it once i learn everything lol.
 

[Proxo]

i got a cheap lens filter from amazon, isn't too bad - camera battery died before i could play around properly though.

[Ratvan]

52 minutes ago, Proxo said:

Ah, i'm bored of having a headache so i'll order them if the shipping isn't too much. Pretty sure i've got a 12V DC somewhere. Cheers bud :).

I wish i stuck to my freshwater tank lately, but i know it'll be worth it once i learn everything lol.
 

I know the feeling buddy. I seem to have waves of pests at the minute with my first SW tank. Love the Zoa's

Maybe have a look for 10" LED Strips? My LFS keeps a fair amount in stock

[Proxo]

48 minutes ago, Ratvan said:

I know the feeling buddy. I seem to have waves of pests at the minute with my first SW tank. Love the Zoa's

Maybe have a look for 10" LED Strips? My LFS keeps a fair amount in stock

Ah i've been lucky with pests, i've been using two little fishies coral cleaner - i'd recommend it as i've seen some crazy pests coming off coral i've purchased, especially if it comes on rock.
I did find an Aiptasia growing out of a rock though, think i got it out with a needle though.

I ordered the ones from china as mentioned above, they where pretty cheap but i'm honestly thinking of just getting an ai prime and making a custom lid out of some black plastic or something. 

My nitrates are sky high too, i started the tank up with water from LFS and stupid me didn't check it.

[Garf]

I need to up my game on the dip/cleaning. I examine each piece under magnification, and remove from the frag plug if possible. I tend to keep the frag plug if I am unsure of where I want to place it, then will remove the plug when I find it's happy place. I have found aptasia poking out from the edge of the super glue where it meets the plug. I know that a dip wont kill aptasia, but i'd like if I had a chance to see it before I add it to my tank.

 

Perhaps I can have a couple of removable frag racks set at lower and mid tank level. So examine, clean, dip, observe in tank on rack, then final placement. 

[Proxo]

The aptasia was on a coral i bought that came on a rock i carefully examined (obviously not). Only just noticed it now and it's been a month or so.
Think i might get a frag rack or make one seen as i have so much acrylic left over to do as you say, better safe than sorry 😄

Will my corals color back up once i get this nitrate problem under control? 
And can i slap my royal gramma as it keeps flipping my crabs and snails upside down? haha!

[Proxo]

Went to the LFS today and normally the coral selection isn't too great but today it was so damn good, i couldn't buy anything as it was all on massive pieces of rock.
Almost bought a bigger tank due to it, instead i came home with a bottle of co2 for the freshwater planted tank and a emerald crab :D. 

I'm going to try ordering some coral online 😄.
So throw me some coral names that'll do okay under the stock evo lights? Help a noobie out 😄
I THINK so far i've got;
Hammer, Frog, Zoa, Acan, Something i'm not sure (the top coral on picture above?), Pulsing Xenia (Not doing well but most will be happy to hear that lol).

[Proxo]

Okay i've just ordered some corals, but charterhouse still owes me money though so i couldn't order as much as i wanted.
Anyway i've ordered;
Green star polyp
Rasta Cousin Zoa (Couldn't help it, i've been to jamaica 3 times).
Fire storm zoa
fire splitter zoa
orange rainbow acan.

Although i've not seen it in action yet here's the light upgrade;

 

[Garf]

Did you get the nitrates under control, and have you switched your source of water from the LFS? What is your tank alk at, and what is your target alk, measured from freshly mixed saltwater? 

[Proxo]

I only did the LFS water once, when i was setting the tank up i've used my own RODI water since, the nitrates are sitting around 40-45ppm at the moment (that was last test before water change). I've chugged the back chambers up with seachem denitrate for now - it has mixed reviews but it  did work for my freshwater once it settles in.

Alk is currently at 8, not sure what i'm aiming for tbh my water here is pretty soft but the pH seems to be running at 8 on the reef tank.
The corals have started to colour up though, i've even got some new growth on the acan but not the beautiful pulsing xenia 😄 haha!

I'll do some tests once i've played around with this light and try get some decent pictures of the corals as i could do with some proper IDs.